Today Friday 25th February The English Apple Man visited several Supermarkets in my region to assess the availability of home grown apples and their quality!
Very pleased to find a good variety of English Apples on display at the stores visited as we are now 6 months into the UK marketing season.
In addition to taking notes of the apples on display, The EAM purchased some Cox, Cameo, OPAL, Jazz and Pink Lady plus a pack of French Jazz and Pink Lady for comparison purposes.
The apple packs vary in size of fruit, number in pack etc. these nuances explain the price per pack differential. Also promotions result in the occasional very low price offers, like the Spanish Envy apples found in M&S.
With the current unfolding tragedy in UKRAINE all other news seems insignificant by comparison.
We are so lucky to live in a Country where FREEDOM is taken for granted!
English Apples
Today Friday 25th February The English Apple Man visited several Supermarkets in my region to assess the availability of home grown apples and their quality!
Marks & Spencer - Ravenside, Bexhill East Sussex
Select Farmer - CILLA CLIVE Herefordshire: 6 Cox apples @ £2
Select Farmer - PAUL MANSFIELD Kent: 6 Gala apples @ £2
Also on display @ £2 per 4 pack: Braeburn, Royal Gala , Cox, Egremont Russet, Smitten, @ £2
Growers Chandler and Dunn, Paul Mansfield. Ian Langridge.
Loose Bramley @ £2 a kg
Fresh Market Specials (promotional) large Envy 3 pack from Spain @ £1 per pack!!!!!
ALDI - Bexhill Road Hastings East Sussex
British Braeburn apples x 6 pack @ £1.19
Gala apples 'every day essentials' x 6 pack @ 95p
Nature's Pick - 'Best of British Apples' Cameo x 6 pack @ £1.19
British JAZZ apples x 6 pack @ £1.89
British Red Apples x 8 pack REVEILLE @ £2.29
Nature's Pick Small Conference Pears @ 57p ((£1.04 kg)
TESCO Superstore Hastings East Sussex
Rosedene Farms 'Small Apples' Gala (Aldi price match) x 6 pack @ 79p
Rosedene Farms Breaburn Apples (Aldi price match) x 6 pack @ 95p
Tesco Braeburn Apples x 6 pack @ £1.60
Tesco British Gala Apples x 6 pack @ £1.60
Loose Bramley Apples @ £2 per kg
Loose Gala Apples @ £2.70 per kg
Imperfectly tasty British Gala Apples @ 95p (Aldi price match)
Sainsburys Sedlescombe Road Hastings East Sussex
Sainsburys British Mini Apples Braeburn x 6 pack @ 79p (Aldi price match)
Jazz Apples x 4 pack @ £2.20
Best of British Apples Cameo x 4 pack @ £1.10
Royal Gala by Sainsburys x 4 pack @ £1.50
British Royal Gala Apples x 6 pack @ £1.60
Best of British Apples by Sainsburys Cameo x 6 pack @ £1.20
Royal Gala 'single apple' @ 30p
Braeburn 'single apple' @ 30p
Braeburn Apples by Sainsburys x 4 pack @ £1.10
British Braeburn Apples by Sainsburys x 6 pack @ £1.20
Cox Apples by Sainsburys x 6 pack @ 1.60
Waitrose Tenterden Kent
The EAM visited Waitrose on Wednesday (23rd February) buying a 4 pack of English Pink Lady apples.
We tasted English Cox, Cameo, OPAL, Jazz and Pink Lady plus a pack of French Jazz and French Pink Lady for comparison purposes.
The Cox (bought from Sainsbury) was firm, crisp and juicy, but lacking flavour. Cameo (from ALDI) similar: Firm, Crisp & Juicy but also lacking flavour. The OPAL from Lower Hope Farm Herefordshire (bought in Tesco) was firm, crisp and juicy with very good flavour.
Comparing the French & English JAZZ, the French had very high red colour while the English was more in line with expected colouration. Surprisingly the French Jazz lacked flavour, but the English was definitely superior to eat
Comparing the French Pink Lady with the English, the English had very high red colour (not PINK) while the French was as expected Pink. We felt the flavour of English PL was superior to the French. Both had a juicy texture.
Of the apples we tasted, the English Jazz was the best mix of texture, juice and flavour, with the OPAL close behind.
The EAM is continuing to have problems with my Laptop and currently cannot process pictures to be added to this week's Journal, so I am placing it on line at 4pm on Saturday without pictures. I will continue to attempt adding them in due course. X fingers!
Take care
The English Apple Msn