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On Apr 5, 2006, at 7:19 PM, tanis grif wrote:

> I agree I think some of the "12-hour" summer apples would keep a  
> while if we chilled
> them down right away.

So then they would keep for 2-3 weeks, instead of 12 hours?  Doesn't  
seem worth it.

My uncle has a 12-hour summer apple tree - it might be closer to an 8  
hour tree, actually.  It's not a named variety, it's one of four he  
grew from seeds in his youth.  It's a medium small, attractive yellow  
apple, and the taste (directly off the tree) is excellent, with a  
soft but crisp texture.  No need to store them for a couple of weeks  
- the tree ripens its apples gradually over several weeks on its  
own.  you just need to pick today's fruit when you want to eat it.   
Yesterday's fruits are soft and bruised, but still okay for juice.

(His experience makes me think it's not that hard to grow a useful  
backyard tree from seed.  Of the four he planted, two were worth  
eating, although the other is too sweet and not acid enough for my  
taste.  The other two were bitter, but might have been fine for  
cider.  He pulled them out before I had a chance to try them.   
Obviously none had commercial potential, but a long ripening season  
is a virtue in a backyard tree, and a virtue that's rarely found in  
named cultivars.)

Ginda