On Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:27:33 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 24/10/2012 4:07 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>i
>>
>> People forget that apples are a seasonal crop. Only those fresh
>> picked at the height of ripeness will taste good. But most apples are
>> harvested way early and are storaged and/or shipped to the opposite
>> pole (opposite pole does likewise).
>
>Seasonal to a degree. They aren't like peaches, which have to be eaten
>or processed within a couple says of picking. Apples tend to keep for a
>while. Most of the larger operations keep them in cold storage and they
>keep for months.

They may not spoil in storage but after about a month apple flavor and
texture deteriorates dramatically... no matter how heavily waxed. And
those meant for storage are harvested early, way before they've
reached their peak. Stupidmarket peaches are harvested way underipe
also. Peaches picked hard will never taste nearly as good as tree
ripened, they're in the same catagory as stupidmarket tomatoes.
Orchardmen know precisely when to harvest crops for each use, they
constantly check with a brix meter. Most apples that are picked at
peak ripeness are made into sauce, cidar, juice, etc., some minor
quantity are sold locally.