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Apple Pies...tis the season!
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2018 4:50 pm
by muffin
So we have several apples trees on our farm, 3 poor wild transparent types(small), and one glorious Wolf River...the mother of all Wolf River trees in our area. This tree is AMAZING. Last year the frost got the buds so we had no apples at all...this year the frost touched the buds so we had a reduced crop, but the apples that we did get were HUGE....really, only 1 apple to make a pie! I have never seen such big apples, ever! Put Spartans to shame. This tree is over 130 years old, is showing its age, and I am trying to start cuttings from it - every big wind I fear will end it, but so far it hangs on. I now understand WHY this variety, even tho amazing apples, fell into disfavor. The apples ripen about now, but do not store any longer than a month, and if bruised spoil very quickly. But who needs fresh apples all winter anyway??? So I can apple pie filling into widemouth quart jars, 1 quart makes 1 pie, and do as many as I can until I run out of apples or jars. I save all the good seeds - this variety also does not make many seeds, only 2 - 4 max per apple! Today I had time to do one 8 quart canner of apple pie filling, with enough left over to do 2 big apple pies (which are now cooking and almost done). I will pick more tomorrow and repeat.
This is one of my most favorite trees, topped only by a broken Maple in the woodlot. My husband is a professional photographer, so he takes photos of this tree regularly, throughout the seasons.
Re: Apple Pies...tis the season!
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2018 7:14 pm
by Jaye
Sounds amazing. I wish we had an apple tree or two.
Re: Apple Pies...tis the season!
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 5:08 am
by windwalkingwolf
We have a Wolf River apple tree on our property too! Also very old, and although we had a decent crop in 2015 and 2016, the last two years have been next to nothing. Half the (enormous) tree is dead or dying, and needs trimming badly. I suspect we might get a few more years out of it if we had a clue how to keep bugs off and prune it properly. Those apples make the BEST pies, the flavour is PERFECT with no lemon and hardly any sugar.
I suspect that they fell out of favour because they are full sized trees, which means not easy picking, and when grafted to other rootstock, don't produce the same size and quality.
I keep meaning to get some hormone and root some whips, but it never seems to happen. It really needs to, because this apple is a treasure!
Edited to add: apple brown betty from these guys is heavenly. To die for.
Re: Apple Pies...tis the season!
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 7:40 am
by Killerbunny
I planted a 2 year old Wolf River this spring in the hope I see a harvest before we're too old to pick them! I also planted a Bramley seedling which we are borderline zone for, this is an old UK apple became almost extinct when the EEC came in.
Re: Apple Pies...tis the season!
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 7:46 am
by baronrenfrew
how about a pic of an apple? beside something for reference (coffee mug?)
Re: Apple Pies...tis the season!
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:19 am
by Ontario Chick
We have a Mötley Crüe of apple trees, Wolf river stil the favorite and Norther Spy and Spartan next. We now have about 8 apple trees I grew from seed starting to fruit and it's great fun to compare the tastes.
The chickens appreciate the falls and there will be apple strudel until December, got to love Apple trees
Re: Apple Pies...tis the season!
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:29 am
by kenya
I was at a friends years ago and their apple tree was huge, as big as a large maple tree and the apples were the size of large grapefruits. I wouldn't have wanted to be under the tree when an apple fell in case I got hit in the head. Don't know if they still have it but always wondered what kind it was, sounds like it must of been a Wolf river tree.