Rose Prince - The Savvy Shopper

Apples are at their best eaten just a few weeks after picking, when the sugars have developed yet the fruit is still juicy and crunchy.

After picking, British apples are stored for up to six months at 2–3°C in a ‘controlled atmosphere’ with nitrogen gas and ammonia to reduce oxygen levels. But not all apples are stored this way. In 2005 the chemical 1-methylcyclopropene was approved for use in Europe, a gas that when pumped into cold rooms or shipping containers halts the release of ethylene, the natural hormone in fruit that ripens it. This means the apple you buy can be up to one year old. 1-methylcyclopropene is music to the ears of long-distance exporters (such as the US and New Zealand), because the apples retain their ‘just-picked’ looks, flavour and juice. Previous storage techniques would see the apples mellow in flavour and become drier in texture during storage. So that’s great – crispy apples all round? Well, no. While this development could pay high dividends for exporters and retailers, there is little in it for us consumers. There is evidence that the chemical is carcinogenic in very high doses and its use is a threat to the survival of our own orchards and to the seasons themselves.

The season for apple growing in northern hemisphere countries runs from August to March but, with the exception of a few varieties, the more unusual ones are available for only some of this time. This is either because they are in short supply or because they do not store well. Our cooler summers delay the arrival of British apples in the shops, with little but Discovery available in August and the first Cox’s Orange Pippins hitting the shelves in late September. Thanks to ‘controlled atmosphere’ storage methods, British apples are available until March (although the supply is limited). The southern hemisphere season kicks in neatly in April, lasting through the British summer and into autumn. Savvy shoppers beware – it can encroach on the start of the British season, the time when loyalty to British farms is paramount. New Zealand apples are in shops until November.

By law, labels on bags, trays or boxes and the shelf-edge information must carry a country-of-origin sticker. Information on those annoying individual stickers is provided voluntarily but they typically identify the apple type and, in the case of British apples, will often helpfully show a Union Jack symbol.

No! A tight, shining skin may belie woolly flesh underneath. Smell the apple – a fusty, wet-cardboard aroma is an indication of this.

Buy British in season, to support growers competing against lower-priced imports. The UK could be self-sufficient from the Cox harvest and supplies Bramley apples year round, but continued demand for popular imports, among them Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Gala and Granny Smith, inhibits loyalty to British orchards. Meanwhile, new nations join the fray: apples from Chile, the Czech Republic and Poland are here; the Fuji variety from China in the northern hemisphere is a particular threat to our growers. Outside the British season, it is best to choose apples that have travelled the least distance and have been shipped rather than air freighted. Customer service departments at supermarkets should supply this information if asked.

Waitrosehas a commitment to selling 70 per cent British produce when in season and stocks Cox’s apples in all stores from October to March, grown on their own Leckford Farm in Hampshire. During the autumn months Waitrose sells heritage varieties from the Brogdale Horticultural Trust, plus organic apples. Leckford Farm also sells apples at the ‘farm gate’ in autumn – the farm is located on the A30 between Stockbridge and Sutton Scotney.

Boothssells as many British apples as it can possibly find in season and has a policy to source locally where possible. Willington Fruit Farm in Cheshire supplies specialist varieties to this northern supermarket chain and the stores host occasional apple tastings.

Budgensbanned all French apples from their stores when the French stopped importing British beef after the BSE crisis and has never reintroduced them. In the British season, it buys 65 per cent British apples and no imported variety that can be grown in the UK. It also sells a number of traditional varieties, including Worcester Pearmain, Egremont and a North American-bred apple, Cameo, from a longstanding Kent supplier.

Sainsburyclaims to prioritise English produce if it deems the quality acceptable. It also imports, and therefore transports by air, apples from all over the world. However, it states that it only imports apple varieties that are not grown in the UK, according to customer demand. It does offer an organic supply of apples.

Marks & Spencerimports apples from five different continents but states that it has a preference for UK-grown fruit when the quality meets customer expectation.

The Co-opsources its apples primarily from Europe and is working with UK growers to use crops whenever they are in season. The packaging is biodegradable and compostable. All apples are delivered by road and sea freight

Tescosources apples from the UK, US, New Zealand, China, Australia and South America but states it prefers to buy UK produce if it meets their specifications. It claims to buy more UK apples than any other retailer (but this is probably due to its size). It sells organic and also claims to sell a fairly traded apple ‘when available’.

Farmers’ markets are a good source of apples during autumn, and the place to find those elusive British organic ones. For details of your nearest market, check www.farmersmarkets.net(tel: 0845 458 8420), or www.lfm.org.uk(tel: 0207 833 0338) for London. Alternatively, find a source of local apples through www.bigbarn.co.uk– put in your postcode and apples and suppliers will be displayed on a map.

Broomfield’s Apples, School Plantation, Holt Heath,Worcester WR6 6NFTel: 01905 620233www.broomfieldsfarmshop.co.uk

Grower Colin Broomfield will send a 5-kilo box of apples anywhere in the mainland UK. Unusual varieties include Winter Gem, Crispin, Lord Lambourn and Jupiter.

Charlton Orchards, Charlton Road, Creech St Michael,Taunton, Somerset TA3 5PFTel: 01823 412959sally@charlton-orchards.co.uk

Traditional good keeping types include Orleans Reinette, Ashmead’s Kernel, Adam’s Pearmain and Egremont Russet. They will send out a 56-apple crate (four varieties).

Crapes Fruit Farm, Rectory Road, Aldham,Colchester, Essex C06 3RRTel: 01206 212375

150 different apple varieties, available at different times throughout the season. Home delivery available.

Park Fruit Farm, Pork Lane, Great Holland,Nr Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 OESTel: 01255 674621www.parkfruitfarm.co.uk

Choose from 40 apple varieties, including D’Arcy Spice, George Cave and King of the Pippins, packed carefully in layered boxes. Mail order available.

Yorkshire Orchards, White House Farm, Bolton Lane,Wilberfoss, York YO41 5NXTel: 01759 305079www.yorkshireorchards.co.uk

A new orchard with over 60 apple types, both traditional and modern. The website includes an Apple Chooser, which selects alternative varieties to favourite supermarket ones. Farmer Richard Borrie recommends Rajka, a new red apple developed in the Czech Republic that has a hint of strawberry in it; also Topaz, an extra crisp and juicy James Grieve. Apples can be posted to most UK locations. Apple tree rental available – a treat for the apple-passionate who do not want to tend their own tree. An annual fee will guarantee home delivery of all the fruit from one well-tended mature tree or three years of fruit from a young tree.