NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tough Old Bird]

The tree I was showing a while back has and does produce apples that are about the size of golf balls. (I guess I'd forgotten) I've never tasted them but after all the talk here I'm going to try. It might be a lot of work even to make jelly. Crab apple jelly IS the best.

The tree on my Mom's property is just loaded with little apples. Golf ball size-ish as you say.... Funny, some are lime green in color and others are pinkish-red. Not sure if this is a ripeness indicator or what.

TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

The sludge and stuff from the mill can be given to the animals to eat. Apple cores go to the compost pile. Nothing goes to waste. Well except the jelly which goes to my waist.

LOL, that's funny, Rancher!

Hey, Rancher, do you have any sisters to the Del you sold me? I don't think you do, but thought I'd ask if yours has started laying yet, if so. "Pringles" looks ready in appearance, but it's not quite time yet I guess. No eggs from anyone except the Marans so far. From my recollection, some of the heritage breeds start laying later, perhaps including Delawares? The Rocks don't look ready yet ... not nearly so much as the Delaware does.


TOB

 

[boskelli1571]

I would love that link please! I don't 'do' facebook or twitter tho'........I'm happily stuck in the stone-age, computer is about it!

 

[stonykill]

I would love that link please! I don't 'do' facebook or twitter tho'........I'm happily stuck in the stone-age, computer is about it!

pm sent

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

STATE FAIR CHICKEN UPDATE!!!!

While working at the fair today I found out that at the beginning of the fair there were several chickens that were brought in that were sick. My mom was talking to one of the men that run/supervise the poultry building about how I thought that they chickens all looked sick. She couldn't remember the name of what ever disease that they had, and I was busy and didn't hear that part, but anyways, it spread and there were several birds that died. He told her that they had to disinfect the building, but I'm sure that that they couldn't get it all. There isn't any point during the fair when every animal is out of the building. I glad that everyone that went in the poultry building got all disinfected when they got home. I just hope that all those people that had their chickens there put them in quarantine when the get them home.

 

[rancher hicks]

The tree on my Mom's property is just loaded with little apples. Golf ball size-ish as you say.... Funny, some are lime green in color and others are pinkish-red. Not sure if this is a ripeness indicator or what.

TOB

They very well could be Crab Apples, but also could be Apples. There are varieties that just get pinkish and not as large such as we see today. The reason we see only certain varieties in the store and commercially grown is popularity appearance, ease of growing, storing, shipping and resistance to disease. Some I would like to see.

Arkansas Black, Ambrosia, Black Oxford, Black Twig, Blue Pearmain, Cameo, Hidden Rose (has pinkish flesh) Lady Apple, ( a small variety) Newtown Pippin, Pink Lady, Pink Pearl, ( another pink fleshed apple), Roxburry Russet, and the Zabergau Reinette.


The Calville Blanc D'Hiver is not pretty in appearance is Firm and Tart, point being it may very well be a good tasting apples but not pretty on the shelf, so it would not be a good market apples.

In my sauces I use a variety of apples, even if it's just three Granny Smiths to Macs or Empires. If I like the taste of the sauce it's done.

 

[rancher hicks]

LOL, that's funny, Rancher!

Hey, Rancher, do you have any sisters to the Del you sold me? I don't think you do, but thought I'd ask if yours has started laying yet, if so. "Pringles" looks ready in appearance, but it's not quite time yet I guess. No eggs from anyone except the Marans so far. From my recollection, some of the heritage breeds start laying later, perhaps including Delawares? The Rocks don't look ready yet ... not nearly so much as the Delaware does.


TOB

I've gotten some really small no yolk eggs so I think she is. Rocks take a bit longer and will start when you've resigned yourself that they will NEVER lay.

Folks are working with improving the meat part of the dual purpose breeds so there is a trade off. Too some breeds fell out of favor cuz they take longer to mature. The Jersey Giant is one.

The goal commercially has been to develop bird that reaches high weights and/or lay earliest. Hence we have the Cornish Rocks and Commercial White leghorns. Not to be mistaken with the heritage Leghorn.

 

[stonykill]

They very well could be Crab Apples, but also could be Apples.

crab apples are apples. They aren't some kind of mystery fruit. They are small, tart and sometimes woody apples. But still apples

 

[rancher hicks]

crab apples are apples. They aren't some kind of mystery fruit. They are small, tart and sometimes woody apples. But still apples

Crabapples are small, extremely tart fruits in the same genus as table apples, and some botanists believe that they may be the survivors of wild ancestors of the domesticated apple. The fruits and their trees look remarkably like apples, which can lead to unfortunate confusion, as the taste of crabapples is rather distinctive, and often unpleasant on its own. In addition to being grown for their fruit, crabapple trees are also cultivated for their decorative flowers and often dwarf size, which makes them suitable for landscaping in cramped places.


Some consumers call crabapples wild apples, since the trees and fruit have a more wild look. As a general rule, crabapple trees are smaller than regular apple trees, and they may develop twisted, gnarled branches and thorns. The small fruits may be yellow to red when ripe, and they often grow in dense clusters. If well cared for, the trees can live for decades, and many of them are remarkably frost hardy, dropping their leaves in the fall to conserve energy through the winter.


Anyone who has bitten into a crabapple can describe the flavor. It is intensely sour and tart, much like biting into a lemon. Because the flavor alone is distasteful, crabapples are sometimes added to other dishes as a supplement. A few crabapples in a batch of cider, for example, can make the end flavor more interesting and complex. They are also pickled for use in chutneys and savory sauces.

Is this better?

 

[stonykill]

sorta

Some crab apple such a chestnut crab from a good tree can be eaten right off of the branch. I have 2 such chestnut crab apple tree's. The rest of them are too tart to eat off of the tree.

You know me, I prefer hands on to out of a book

Or copied and pasted from this website http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-crabapples.htm