2014 Grafting Adventures of CrazyED

[AtomApple]

Willamette nurseries

 

[CrazyEd]

Picked 5 mostly full crates of enterprise today. 250lbs worth from 3 trees planted in 2012 - from Cummins before I started grafting. For a dry year, Lots of huge apples. Super delicious. I put a ton into our fruit fridge and they will last well into winter. Going to try making some cider with them too. I couldn’t find much about how this apple works for cider. Anyone know ?

 

[silver_yummies]

For your fruit fridge, how are you storing them in there? In bags? Loose? Do you introduce humidity somehow? I’ll need an entire apple fridge for next year so starting my research now.

 

[CrazyEd]

We can fit 6 of these crates which Amazon doesn’t seem to carry this exact model anymore. Plus 2 nice sized produce drawers plus the drawer. The produce drawers do have hunidity controls. Then the upper is a freezer where we put cider. But you can also switch the upper to fridge mode.

 

[bwoods11]

What temp is the fruit fridge ?

 

[CrazyEd]

We freeze cider in these buckets that is more efficient than jugs. I’m not an expert but this seems to work pretty well. Enterprise and Liberty were good until Feb or March I think. Would have to check my records to be exact.

 

[Mortenson]

Dang, impressive fridge. Can't wait to see what your beer fridge looks like when the cider is ready.

We picked some querinas and enterprise a few weeks ago, and it was remarkable how much better they got 3 wks later after sitting on the counter.

 

[CrazyEd]

Frostbite left - Liberty Right - galarina and sweet 16 on top a few weeks ago.

 

[CrazyEd]

 

[CrazyEd]

Dang, impressive fridge. Can't wait to see what your beer fridge looks like when the cider is ready.

We picked some querinas and enterprise a few weeks ago, and it was remarkable how much better they got 3 wks later after sitting on the counter.

Haven’t done hard cider yet. I already have too much equipment. Fresh only so far. I need a barn.

 

[sandbur]

View attachment 58701

What is your opinion on Frostbite? I like it in a cider blend, but can’t eat just too many apples of FB.

I once considered hard cider and had a bit ferment on it’s own, but decided I didn’t want to gather the equipment and find the space for doing a proper job on hard cider.

 

[bigboreblr]

Liberty is used in cider blends. Don't hear much about enterprise. Did you thin the fruit on enterprise in the spring?

I removed the icemaker in my basement fridge to get a little more room in there. Takes less than 5 mnutes and can be put back on later.

 

[CrazyEd]

What temp is the fruit fridge ?

Good question - not sure. I’ll have to check.

 

[CrazyEd]

What is your opinion on Frostbite? I like it in a cider blend, but can’t eat just too many apples of FB.

I once considered hard cider and had a bit ferment on it’s own, but decided I didn’t want to gather the equipment and find the space for doing a proper job on hard cider.

I read I think on U of MN website frostbite was good for cider. Single variety we didn’t care for it. We added liberty and it improved greatly. We could even tell by the color, alone it looked watery. For fresh eating we found it very mediocre. But the tree was loaded so we picked them.

I don’t make hard cider because I also just don’t have the space. Hoping to farm that out someday to someone who wants to do it for me. I’ll supply input, they provide output.

 

[CrazyEd]

Liberty is used in cider blends. Don't hear much about enterprise. Did you thin the fruit on enterprise in the spring?

I removed the icemaker in my basement fridge to get a little more room in there. Takes less than 5 mnutes and can be put back on later.

Liberty has proven to the best all purpose Apple I have found. Cider is amazing single variety or blended. Fresh eating, storage, disease resistance. It’s hard to match.

Good call on ice maker removal. I’ll have to check into that.

 

[silver_yummies]

Is that a hot sauce concoction in your refrigerator door I see?

 

[CrazyEd]

Liberty is used in cider blends. Don't hear much about enterprise. Did you thin the fruit on enterprise in the spring?

I removed the icemaker in my basement fridge to get a little more room in there. Takes less than 5 mnutes and can be put back on later.

No - I did not thin.

I have tried to go as maintenance free as possible. I have always prioritized a good planting method which is well documented in this thread. Other than that, I prune every year - maybe not all trees but I try to put in as much time as I can spare. The other focus is on tree protection, window screen and cages. I don't thin or spray - I just don't have time in my current stage of life.

 

[CrazyEd]

Is that a hot sauce concoction in your refrigerator door I see?

Yes, I make my own hot sauce. One year I made hot sauce followed by apple sauce. Must have been some trace oils in our large stock pot because we hot spicy apple sauce. It was surprisingly amazing and we have been trying to figure out how to try and replicate. It was not insanity sauce, just right.

 

[CrazyEd]

Last harvests of the year for us. Black Oxford and Enterprise. Going to try making cider out of both.

 

[TreeDaddy]

View attachment 59169View attachment 59170
Last harvests of the year for us. Black Oxford and Enterprise. Going to try making cider out of both.

always love the gratuitous habitat buddy pics^^^^^^

How can anyone NOT love these guys?

bill