Would you Adam and Eve it?

[Palustris]

The big apple weighs in at abour 3/4 of a pound. It is one called Catshead. The other for comparison is a standard size Sunset.
Mind it shows how careful one needs to be, one of the Catshead decided to leap out of the tree while we were picking and hit my wife in the mouth. Her lips are quite bruised, so no kissing for a while!

[NightHawk]

Wow! That is a whopper Eric. 

It's fortunate your wife didn't sustain a more serious injury.  No more osculating for you for a while Eric. 

I've never heard of that variety before.  Is it an eating apple or cooking apple.  How does the flavour compare to similar varieties - sweet, sour?

Laurie.

[Palustris]

Sorry should have said, Catshead is a very old variety of  cooking apple. The name comes from the shape of the end of the apple which looks like a cat's head.  It has the drawback of going hollow as it ripens and the passage makes an ideal home for an earwig or three.

[NightHawk]

It has the drawback of going hollow as it ripens and the passage makes an ideal home for an earwig or three.

That's a real shame.

It doesn't give you much opportunity to pick them to make apple pies or such like then, with critters like that taking up residence in them.

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

Im envious. The fruit looks unblemished!

Do you spray your apple trees Eric?
If yes, I'd be very interested to hear about your spraying program.

[Palustris]

We do not spray either of these two trees. The Sunset cos it does not seem to need it and the Catshead 'cosit is too roo big. We do spray both Greensleeves and Crown Gold against Scab. I do this every 2 weeks with Copper sulphate which is reasonably organic. We do hand Pheromone traps around though.
The earwigs drop out when you cut the fruit open. I am not a lover of pastry so most of these apples will be eaten as Baked apple, Juiced and drunk, or pureed, frozen  and used in a dozen different types of cake. Apple puree is a good sugar substitue.

[ideasguy]

Thanks for that Eric.
RE:

We do hand Pheromone traps around though.

How do you apply them? Any web links for more info?

[Palustris]

One buys the traps from a Garden Centre and hang them in the trees (1 for every 3 we do, but probably over kill) in May. They are taken down in October. Do ones for plum trees as well. No idea about links as you know that is a bit of a problem at present.

[ideasguy]

Thanks Eric.I'll check it out from there.