Bramley apple facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Malus domestica (Bramley's Seedling) |
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Bramley's Seedling apples, British Columbia, Canada
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| Cultivar | Bramley's Seedling |
| Origin | Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England UK, 1809 |
The Bramley apple (also known as Bramley's Seedling) is a special type of apple that people usually cook before eating. This is because it tastes quite sour when raw. Some people do eat it fresh to clean their mouth, but it's mostly used for pies, tarts, or dumplings. When cooked, the Bramley apple gets a lighter flavor and becomes golden and fluffy. It also contains Vitamin C.
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About the Bramley Apple Tree
Bramley apple trees are big and strong. They spread out wide and can live for a very long time. These trees can even grow well in some shady spots. The apples themselves are very large, often two or three times bigger than a regular eating apple. They are flat with bright green skin, which turns red on the side that gets lots of sunlight.
This apple tree is good at fighting off common apple diseases like apple scab and mildew. It grows best in heavier clay soil. The tree produces many apples regularly.
A special thing about the Bramley tree is that it's a "triploid." This means its pollen isn't fertile, so it can't pollinate other apple trees or itself. It needs other apple varieties nearby to help it get pollinated. Usually, two other apple types are planted with it. The Bramley apple has won many awards, including the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Saving the Original Tree
Most Bramley apple trees grown today are a bit different from the very first one. This is probably because of small natural changes (mutations) over many years. In 1990, scientists at the University of Nottingham took tiny pieces from the original 180-year-old tree. They grew new trees from these pieces using a method called tissue culture. These new trees are smaller and branch out more than the common commercial ones.
This special cloning work was done because the original tree was getting old and sick from a fungus. Twelve of these cloned trees now grow at the University. One was also planted next to the old tree in Southwell, but it was later removed.
History of the Bramley Apple
The very first Bramley apple tree started from seeds planted by a young girl named Mary Ann Brailsford. She planted them in her garden in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK, in 1809. Mary Ann left the house when she got married and might never have seen the apples grow. She passed away in 1852, not knowing how famous her little apple tree would become.
Later, in 1846, a butcher named Matthew Bramley bought the cottage and its garden. The apple tree was part of his new property. In 1856, a local plant seller named Henry Merryweather asked if he could take cuttings from the tree to sell the apples. Matthew Bramley agreed, but only if the apples were named after him.
The first official sale of a Bramley apple happened on October 31, 1862. Henry Merryweather sold "three Bramley apples for 2/-" to a Mr. Geo Cooper. On December 6, 1876, the Bramley apple was highly praised at a big fruit show held by the Royal Horticultural Society.
In 1900, strong storms knocked over the original tree. But it survived! It is still producing fruit today, more than 200 years after it was planted. However, in 2016, it was reported that the tree was suffering from a fungal infection.
Today, the Bramley is the most important cooking apple in England and Wales. About 95% of all cooking apple farms there grow Bramleys. While it's mostly a British apple, you can also find it grown in a few places in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan.
Celebrating the Bramley
The town of Southwell loves its Bramley apple! They hold many celebrations, including the Bramley Apple Festival, which started in 2011. Every third Saturday in October, Southwell Minster hosts the opening ceremony and a Food & Drink Festival. The Bramley Apple Inn is very close to the original apple tree, which is a real treasure for the town.
In 2018, Nottingham Trent University bought the house at 27 Church Street to help protect the building and the famous tree. You can visit the tree if you arrange it beforehand.
A special blue plaque on the house in Southwell now honors the apple. In 2009, a stained-glass window was placed in Southwell Minster to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the tree being planted.
When he was young, Henry Merryweather worked as a gardener at the nearby Norwood Park Estate. In 1880, when John Ralph Starkey bought the estate, he asked Henry for advice on which apples to plant. Henry suggested the Bramley. The first large farm growing Bramley apples for sale was started in 1910 at Maythorne Orchard.
Armagh Bramleys
Bramley apples grown in County Armagh, a region in Northern Ireland, have a special status in Europe called "Protected Geographical Indication." This means they are known for their unique qualities from that area. These apples taste even more sour than those grown in England. Over 40,000 tonnes of Armagh Bramleys are grown each year.
Cooking with Bramley Apples
Bramley apples are great for many dishes. They work well in pies, fruit compotes, crumbles, and other sweet desserts. They are also used to make chutneys. Because they are so sour, they are only a base for cider and are usually mixed with sweeter apples.
A simple and traditional British dessert is a whole Bramley apple. The core is removed, filled with dried fruit, baked, and served with custard. Bramleys are also perfect for making apple sauce.
No matter the dish, Bramley apples are usually cooked in a similar way. First, you peel and slice the apple. Then, you cover the pieces with lemon juice (or another sour juice) to stop them from turning brown. Sugar is often added too. For pies and crumbles, you just cover the fruit with the topping and bake it. The apples have enough moisture to soften as they cook. You can add spices like cloves, mixed spice, or cinnamon for extra flavor. To make apple sauce, you stew the sliced apples with sugar and lemon juice in a pot.
Bramley apples are also popular for making a very pale-colored jelly. Since the tree produces so many apples, they are also good for making homemade fruit wine (alone or with other fruits) or cider if mixed with a sweeter apple like a Cox.
Images for kids
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Taken by John Ralph Starkey at Norwood in 1910, this photo shows Bramley Seedlings about 10 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Bramley's Seedling (manzana) para niños
