Its not always easy knowing when to pick the apples from a tree. Different varieties ripen at different times and apples on the same tree don’t all ripen at the same time.

Apples that are picked too immature will be hard and not have a good flavour, while apples that are over ripe will become mushy, and will not store well.

Don’t leave ripe apples on the tree as this will attract the bears! You want to pick an apple when it is at its peak as this is when it is at its best.

It will take some checking and testing to see when an apple is ripe for the picking! There are several different things that can be done to see if an apple is mature and ripe.

On the apple tree itself, the apples ripen from the outside in. Apples on the outside tips of the branches will ripen before the apples in the centre of the tree. Also, apples on the south side of the tree may ripen slightly sooner than on the north side of the tree where there is less sun.

When an apple is ripe it will separate from the tree easily. To pick an apple, hold the apple in your hand and give it a slight twist and the apple should come off the tree with very little to no resistance. Do not pull or tug at the apple as this will damage the fruit spur which will result in less fruit next year as next year’s apple buds are already forming, on the fruit spur.

Healthy apples that fall off the tree is nature’s ways of releasing ripe apples from the tree.

The part of the apple’s stem that connects it to the fruit spur has cells that die, when the apple is ripe, releasing the apple from the tree. Ideally, you want to pick the apples just before they are ready to drop off the tree.

Look at the colour of the apple, and wait for it to reach its mature colour. The base colour will change from green to yellow.

Pick an apple and cut it in half and look at the seeds. If the seeds are white or pale in colour, the apple is not ripe. A ripe apple will have brown seeds.

Do the taste test. As an apple ripens the starch converts to sugar. An apple that is ripe will be sweeter than an apple that is not ripe. It should be slightly soft, but still firm and crisp.

If you didn’t pick the apples from the tree and there is a predicted frost warning, do not worry as apples on the tree can take a slight frost. If there is a chance of a severe frost pick the apples. Apples that have been hit by a severe frost cannot be stored as frost ruptures the cells. They will need to be processed.

Unripe apples can be made into juice.

Be careful when picking apples, as you don’t want to bruise them. A bruised or damaged apple will not store well, and should be used first. Never store bruised or damaged fruit with healthy fruit as this can cause the healthy apples to rot.

When the apples have been picked, store them in a cool, dark space . Don’t wash apples until you are ready to use them. When storing apples, do not have them touch each other. Each apple can be wrapped individually in newspaper. If storing apples in a root cellar/cold room, keep them away from potatoes.

This is a good time of year to plant apple trees. The trees are a good size and have a nice root system. The cooler temperatures mean less watering. There is still a good selection of trees and they are on sale now.

Apple tree varieties that grow well in our area include early to mid-season varieties such as Heyer #12, Parkland, Battleford, Norland, Norkent, and later varieties Honeycrisp, Fall Red, Goodland, and September Ruby.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road