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There's an apple tree on my lot that produces what I can only describe as "mealy" apples. Chewing them, they crumble instead of snap. Brown easily. Bruise incredibly easily.
It isn't a texture I want more than one of a year but they're unique
Anyone have a clue on variety? Someone thought "glass"?
EDIT: ah HAH, new theory c/o Anders (thanks!): these are summer apples, and I didn't know that, so kept picking them too late. So they're overripe.
@glassbottommeg I've heard that apples in the wild are terrible in texture and flavor both, and that the apples in the stores are supremely bred for their better properties. Like we are eating tea cup poodles, not wolves.
@demofox @glassbottommeg In Warsaw after the war a lot of apple trees were planted on purpose. They were then left to grow on their own. Their fruit is small, hard, and on the sour end of the spectrum.
At the same time, crumbly bred varieties are totally a thing. I don't like them, but some people here love them. They're also considered best for proper szarlotka (a kind of apple pie).
@glassbottommeg these sound like they've been bred for cooking
@glassbottommeg They might be better for baking than eating raw if the flavour is still decent. Apple crumble à la mode, perhaps?
@glassbottommeg apples become "mealy" when they are overripe, especially summer apples, but they can still be used for things like apple must.
@dahnielson I wonder if these are summer apples and I keep picking them too late. Oh geeze. THAT might make sense.
Overripe definitely sounds plausible, but they could also be a variety of cooking apple. Are they sweet or quite bitter?
@adaliabooks sweet, overly so
More likely overripe then, cooking apples tend to be quite bitter.
@glassbottommeg We turn overripe or mealy apples into applesauce. Super easy to do (though a bit time-intensive to peel the apples if you don't want pureed peel in the applesauce). We add a few drops of lemon juice to the mix when we are ready to puree the cooked apples- adds a bit or tartness, and helps keep the finished applesauce from browning quickly. Most people don't add it, so it's just a personal choice for us.
But it's a good way to use the mealy apples and not waste an entire harvest (if you like applesauce).
@glassbottommeg apropos of nothing the other day i walked by blackberries and they were growing rampantly
i forgot how nuts pnw blackberries were
@glassbottommeg I know there are apple varieties bred for cider and not for eating. Also my dad used to have an orchard and the trees would bear fruit over several months and all the early bearing varieties tasted like ass and had awful texture.