On 24/10/2012 5:18 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:

>>> People forget that apples are a seasonal crop. Only those fresh
>>> picked at the height of ripeness will taste good. But most apples are
>>> harvested way early and are storaged and/or shipped to the opposite
>>> pole (opposite pole does likewise).
>>
>> Seasonal to a degree. They aren't like peaches, which have to be eaten
>> or processed within a couple says of picking. Apples tend to keep for a
>> while. Most of the larger operations keep them in cold storage and they
>> keep for months.
>
> They may not spoil in storage but after about a month apple flavor and
> texture deteriorates dramatically... no matter how heavily waxed.


Sure it does, but apples, like root vegetables tend to have a longer
life than a lot of other produce. Apples and pears tend to get mealy
after a while, but are often still nice than having them canned.



> those meant for storage are harvested early, way before they've
> reached their peak. Stupidmarket peaches are harvested way underipe
> also. Peaches picked hard will never taste nearly as good as tree
> ripened, they're in the same catagory as stupidmarket tomatoes.


I live in the middle of the Niagara peninsula. I don't get peaches from
the supermarket.... or cherries, apricots, strawberries, raspberries
etc. I get them from the local fruit stands. I accept the fact that I am
spoiled because I can get sour cherries within minutes of them being
picked, and with sour cherries, that makes a world of difference. The
peaches we get are ripe and ready to eat. Strawberries are at their peak.

Any time that I think about moving somewhere else my dreams are
immediately reined back by the realization that I would no longer have
access to so much fresh fruit.


> Orchardmen know precisely when to harvest crops for each use, they
> constantly check with a brix meter. Most apples that are picked at
> peak ripeness are made into sauce, cidar, juice, etc., some minor
> quantity are sold locally.

In an ideal world. Most orchards are small operations, often run by men
who have full time jobs and who have to arrange vacation time to look
after the harvest. The larger apple orchards tend to grow a variety of
apples, and for a number of reasons. They don't want to invest
everything into one particular breed that might fall out of favour or be
subject to some sort of infestation, but also to account for their
different ripeness periods.

They have crews of workers who go through the trees and take just
about every single apple off a tree, peak of perfection or not. They are
often paid piecework. They will get every apple they can reach before
they move their ladders. If they leave too many apples on the trees they
will have to go back and pick them again. That may mean moving the
ladder for each apple they pick. At the rates they are paid they won't
be making any money doing that.