I Finally Got To An Apple Pressing Day

Saturday 13th October 2018
26 degrees! Holbeach is setting all-time temperature records yet again.
So far as rare birds are concerned, the weather patterns this autumn have meant one thing  - there haven't been any, which is a relief in a way since the car is poorly and might not make too many long journeys. It has also rendered my life somewhat more uncomplicated.

The reason I mention this is that for the last three years I have managed to miss the Smallholders Club Apple Pressing day. Not this year though. I actually managed to show my face.

One of the club members kindly opens up his orchard so even those without their own apples can pick their own windfalls. Others bring along apple presses and scratters (an apple crushing / chopping device).

The whole process was very friendly and many hands certainly made light work. In fact I spent most of my time chatting while Sue got on with turning our bagfuls of apples into delicious cartons of fresh juice. Even the apple pulp doesn't go to waste as the poultry very much appreciate it.

Under the blue skies it really was a very delightful day.

Equipment set up, windfalls collected

Apples going into the scratter

Fruit presses in action

Chickens on the prowl

While we were there we took up a friend's offer of some spare quinces he had along with a few bags of sweet chestnuts. It was lovely to visit his smallholding for the first time too. Like us he started with a blank canvas but his plot has been maturing and developing for a few years longer than ours.

Quince jelly on the boil