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When the temperatures drop below 25 degrees F, apples can freeze while still hanging on the tree, resulting in a fermentation condition in the apple. For a few days after freezing, the apples remain edible with minimal taste changes noted. After a week distinct alcohol notes are detected in the apples. In a few weeks the apples turn to vinegar. Deer will eat them in the vinegar stage which may last into January in a normal year. This year the apples have not frozen enough yet to be destroyed by fermentation so they are aging normally as they hang, in general meaning that the flavor is improving. I continue to recommend planting varieties Granny Smith and Sundance as trees suitable for deer hunting in New Jersey, as they begin dropping apples in October and will hold them through December in an average year. The apples drop intermittently the entire time. Pictured is my Granny Smith tree that I bought at Walmart 20 years ago. I planted it below the graft union resulting in a tree that is seedling apple sized, meaning full size, and that is what you want as a hunter. These days even large apple tree trunks are rubbed by bucks. Wire protection is essential for at least 15 years. Pictures taken on December 29, 2023.