We are writing to Fruit Forum to describe the delights of the Glockenapfel. We were introduced to this apple variety on our first visit to the National Fruit Collection, on an autumn Friends’ Day in the early 1990’s. As we were led up and down rows of apple trees, this one particularly caught our attention when Joan Morgan described it as an old variety which the Swiss considered the best for strudel. It was also an unusual bell shape, swelling out at the top and narrower at the lower half, not unlike a Swiss cowbell perhaps. It was the culinary recommendation that encouraged us to obtain a graft of Glockenapfel to add to the fruit trees in our garden. It grew well, and after a few years we even tried grafting ourselves, so now we have two Glockenapfel trees.

In fact we have made very little apple strudel. However the apples are simply delicious stewed or baked, and also eaten as a dessert apple when fully ripe. They have a piquancy when cooked, and a lovely lemony tang when eaten raw. We love them stewed with a roughly equal quantity of Bramley - the Glockenapfel retains its shape and is a tasty complement in form and texture to the pulpiness of the Bramley.

When fully ripe the skin is golden with a rosy tinge on the sunny side. The trees crop well so we wrap the apples (in pages of the Radio Times) and store them in the garage.  The apples seem to keep wonderfully well: the colour deepens, the flesh remains firm and the flavour good.

So far the apples have been free from disease and unlike all our other apple varieties, free from the effects of codling moth. The leaves get fly in the early summer, which we spray with a soft soap. The crops have increased each year.

When some Swiss customers were visiting Charles’ software company, he asked them over lunch if they had ever heard of the Glockenapfel. ‘Oh yes’ they all seemed to say together, ‘my mother uses Glockenapfel for strudel’!

So, not only a handsome apple but a good cropper, a good keeper, good to cook and good to eat.