[Teen76]

Hello all,

I just wondered if anyone knows of an apple tree where I can eat the apples, cook the apples and cider the apples.  And it needs to be a small growing and easy to grow.  Or is there no such thing and I am asking too much? 

Grateful to all those who reply.

[Allotment Jon]

Not an expert on apples or cider but was searching for other fruit trees and found this website.  www.ciderappletrees.co.uk Maybe of interest.

[Stripey_cat]

You may have to compromise on something: almost all apples need a pollinator (unless there are lots of trees in neighbouring gardens, you'll need one); many varieties are triploid, which means they produce sterile pollen, so as well as a variety to pollinate them, you need a third variety to pollinate the pollinator.  Some varieties are more vigorous than others, and some only bear fruit on the tips of branches, which makes pruning them into space-saving forms like cordons impossible.  You could look into ordering a multigrafted tree, where you have several varieties on one rootstock, but to get cider apples in the mix you'd probably have to order it custom-made, which will take time and cost money!

[Teen76]

Thanks for the info Jon and Cat.  Perhaps I'll stick to having ago at wine making at least I'll have enough room for that.  I only have half an allotment plot and I'm not sure I want to put three trees on there ha ha

I could always try the old apple juice out of a carton trick  :blink:

[David.]

I could always try the old apple juice out of a carton trick  :blink:

I find nothing wrong with that (despite pressing over 100 galls of apple juice p.a. myself), but try searching for "dual purpose" apple trees - which can be used as both eaters & cookers and take you closer to the 'perfect apple'. Maybe not 'perfect', but it should help provide the additional acidity required.

Another option is to buy a cheap electric dehydrator (google Westphalia dehydrator), and mix dehydrated apple rings with apple juice to increase flavour, acidity and sugar content of your brew.