When we moved into this house (4 months ago now – how the time has flown), the end of the garden was dominated by an eating apple tree, a cooking apple tree and a HUGE overgrown lilac. The ground was covered in tons of pea shingles and it was impossible to walk around back there. At first we thought there wasn’t much space but it turned out that at 6mx6m it was just under a third of the garden.
So out went the lilac (I cut down about half of it *flexes muscles*), and my dad came with a chainsaw to take out the cooking apple tree (‘Pa Chris cut tree down!’ FB’s longest sentence at the time – often repeated), and we ummed and ahhed about the eating apple tree, having been told that the fruit weren’t very interesting.
(W shovelled literally tons of pea shingle into four huge builders bags. We have no idea how to get rid of them now.)
This space – as of monday – is going to house a big shed. Should be lots of fun. 🙂
Anyway I’m getting off topic and cantering towards tldr – the apple tree got a reprieve and I’m SO happy that it did because it’s wonderful. The apples are tasty, and this year has been a bumper crop (from what I’ve read about this year’s autumn harvest.)
So now we have apples coming out of our ears!
This is last week’s haul. Only it’s probably really only HALF of last weeks haul because the bad weather encouraged MORE fruit to drop.
And this is at least my fourth pan of chopped apples ready to be stewed and put in the freezer! And there is the same again (at least) ready for the same treatment tomorrow. However we all agree that stewed apple with cinnamon and raisins and vanilla ice cream really is wonderful stuff.
It’s wonderful to have such a harvest – to be able to share it with our friends and neighbours and look forward to curling up in the winter with apple crumbles and pies.
(Given the amount I am squirreling away, I wouldn’t be surprised if No.2 got to eat some next april when they start on solids. Now that’s a funny thought.)
We have a lawn of apples at the moment – with two huge, old, neglected trees at our new house we can’t keep up with the production, nor the rot. They are literally rotting on the branches. But we still have more to eat than I could ever want – what a joy 🙂 Glad you’re getting some apple love too.
In that case we won’t bring apples as our ‘thing’ for the harvest party! 🙂 we had our worst rot/insect attack etc on the first lot that fell. the ones that are coming now are much better quality. maybe they’ll improve over the season?
(bet B is having lots of fun. We’ve had weeks of ‘Bad apple!!” “In the grass”)
I am so jealous! I’d love to have a glut of apples. Have you tried apple butter? It uses loads of apples and keeps really well.
I’ve heard of it, but not tried it – I need to go hunt out a recipe. thanks for the tip!
The apples look lovely and I love stewed apples too. I’ve always aspired to have something which you can harvest or can/freeze. (One day!) My mum gave me loads of apples from a community orchard near home which she had visited. I thought a community orchard was such a great idea.