A tree at the bottom of my garden

skeetam

Any experts on this forum who know what type of apple these are? I have a tree at the bottom of my garden that has suddenly started producing a sack load and I'd like to know if they're for cooking or eating. Many thanks.

seanoconn

Cox maybe. Take a bite, you’ll soon find out.

sungod

take a bite

if you like it: eating

if it's sharp enough to pucker your mouth: cooking

bitter: cider

wriggly: wormy

shirley_basso

Look like braeburn to me. Have a bite

lesfirth

They look like Brambly cooking apples. What do they taste like?

tlw1

Did the snake tell you to eat it?

orraloon

Wot SG said above. If the texture and taste are all 'wrong' them be cider apples.

skeetam

Thanks for all the replies. I had a taste and they were quite bitter and the texture wasn't quite like a normal eating apple so taking into account their colouring, they're most like Brambly cooking apples. I'll have to get them knocked up into an apple crumble 😀👍🏻

gethinceri

Brambly?

elbowloh

gethinceri said:

Brambly?

They're Bramley apples that grow amongst brambles.

darkhairedlord

Reminds me to check the pear trees. If they are still standing and have anything left after all the wind.

pinno

skeetam said:

Thanks for all the replies. I had a taste and they were quite bitter and the texture wasn't quite like a normal eating apple so taking into account their colouring, they're most like Brambly cooking apples. I'll have to get them knocked up into an apple crumble 😀👍🏻

I have 7 apple trees and no, it doesn't make me an expert but...
They look far too small for Bramley apples.
If you have had a poor growing season, even the best apple variety can taste bad. I hear it has been very wet down south, we had it very dry for 7 weeks: no rain to speak of.
It's obvious that you had a good spring and the blossom was abundant, hence the good crop but you need to learnt to prune the tree (In the colder months -Jan/Feb preferably) to get the best out of them - less fruit but more flavour and a much more consistent crop (more consistent bloom).
If they are not cooking apples, they will disintegrate when cooked.

My inclination is that this is perhaps a Crab apple. Someone thought that they could plant an apple seed and grow an edible apple. You can't. All edible varieties need to be grafted.
But before you go chopping it down, if is is a crab, then the blossom is good for Bees and if you prune it properly, you may find that the apple is a better flavour, meaning that it isn't a Crab apple.
Judging by the skin, they look like they need a bit more light.
Is the side of the apple that is red more palatable?