Autumn fruit

We have had a great crop of apples this year but early autumn storms mean that we have also a lot of windfalls. We are using apples in everything ; apple and blackberry jam, apple crumble and cakes, apple puree/sauce, dried apples.  Last weekend, I was going to try and make plum (again windfalls) and apple jam, but the resulting puree was too nice, so we’ve just added a tiny bit of honey and are using fresh. It went really well with pancakes!

Apples

Apples

Apples

Apples

Apples

The storm also broken my favourite Victoria plum tree which always produced the nicest plus in the garden , so we will have to get replacement (Apologies for quality of photos, my camera is currently out of action so having to use my phone camera!).

Harvest Melody

September is here and the garden year is beginning to wind down. Despite our wet summer we have had reasonable crops – warmer temperatures than last summer probably helping.

We’ve been enjoying juicy Victoria plums and Beauty of Bath apples (an early variety).

Victoria plum

Many of the apple trees have cropped well and we are looking forward to tasting them all. I see each apple as having its own melody; smell, taste, texture are all different.

Apple

James Grieve apple

Annie Elizabeth

Annie Elizabeth apple

Bardsey apple

Pears have not done well this year – the few we have are covered in scab and are now beginning to crack. But it is the first year we have had Japanese Quince (only six though!).

pear

Japanese quince

In the vegetable plot, beans have done well. Garlic definitely benefited from being planted last October. Cabbages have thrived in the damp conditions. Squashes are few and far between and onions which I planted late are understandably small! All and all not too bad a harvest though.

Runner bean

Garlic

Greyhound cabbage