We walked across the field, down the big hedge...which is covered in apples and pears....
We picked half a carrier bag of some fairly sweet crab apples for a neighbour to make bramble and apple jelly..Scriby Apples in Ayrshire Scots.
Then up to the farm on the hill that we see between us and the Isle of Arran.
We took a bottle of last year's apple juice made from apples growing by one of his fields, and damson plum chutney made from damsons from a croft on his land...that in 1850 had 78 acres...a considerable holding then.
He nearly emigrated to New Zealand along with others of his family when he was young....and I think that two of his children have followed their relations to Nelson.
At 81 he no longer has cattle, just 40 hens or so for eggs and overwinters hill sheep on his fields.
His wife is a vet, and also a brilliant gardener! For the first time, he showed us their front garden...it is fantastic, not huge, but with paths and sheltered corners..and a good windbreak fence!! They have an open day for charity every year, and are open in the summer by appointment.
Then Pirate and him talked tractors!!!! Before we realised that lunchtime had passed..
First stop was the special apple tree. We picked another large bagful..they ripen fully after picking...the ground was covered with windfalls.
This tree has been noticed by apple specialists looking for Scottish varieties..they took lengths for grafting and are returning soon to take DNA samples to see if it is linked to any known variety.
After that, we headed towards home...via the croft with damsons, as Farmer told us of the trees that still had fruit....
The bottom two feet of the croft building walls are still there. It would be a good place to live...but was probably badly affected by the coal mining on what is now Hannahston nature reserve, just up the burn from it.
A goodly bag of plums collected...and home, via our neighbour with the Scriby apples she wanted plus a share of the damsons.
We were lucky to stay reasonably dry...we started our walk after a morning hail shower and it started to rain again once we were home!
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13 comments:
What a wonderful haul.
I don't understand why our supermarkets only stock foreign apples, especially these days. Maybe the only apples we grow in any quantity are for cider. It's a shame.
((o))
You had quite a day. I had no idea you could make anything from crab apples. Here the birds and squirrels eat them. And they make a real mess when they falll on the deck.
When you think how many thousands of varieties of apples are in Britain, Tom , it is a shame that so few are sold here and those that do have travelled too far. We have just been to Kent, and those apples on the ground.. scandalous
Love damson jam, envy you your haul. And quince jelly is the prettiest amber colour to contemplate on.
So lots of stewed apples are going to be in the making? yum
Names I'm not familiar with...but I am happy about apples. We visited an Orchard up on the Blue Ridge Parkway today, Altapass, which has many very old trees. I'll see if I have any photos, since I left my phone/camera in the car. You sure do get some lovely sounding fruits, and are creative with them!
(ooooo)
(your foraging haul)
Looking forward to photos Barbara.
Amy it looks like it.
I was aiming for canning/bottling, but so far the combination of electric hob and pressure cooker with just high/low isn't being successful.
The aim is to bottle not freeze, as I always used to, but looks like that won't succeed this year.
Thanks for writing more about foraging--I am curious. I saw a sign on a yard near my house in a dense urban area reading "APPLES" and pointing to a couple trees in yard, with many fallen apples.
People don't get upset when you forage? Here, you see all sorts of apples going to waste, but you certainly don't want to help yourself to them. It seems a shame, really, but it's how we are, I guess.
Debby , hedgerows are fair game...but on someone's land, even where a footpath goes through, we ask and give thanks.
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