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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Picking apples

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  • From: "William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Picking apples
  • Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:27:31 -0500


It often happens that the October night frost will freeze the outer layers of
the apples, and then the pickers must wait until the apples thaw.


I've got to say that I'm amazed an apple can partially freeze without damage. Do you know why that is, Doug? Usually, freezing breaks the cell walls in fruit, right? So that's why they get mushy when thawed? But that doesn't happen with apples?


Generally for longest keeping one picks a little earlier than if one is
aiming for maximum quality, especially quality relatively early after picking.


I planted "keepers" specifically so they'd last me awhile in the winter. So I'm not sure that I really need /maximum/ keeping quality. On the other hand, I tend to like everything I eat - especially if I've grown it myself - and I'm no gourmet, so I probably don't need maximum quality, either! Heh, heh. As I've mentioned, I tend to like green apples even better than ripe ones, anyway.

So I won't worry about this TOO much. But the more experience I have growing my own fruit, the more I realize how tough it must be for people worried about growing fruit for sale. In my case, I can eat - and even enjoy - fruit that no one in their right mind would buy. Heck, I generally give away the good stuff - and keep for myself anything that's damaged, partially rotten, wormy, or just ugly (in some cases, that's pretty much the whole crop!).

The more I grow fruit, the more I wonder how it can be so cheap in grocery stores.

Thanks for the info, Doug!

Bill
Lincoln, NE (zone 5)

--
To trace something unknown back to something known is alleviating, soothing, gratifying and gives moreover a feeling of power. Danger, disquiet, anxiety attend the unknown - the first instinct is to eliminate these distressing states. First principle: any explanation is better than none. - Friedrich Nietzsche




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