Re: Totally OT: stone fruit

A L P wrote:
That's so disappointing. I've never bought apricots in town, though now we have a proper Farmers' Market on Saturdays with truly fresh produce from the hinterland I think it may be worth while again.

Shop apricots are bred to travel. They look great but never have that soft delicate flesh you hoped for. The trouble with apricots is they bruise SO easily. We picked and packed them firm - ripe-coloured but too green for anyone in the district to eat - for a train trip that evening to the market 150 miles away, growers' market in the early morning, into the shops later that day. That was back in the 1960s, my experience working on orchards in Central Otago. Train not plane. Market in nearest city not a whole 'nother part of the world as happens today! Though yours would have been grown not too far away, Ginny?

Well I thought they were locally grown but I have just been reading that our prime orchard areas are actually turning into blue gum plantations and lifestyle farms. In one such shire there is one commercial orchard left and most of the fruit is exported where of course they make more money. All the more reason to establish more fruit trees around my house.

I note you said the nectarines has a hint of tartness. I wonder if they too were a lottle under-ripe. The modern nectarine is a sad thing compared with the ones with the thick skin that went leathery as they ripened.

Probably but I have always liked my fruit slightly under ripe. The only thing I like soft and mushy are mangos. :)

Apricots and nectarines are buggers for brown rot. Some breeds were more susceptible than others. In fruit with skin that is broken it spreads like wildfire. Soft ripe fruit squashes and the skin gets damaged more easily than the coloured unripe billiard-ball hard fruits. I don't know what sprays are used now, probably systemic anti-fungals applied generously early in the season - but that's just a guess.

Don't know about the brown rot but there are numerous problems with fruit. My main problem with my own trees is birds. Most years I get none. Citrus are the only fruit I can grow carefree. Nuts and others are almost not worth the effort although every year I plant another one or two.
The old breeds with fragile skin and glorious flavour were replaced in favour of "good travellers" which developed high colour even when picked hard. The flesh is dry and flavourless though they look ripe. The Japanese market went for "eating with your eyes" resulting in selection for looks, flavour being all but irrelevant.

The chooks probably will enjoy them. Or you might salvage them for yourself by cooking them. They won't be like meltingly ripe apricots but they may reveal their latent apricottiness.

A L P

Have left them to ripen a little more but they are quite soft and well coloured already. Will try another tomorrow. The necterines and peaches are making up for them anyway.


--
Ginny - in West Australia
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Totally OT: stone fruit
    ... The peaches were slightly soft and juicey, the plums were divine, necterines had a hint of tartness just the way I like them and the apricots were ... Thank goodness I only bought 6 as they were quite dear, and I had to get DH to try one in case it was just my piece of fruit. ... I've never bought apricots in town, though now we have a proper Farmers' Market on Saturdays with truly fresh produce from the hinterland I think it may be worth while again. ... The modern nectarine is a sad thing compared with the ones with the thick skin that went leathery as they ripened. ...
    (sci.agriculture.poultry)
  • Re: OT - Local council recycling
    ... Supermarkets buy months in advance by the lorryload. ... fruit that sits in cold stores for months on end until its needed. ... If the market stall holders want to pay ... because they need to convince mugs like you to pay pay extra for it. ...
    (uk.media.tv.misc)
  • Re: where can you get frest fruit?
    ... hey i am down like 40ish pounds (tooting my own horn!) ... Off the top of my head, I can think of at least one place in each theme park. ... Harambe Fruit Market in AK; Anaheim Produce in the Studios; ...
    (rec.arts.disney.parks)
  • Pulling data from database
    ... I have a form were my dad enters data about fruit he is taking to the ... It then goes to the database. ... like to create a form that allows him to choose from a combo box the market ... boxes or change the price/lb. ...
    (microsoft.public.excel.programming)
  • Re: B.N.P. will stop the Tesco tide
    ... In Leeds covered market there are only 3-4 fruit stalls left and they ... vacant shop units, ... Leeds to the market to buy their fruit and went to a different stall.. ...
    (uk.politics.misc)
Loading