[Cider Workshop] Dabinett's Ready?

[Duncan Hewitt]

My Dabinett's are showing the sugar content is ready, with little to no reaction to an Iodine test. Is this reliable, as I've read that they're usually picked in November? I know many varieties are early this year, but this early?

Cheers,

Duncan

[Andrew Lea]

What do you mean by “little to no reaction”?  If there is any trace of blue or black, then there is still unchanged starch present. You should be looking for no colour at all - just the yellow of the iodine itself.  It is wise to test half a dozen or so apples with different skin colours and from different parts of the tree before making a decision. Also, if you are using a dropper, spot the iodine at different points on each cut fruit from core to skin. 

I haven’t checked my Dabinetts but in South Oxon my Harry Masters and Kingston Blacks  are still clearly unripe, despite having all dropped to the ground. 

Andrew 

Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

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[Duncan Hewitt]

In the one apple I've tested, there is no trace of blue or black. I'll check more tomorrow - thanks for the advice. I'll make sure to drop at various points on the slices.

Duncan

[Andrew Lea]

Don’t want to sound too nannying, but do you know that your iodine is working? Have you previously seen positives? Have you tried a “positive control” such as a cut potato?

Andrew 

Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

[jitd...@aol.com]

I took the same view, some of my Black Dabinetts were rotting on the tree!
Jit

[jitd...@aol.com]

Will your unripe windfalls ripen on the ground Andrew?
Jit

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Lea <ci...@cider.org.uk>
To: cider-workshop <cider-w...@googlegroups.com>

[Andrew Lea]

Yes. They’re not really windfalls in my way of looking at it. I harvest all my cider apples off the ground - none are handpicked. But they may need a month or more before the starch changes to sugar.

Andrew

Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

> To post to this group, send an email to cider-w...@googlegroups.com.

[Tom Bugs]

Here's a pic of iodine test today on Dabinetts (left) and Yarlington (right):