The beginnings of a Cider Empire ?

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The beginnings of a Cider Empire ?
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Calli

Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 626
Location: Galway

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 11 9:57 am Post subject:
Looking brilliant!

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8921
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 11 10:36 am Post subject:
Have you thought of Sheep Snout?

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 11 11:20 am Post subject:
There's so many to choose from. There's some wonderful names out there. Hopefully, the ones that I've chosen will be able to cope with our wet warm weather and will nick with what I've already got. I did have a look to see if there was a chance of getting some of the rather 'yokelly' named Hens Turd variety but without much luck. Hens Turd cider has rather a ring to it don't you think?

12Bore

Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 9089
Location: Paddling in the Mersey

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 11 5:25 pm Post subject:

Is it really 2 years since I said

12Bore wrote:

Congratulations Bodger, I am extremely jealous!

I still am!

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 11 5:40 pm Post subject:
Time flies as they say and i've really had to buckle down to make myself stick to my plans. There's an awful long way to go yet.

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 11 6:35 pm Post subject:

Just to say - I have an Ashmead's Kernel tree I planted it 20 years ago and its about 18ft high on M25 - it's almost the last of all to be ripe and I only get a good crop at most every other year. Last year they were all scabby, over-russetted and split, I couldn't use any of them.

When it's good it's very tasty, though, but I don't think its a variety I'd depend on as an earner. It's greyish gold and russetty with a touch of colour on the sunny side, and although the juice has a lovely flavour, it's not the most abundant. I use it for about 10% of my juice, and often that's mixed with Golden Russet

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 11 11:28 pm Post subject:

Thinking on . . just looking at the eating apples, and bearing in mind that you may have more than at the end of the thread, it looks to me as if you have August (Discovery), September (Red Windsor) and November (Ashmeads) varieties. What's missing is an attractive good-flavoured apple that would be ripe in October and keep well.

Chances are that at some point you'll be involved in Apple Day and the first two I've mentioned won't store at all, so you'll have little in the way of dessert apples to sell at that time. You'll have to look lively about juicing them, too, with only about a week each when they're at their best.In fact if the Ashmeads is off on a sulk, your last eating apple could be third week in September ( maybe later where you are.)

Here, two thirds of the varieties of dessert apples are picked just around apple day, in mid-October, they are all good for juicing but can be stored for between one and three months so juice sessions can be staggered. That time's about the end of the Fortune, Lord Lamborne, Ribston Pippin, James Grieve and Sunset crop, and just about when Laxtons Superb, Cox and Queen Cox, Orleans Reinette, Jupiter, Kidd's Orange Red, Pitmaston Pineapple are at their best for picking - they will all last till around Christmas if stored well.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Thu Jun 09, 11 2:42 am Post subject:
We had an Orleans Reinette from OP (must be 2 years ago now, how time flies) and the fruit are really delicious!

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Jun 09, 11 5:28 am Post subject:
It may sound silly, but because I'm trying to get a few of which ever variety that I choose, I'm actually short of space. Which of the varities that you've mentioned would you choose? Which one would be your banker?

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Thu Jun 09, 11 9:57 am Post subject:

Well, I'm in the southwest so mine are perhaps earlier, we could compare later this year where we have the same varieties - a young Red Windsor and ancient Bramleys are growing here so I'll let you know when they're ripe. As ever, I only know my orchard, OP's the one with the nationwide information and knows about a wider range of varieties. I'd have a couple of Ashmeads but not put all your money into them.

The tree I couldn't live without is the Kidd's Orange Red I mentioned then - pretty flowers, easy to look after as it hardly needs any pruning and grows to a weeping shape that's easy to pick, no disease problems, attractive shape and colour, smells of roses when ripe, huge crop every year reliably, keeps till Christmas at least for juicing or dessert.

I've put in ten trees of Queen Cox for selling, though, however I haven't yet had a good enough crop to judge it. It's got tradition behind it, so people who don't know apples well would buy it as a heritage apple, and should look good, taste good, store and juice.

edit to add: If your season is later, then Jupiter is great - only drawback is that the apples are large, so not lunchbox size, but they're red and stripey, great flavour, very juicy and keep for a month or so. It's a triploid tree so vigorous, and you should have enough varieties to get round the pollination problems.

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Nov 30, 11 10:44 pm Post subject:
Hey Bodger! Guess what? I'm just eating my Ashmeads Kernel apples ( trying to beat the starlings to the last dozen or so). This year they taste fantastic, lovely russet flavour though not very juicy. They've ripened a month earlier than usual. If you pm your address I'll send you a couple.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 11 3:42 am Post subject:
John and I were lucky to be teaching welding to a small bunch last week that includes aman who grafts apples trees. He has offered to do some trees for a tenner each for us - Cornish varieties and some cider apples.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 12 9:57 am Post subject:

Its a long way to plan ahead but I've just booked myself on a two day course at Pershore College ( Worcestershire) on the 4th and 5th of September. Its a course on apple juice processing and I've been able to get the fees heavily subsidised through The Welsh Perry and Cider Society.

Don't worry, I'm not looking for digs

but do any members live around there and can you tell me anything about the college and surrounding area?

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 12 9:13 pm Post subject:

Its a while since I've visited this thread but here's a bit of an update.

For the last six weeks, I've been supplying three local pubs with 20litre bag in boxes of our cider.
Coming even more up to date, our first three day temporary events licence expired at 9.00pm tonight. We took it out so that we could sell cider over the gate at our own place. I'm pleased to say that during the three days we sold 244 pints of cider and 37 bottles of apple juice.

T.G

Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Posts: 7280
Location: Somewhere you're not

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 12 10:43 pm Post subject:
Excellent Keep it up

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