North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[sherwin <sherwindu@att.net>]

There appears to be several criteria around for determining
when to pick an apple.  The most prevalent one is when the
seeds turn dark brown or black.  My experience is that I get
more sweetness if I leave the apples on the tree beyond this
point.

Another theory is lift the apple gently and if it comes off, it
is ready for picking.  This generally works for me, but some
apples will stubbornly hang on no matter how ripe they get.

One theory that I usually follow is to wait for a few apples
that are not damaged to fall.  This works for mid and late
season apples, but could lead to over ripeness in early apples.

Of, course, tasting the apple is the ultimate test.

I'm interested in other people's thoughts on this.

              Sherwin Dubren
              Morton Grove, IL