tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151015013036328998.post8081706000006826290..comments2024-03-29T20:13:37.908+09:00Comments on A little shop in Tokyo: Are UK and Japanese Bramleys the same?Stacey - A little shop in Tokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002335365177895985noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151015013036328998.post-72399959001082799402013-11-03T22:01:45.120+09:002013-11-03T22:01:45.120+09:00Yes! A wonderful life... however very hard, but en...Yes! A wonderful life... however very hard, but enjoyable, work!<br />And, with all the wildlife to "interupt" proceedings....<br />the work takes a while!!<br />I shall try not to think of the toffee apples... but I would suggest, for mid-August to the end of September, you should try James Grieve...<br />thin skinned, good balance of sharp and sweet, nice mouthfeel.<br />After the beginning of August... they turn to pap!! [But still juice well, tho']<br />After that... Katy / Braeburn / Jonagold / Winter Banana.... but never Granny Smith.... use that for feeding the goats!Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16439261142732764451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151015013036328998.post-63164394436589420852013-10-31T10:52:09.437+09:002013-10-31T10:52:09.437+09:00Goodness me you know your apples!
With them bein...Goodness me you know your apples! <br /><br />With them being so widely available in the UK, you don't realise how much you would miss flavoursome British apples like the Bramley and Cox's Orange Pippin until you're abroad and can't get them. <br /><br />Some countries, like here in Japan, tend to sell only sweet dessert apples at the supermarket and they are a different beast entirely. Granny Smiths (Australian), are wonderful, and a bit more widely available say, in the US than the British varieties. And yes, for eating, the American Golden Delicious is a winner. I wonder which make the best toffee apples... There is a project!<br /><br />It's a very nice set of blogs you have there by the way! We have family living in France too, growing their own veggies and Bramleys. What a wonderful life!<br />Stacey - A little shop in Tokyohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15002335365177895985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151015013036328998.post-17932321744234354442013-10-31T08:55:40.140+09:002013-10-31T08:55:40.140+09:00The difference in consistency in the two types of ...The difference in consistency in the two types of Bramley could well be the storage... most British fruit is chill stored, usually over-chilled.... whilst this makes it keep longer [<i>totally unnecessary for Bramleys... or Granny Smiths for that matter</i>] it affects the speed of decay once in store [for decay read <i>ripening</i>] and how the fruit behaves in the pan.<br />As the UK ones are 'forced' to ripen for the shop, they get softer quicker.<br />Often, the fruit decays from the centre outward, too... <br />meaning that what looks fine on the surface is actually rotten to the core!!<br /><i>Perfectly usable as a fruity hint in a curry or pork dish by the way....</i><br /><br />Very little British fruit [and veg] is allowed to mature properly... <br />unless you PYO or buy from a market gardener...<br />part of the reason we bought a house in France is to be able to grow our own!!<br /><br />And store it properly, too....<br />we just couldn't afford to do that in the UK.... <br />and were fed up with the mindless waves of vandalism that took place regularly on the allotments where we gardened in Leeds.<br /><br />We now have a proper, but still very young, orchard and are almost back to the amount of growing space we had in Leeds... next years pumpkin bed will be the last in a five year rotation... then it is start again... with all five 14 x 3 metre [42 M/sq] beds in operation...<br /><br />However, we inherited a variety of apple called variously Reinette Blanche or Reine du Canada... <br />when ripe they eat wonderfully... <br />crisp and sweetly juicy with enough acid to make sure they are not oversweet.<br />The skin is quite rough and a bit like a pale, golden Russet... <br />but very thin and edible... <br />however, pick the huge monsters when they are still green and don't want to leave home... <br />and you've got a wonderful cooker... <br />so proper baked apples are still go!! <br /><br />You cannot get Bramleys over here for love nor money... <br />[except from an ex-pat Yorkshireman living about ten kilometres from here... <br />who established his orchard twenty years ago... <br />when he has them for sale that is!! <br />His missus has first say on what is stored...]<br /><br />But we've fallen in love with proper Golden Delish... <br />not those green, tasteless, under-ripe things in the UK... <br />but the large, Golden with a pink blush on the sunny side, ripe fruit we get here.... probably how they were sold in the UK originally.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16439261142732764451noreply@blogger.com