To want to buy English apples

[Bloodymary]

I was shopping in Waitrose today for apples, there must have been at least 12 varieties of apples, and the only English type amongst them were Bramley cooking apples. There was not even one type of English eating apple amongst them.
I asked why not, and they could not answer me!!!
I live in Sussex, and in Kent (probably 45 mins drive away), there are acres and acres of apple orchards.

So WHY, WHY, WHY?

Is it too early? I always thought English apples started to appear in the autumn.

Because it's the wrong season for English apples - they're not a summer fruit, the next lot will start being harvested in late August. But people want to eat everything all year round these days hence the imported stuff.

This is also my DH's bug bear. I am also wondering why Asda has English raspberries when we have loads of Scottish rasp farms 1 hours drive from th store. And also why we have to buy tatties from Israel in the Autumn. Hmmmmm.

because they aren't ready for picking yet, apples are a late summer/early autumn fruit

AND...i'm sad to say, lots of homegrown apples and cherries for that matter, go to waste nowadays. it costs more to have them picked/sorted/packed than the retailers are prepared to pay for them.

it's 'cheaper' to import them

Just had a conversation in Tesco with dd. Why would I want to buy strawberries from USA, when they are in season here??? Lady overheard me - 'but they are delicious, I ate a whole punnet full yesterday' - I don't care, I want local produce when I can.

jenrendo I have been buying Scottish raspberries in Hampshire? They are lovely, but why aren't they selling them in Scotland and keeping the English ones here? Crazy innit.

I just tend to not buy apples for a couple of months. Sometimes buy French ones, but never S African, NZ etc.

Are we really unable to get them this at this time of the year?
I thought they could be stored, oh well, if I am wrong then I take it all back

It is the wrong season for english apples and pears. WE always buy British or Irish when we can.

Soft fruit especially raspberries and blueberries are very expensive and there must be loads thrown out because they have such a short shelf life. At the end of June I put strawberries back on the shelf because they were from the USA.

Some things like oranges and grapes we have to source from abroad but I think we should buy local when we can.

I've stopped buying foreign apples on the grounds that they taste of vaguely sweet watery nothingness. It seems that all you can buy in supermarkets are Gala ones, which are not only bland, but chronically overpriced. I baulk at paying £2.99 for bloody apples!

def the wrong time of year for homegrown apples.

'm afraid it's humble imported apple pie for afters

They can be stored but not indefinitely. Bramleys store really well, that's why you can still buy last season's now. So no need for imported apple pie!

not even in the name of humour?

It can be humble English pie!

Well at least I can use my new knowledge to tell Waitrose staff why there are no English apples right now.
Honestly, they were totally floored when I asked them.
Tho, I have been told that I can look manic slightly scary on occasions.

Wrong season. But if Waitrose are offering other nothern hemisphere apples at this time of year then you can legitimately have a pop at them for selling very, very old fruit. They do this occasionally... I know their suppliers

Can anyone tel me why I never seem to be able to find good old-fashioned MacIntosh Red apples any more? Even in the Autumn ??
I really like them but it's all new fangled varieties nowadays. Not sure I've even seen a Cox's Pippin for a long time!!

Some old or traditional apple varieties get deselected if they don't crop well, resist pests, store well, travel well, size up well or if they tend to bruise easily, be misshapen or have other inherent defects that make them unsuitable for today's long distribution chains. Sometimes they can still be found locally where chill-chain requirements and concerns with appearance don't apply so much. Cox's are still very popular, commercially grown in large amounts and they'll be back around August/September

But I love Mac Reds!!

Pink Ladies (stupid name) just don't do it for me.

I do like a Granny Smith though and we can still get them!

Pink Lady is the brand name. The varietal name is 'Cripps Pink'. If they don't make the Pink Lady brand standard they're sold as Cripps Pink. ASDA sell them under that name.

I also refuse to buy foreign fruit and veg if British ones are in season

Last year my husband disowned me in Tesco.

I had been into the co-op in the morning and saw they had English cherries but as I was doing my big shop (one I have delivered) decided to get them at Tescos later on.

Only when I went to Tesco they only had USA ones, I also had a basket with a few bits I forgot to buy at the co-op.

There were a group of men all in suits with clipboards so i asked where the English cherries were got a lot of waffle about getting both English and USA ones but today only had USA ones, I handed one of the guys my basket told him I was going back to the co-op and would get the rest of my shopping there as well, so be a good chap and put these back for me - his face was a picture and my OH walked out of the store in embarrasement.

I'm with badbadmummy about USA strawberries, to me they are watery and tasteless.

I go to a greengrocer for apples, they tell me when new season varieties of British apples are due in. Theirs are also in much better condition than many supermarket ones. Ditto bananas. They also stock locally grown fruit and veg. At the moment, they have more apples from overseas.

Intrigued now as to your occupation Cogito!!

Are the apples ready yet?

I know there are special varieties for different seasons (even a christmas apple) but I think the main apple picking months are august/september.

You might have to wait a little while!

Braeburns are lovely tho!

You might get discovery by the end of the month (pushing it), and they are about the earliest imo.

I don't like Pink Lady either - too sweet and bland.