Simple question, I hope.
Is there a french equivalent of the Bramley apple?
I miss Bramleys badly. I did get given some HUGE red french apples a few weeks back, streaked green/red and they looked like Gala, but had no label, & turned out to be very good cookers, still too sweet for my taste but better than any French apple i've cooked with so far.
My next favourite cooker replacement has to be the hard, bright green, common Granny Smith, which is easy because you just cook it without sugar and it gets close to a bramley sometimes
If you tell me where you live I will scrump your bramleys!
Have to agree with you on the russets Brian - my first experience of "French" russets was a huge disappointment, and although I've occasionally tried them now and then to chance my luck, I always end up regretting my decision !
There are "cooking apples" if that is the kind of thing you are looking for, and they taste somewhat similar to Bramley cookers, but they are very hard to come by, and unfortunately, I don't know the variety name(s). The only reason I have ever managed to cook/eat any here in France is down to my ex-mother-in-law, who had a very old tree in her garden in Lorraine where they prospered. It seems to be pretty rare to see any kind of cooking apple tree these days, and I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've seen any in any shops, specialist or supermarket. As with anything particular to the UK, your best bet is to bring a couple over from there and plant them here, in the hope that they'll take to the climate. I have the same issue with cider apples, for some reason the apple varieties the French use for cider don't seem to have the same "bite" as the varieties grown in my native Gloucestershire.
My OH has just ordered cider apples from UK and we have a young Bramley tree which is becoming well established.
We have a crab apple which acts as a universal pollinator.
We had a variety called Fuji in our UK garden they were very tasty as an eating apple and kept quite well.
I must say though the average french shop does at least stock a reasonable selection. Was in Nice a few weeks ago and very impressed with selection and quality in a local small U supermarket as I was in the little 7 till 7 next door, even if turned out to be an 8 till 7?
Not desperate in having in the garden just my wife likes to make apple sauce with pork.!!!
I have the same frustration Dave. In my case it is Egremont Russets. I used to eat a russet with a chunk of Stilton. I have found the latter but the Reinette/Canada Grise are just that bit too woolly. Most British varieties bar Granny Smith are almost impossible to find, importing them in shopping seems very 'unclever' for fruit, so think about growing them. If you want bramleys you may need to import some trees. Bear in mind that if you do, you would need to buy two (or more) so that you have two flowering trees close to each other or else they become slightly hybridised by the exchange of pollen. I have been meaning to buy at least four russet trees. You can order the trees from http://www.webmarchand.com/ for a bit over €20 each plus carriage. Remember though that they need to get established, so a young apple tree will need perhaps three years before you get the first fruit. Chocks away from then on.
I must order mine this spring!
Do you want to eat or plant them?
Hi Dave, you could try Reinette Grise (du Canada), also know as Canada Gris which can be confusing when shopping. This is the closest I think you'll get for a tarte or pie...