Raymond advises that the important thing of cooking apples will depend on selecting the right choice for a particular dish – you need the right steadiness of acidity and sweetness, and texture is important too.
Proper right here, Raymond shares 10 of his favourite varieties and the way in which he makes use of them.
‘Adam’s Pearmain’
This outdated reliable, English dessert apple has medium-size, barely russeted fruit. It is harvested in October and retailers for over three months. It has good sickness resistance. ‘I similar to the creamy flesh and rich nutty, practically dry flavour,’ says Raymond.
Pollination group: 2
Biggest for: purees and tarts
‘Blenheim Orange’
This dual-purpose dessert and cooking choice can be eaten raw when youthful or cooked when additional mature. Harvest in early October; fruits retailer for two or three months. Raymond says: ‘That’s thought-about one among my favourite varieties as a result of it has a spicy, russet flavour and could possibly be very versatile – it’s best to use it in so many various strategies.’
Pollination group: 3 (triploid)
Biggest for: purees and tarts
‘Bramley’s Seedling’
This cooking apple grows on vigorous, sprawling timber, so it is best for larger gardens solely. Harvest in November; fruits retailer for over three months. It has good sickness resistance. ‘For me that’s too acidic for normal cooking, nevertheless it absolutely breaks down into the right texture and flavour for purees,’ says Raymond.
Pollination group: 3
Biggest for: purees
‘Braeburn’
This dessert apple comes from New Zealand and would possibly go proper right into a ‘sulk’ in cool summers, so it desires your sunniest and warmest nook. Compact, it’s good for small plots. Harvest in October or November; fruits retailer for 3 months. Raymond says: ‘I just like the tart, richly apple-y flavour.’
Pollination group: 4 (self fertile)
Biggest for: tarte tatin
‘Captain Kidd’
A dessert choice that is related to Cox’s Orange Pippin, with an similar flavour, nonetheless loads easier to develop. Harvest in November; fruits retailer for two months. ‘Aromatic and crunchy, with creamy-white flesh and an unimaginable flavour,’ is Raymond’s verdict.
Pollination group: 3
Biggest for: juicing and tarts
‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’
This apple has an outstanding flavour nonetheless is normally a bit of temperamental – it’s comparatively disease-prone and dislikes the chilly and moist. Harvest in October; fruits retailer for 3 months. ‘World class!’, says Raymond. ‘This has the proper flavour and is the proper for savoury dishes on account of it’s not too sweet.’
Pollination group: 3
Biggest for: purees, tarts and tarte tatin
‘Granny Smith’
A dessert choice that wishes an prolonged, scorching summer season. Harvest in October; fruits protect for 3 months. Raymond says: ‘This has a refreshing acidity, which I like, and it moreover holds its texture moderately effectively when sliced and cooked.’
Pollination group: 3
Biggest for: tarte tatin
‘Chivers Delight’
A dessert apple that is easy to develop and retailers correctly, for as a lot as three months. Harvest in October or November. ‘I’m eager on the rich, honey flavour of this apple, which is similar to the Cox. And I like the way in which wherein it ‘fluffs’ when it cooks with out disintegrating.’
Pollination group: 4
Biggest for: baking and tarts
‘Egremont Russet’
A small, russet dessert apple with company flesh. Harvest fruits in October; they will retailer for 3 months. ‘This has lovely layers of richness and acidity. The flavour is nutty and dry., and it turns into deeper when it is saved.
Pollination group: 2
Biggest for: juicing and tarts
‘Lord Lambourne’
A reliable, compact tree, turning out heavy crops of dessert apples, 12 months after 12 months. Harvest fruits in September; they will protect for two months. ‘I similar to the stableness of acidity and sugar, which provides a flowery, aromatic flavour. The flesh is crisp, too.’
Pollination group: 2
Biggest for: tarts
Rising for flavour
Raymond’s head gardener, Anne Marie Owens, shares her recommendations for wonderful apples:
- Choice is important, so go to an apple day to type as many types as potential, and develop solely what you want.
- Go for naturally disease-resistant varieties the place potential, significantly within the occasion you yard organically.
- Plant two from the similar pollination group, to boost cropping. Or develop a self-fertile choice.
- Skinny the fruitlets in July to at the least one or two per cluster, leaving the healthiest – you’ll get fewer fruits nonetheless they will be superb high quality.
- Maintain an area of soil away from weeds and grass spherical your tree, about 1m all through, to cut back rivals and enhance progress.
- Feed timber each spring with slow-release fertiliser, resembling pelleted poultry manure.
- Depart late varieties on the tree for as long as potential to mature the flavour.
- Apples are completely ripe after they arrive away with a fragile twist.