What month are Bramley Apples ready to pick?

Depending on the variety, Bramley apples are usually harvested between August and September every year. Due to ever changing climate and weather conditions, Bramley apple picking season can vary. As you know, fresh Bramley apples are available to buy year round. 

Increasingly, Bramley apples for long term storage are harvested from late August onwards. Apples stored in cold storage can then be supplied to shops to sell in their fresh fruit departments, or processed apples can be supplied to caterers who created products and dishes with cooked apples. 

The fact that early harvesting dramatically accentuates the development of superficial scald on Bramley apples is no longer a concern for most Bramley apple processors. It can be avoided as long as fruit are treated after harvest and kept in suitable cold storage conditions.

There are actually no recognised industry standards for Bramley apple processors to state when Bramley apples are ready to harvest. The apples picked between August and September see their harvest based on a number of factors. Other similar apple varieties are used as a guide, such as Cox apples. 

Our farmers advise that an easy way to tell if the fruit is ready for picking from the apple tree is to hold the fruit in your hand, lift slightly, and gently twist it. If it comes away easily from the apple tree then it is ready for picking. Unripe apples will be more difficult to dislodge.