English Apples - A Lost Treat?

Lis’s Soapbox (from the October 2007 Parish News Letter; with November Post Script)

I do hope you will forgive me one of my occasional soapbox rants.  As a lot of you know we have run the home produce stall at Lynsted Fete for several years. The generosity of our local fruit farmers has always meant that we have raised a considerable amount over the years. This year in particular we were treated to some wonderful fruit. The Bramleys were again snapped up almost before we could get the price on them (see this month’s seasonal recipe for a great use for them).

But I want to talk about eating apples.  We were treated to a wonderful variety of eating apples for this year’s stall.  Worcesters, James Grieve, Charles Ross and Katy.  I wish I had a pound for the number of people who bought one or two of each variety just to try, because they had never heard of them, and then came back to buy more because they hadn’t tasted apples like it. Also a pound for every customer who said they hadn’t seen these varieties for years.  A sign of the times? Now please bear with me while I recount a memory. 

When I was young my brother and I were very close (we still are) and our long summer holidays were always spent on some pointless, but fun, project or other. The year I recount was when he went abroad on a school trip and I was left to my own devices for the first time. My mother decided on a day trip to Canterbury to keep me occupied.  Knowing that I was going to be hungry on the train home she purchased some “Miller’s Seedlings” apples. This was a risky choice as Mum knew the only apple that passed my lips voluntarily was a Bramley! I can remember being presented with the said “Miller’s Seedling” whilst waiting for the train on Canterbury East station. By the end of the journey my poor Mum had been pestered to breaking point to let me have more. 

Now forgive me if there is actually anybody out there who is a Golden Delicious fan, but do you think there are going to many people in the future who will be so hit by the taste of an apple that they can recount the experience over forty years later?  I can even tell you what I was wearing at the time , a rather dashing little orange and yellow two piece decorated with pineapples, bananas and raspberries. Lovely! 

I was treated on fete day (2007) to my first taste of a Miller’s Seedling in more years than I care to remember. I feared that my memory may have played tricks on me, but no.  It was magnificent. This led me to thinking about how we are always encouraged to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables everyday day, and especially how important this is for children. Although a lot of children love fruit there are plenty who don’t. Is it any wonder when a lot of the time the fruit we are trying to encourage them to eat is about as tasty as sucking on a cotton wool ball?

I don’t pretend to know the answer but I do feel frustrated there is nothing I can do.  Fruit farmers (who along with most farmers are my heroes) have to make a living.  We should also be grateful to them for being the custodians of our landscape. What would Kent look like without our orchards?  But I presume the stories we hear of the supermarkets having such a strong influence on fruit production is probably true. I suppose too in my younger days the fruit I ate was almost straight from the tree. I doubt it would have been transported such long distances or stored for so long.  Am I just living in fantasy land when I hope that the wonderful varieties of apples almost lost to us now could make a comeback?  If anyone has the answer I am happy to hear it.

Only a little moan this November.  The apples are all picked and packed away.  Cox’s are coming into their own and British Fruit has had a bumper season.  Then why are the shops full of apples from New Zealand???? It’s not even their fruit season. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!! That’s better. Now let’s get back to enjoying Christmas.