How to identify apple varieties

If you planted the trees yourself, you know the variety. But if they were already there when you arrived after moving house, how do you know what varieties the apple trees are? You can narrow down the options, with a first separation between cooking apples and eating apples. Then look at the colour, shape, size and season of the fruit. You need a reference guide, such as the Fruit Manual by Robert Hogg, published by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1860. This book has no illustrations, but it has details on most of the apple varieties that existed at that time. A more recent publication is The Apple Book by Rosie Sanders, also published by the Royal Horticultural Society. This splendid, fully illustrated publication enables you to identify the apple trees in your garden, at least on most occasions. There are about 3,000 registered varieties and so it is impossible to be 100% sure. The Apple Book describes varieties of the last 50 years. Apples can be round, oblong or conical. Colour varies from green to yellow, red and russet. Size depends on genetical make-up, but also on the season. Apples are smaller in droughty conditions or when the tree crops heavily. It’s easiest to identify apple varieties when the apples are ripe. Other points of identification are the length of the stalk, the shape of the stalk basin or cavity, and the eye. Lastly, there is the taste. All these factors are identified for each variety in the book by Rosie Sanders. Narration by Dan Neuteboom, camera by John Paddy. Read more at realenglishfruit.co.uk