Pressing Issues - Juicy Gossip

We decided that we needed to press the remaining apples, which were hanging around in the house in two huge buckets.

The children had let it be known that this time they wanted to be rewarded for all their hard work and contributions, by something like their own weight in apple juice. They said it was unfair that the last five gallons all got turned into cider, which they cannot drink.

As we had four children on hand to help us with the carrying, pressing and milling, I figured that a bottle each, as well as several cups, of gorgeous fresh apple nectar would be sufficient payment.

Once the procedure got underway everything started to happen, swiftly. The Head Chef was slicing and the kids were ferrying buckets of chopped apples up the garden to the mill; here, the crank was turned enthusiastically until the big bucket underneath was full enough.

Then the bucket load of pommace was emptied into the press, which was in the workshop this time, and the screw was turned down until the juice cascaded into our waiting buckets, bottles and cups.

I have to say that the children did a fantastic job, their boundless energy was a valuable resource and I was mainly relegated to making sure fingers stayed out of the scratter, occasionally applying a little extra muscle to the press and of course hosing all the kit down afterwards.

Once the youngsters had drunk their fill and been sufficiently paid off with bottles of juice for later, I was left with two gallons that I put into demijohns to ferment. I added a little cinnamon stick to each batch because I think this adds a subtle extra essence and somehow seems appropriate as the cold and gloomy evenings creep in on us.

Pair of Pears Repair

I was delighted to notice that work on the new allotment site on Somerset Rd is nearly finished; it looks like it will be a lovely site/sight. I was even more pleased to observe that the pear tree that had been cut down in its prime has now been left to regrow (something it is undertaking enthusiastically), on the outside of the new fence.

The Pear Tree is the Dark Green Bush in the Centre

I rowed past the Pear Pirates scene too recently; despite being felled, this poor tree is also trying its best to regain its former glory. But pear trees, like walnuts, grow very slowly. So, despite my renewed optimism, I can’t help thinking that it would have been better not to have chopped them down in the first place.

Medlar Wine Experiment

Last year a friend of ours gave us a delicious jar of claret-coloured Medlar Jelly, which was a big hit, especially with my daughter. This year I discovered a medlar tree in the University grounds, it is likely the same one that the jam originated from. I waited for a suitably sinister, cold and dank autumnal evening and furtively picked a big bagfull of the fruits and stored them in my laboratory until they were bletted.

After collecting these old English fruits, you need to leave them to blet, which as far as I can work out means to ripen, ferment or even rot. In the interest of medical science, I tested a fresh medlar and can confirm that it is dry enough to grow a fresh layer of skin over your teeth. Bletted produce on the other hand can be described succinctly as tasting "somewhat apple-ish/pear-ish with a hint of almost-cinnamon-like spice, perhaps".

I decided that it would be an entertaining experiment to attempt medlar wine this year, I uncovered a couple of articles and whittled them down to (what I guessed was) their vital parts and then, made up my own recipe.

Recipe

Ingredients:

·         8 lb. Medlars

·         2.5 lbs sugar (you can add half and half honey)

·         Pectin enzyme

·         Water up to 1 gallon

·         1/2 pint strong black tea (or 1lb of chopped raisins) for tannin

·         Campden tablet

·         Wine yeast

Method:

1.       Wash and crush the ripe medlars, place the fruit in a fermentation bucket.

2.       Add 1 lb. of sugar and the chopped raisins or tea.  

3.       Boil half the water and pour over the mixture, making sure the sugar is dissolved, then add an equal quantity of cold water.

4.       Add the campden tablet and pectin enzyme.

5.       Cover closely and leave for three- five days in a warm place, stirring daily.

6.       Strain through a fine sieve (do not press) add the rest of the sugar; a rule of thumb with country wine is, only add as much sugar as you need to reach an SG of 1.080 – 1.085 and that will almost guarantee a dry ferment at 12%.

7.       Add the wine yeast, put the mixture into a demijohn and fit an airlock to seal the jar.

8.       Store in a warm place and allow the fermentation to work.

9.       When fermentation has ceased, rack the wine into a clean jar and place in a cooler environment and leave. When the wine is clear and stable, siphon into bottles.

I will let you know how my science experiment goes in a later post; I hope it turns a claret red...

Ruby Red Crab Apples

I sold my vintage Evans racer the other day; with the profits, I bought myself and the Head Chef, a pair of bikes more suited to riding across the Common or down New Forest trails with the children.

Lovely Lugs!

Obviously, a test bike-ride was needed and we set off along a familiar route; through the parks and along the river Itchen towards the Mansbridge Community Orchard.

Miriad jewels (From Solid Ground)

During the recent Apple Day Event, we noticed that, although fruit crops had generally suffered badly with the unusual weather this year, one of the big Crab Apple trees at Mansbridge was absolutely bending under the weight of its myriad precious jewels.

Hold Steady, Will You?

I clambered deftly through the branches and it only took a few minutes to easily fill my swag bag with the tiny ruby red gems. I tried to take a couple of photographs but I’m afraid it was quite problematic to manage the; grip the camera steady, grasp a bag full of apples, cling onto the slippery branches swaying in the wind equation. To add to my woes, on the way down, I managed to rip the bag on a sharp branch. Such are the potential hazards of foraging…

Life is a Bowl of... Crab Apples!

Eventually, the bikes, crab apples and family were all returned home safely. Here the leaves and stalks were removed and the fruit was washed. Last year we made some scrumptious Crab Apple Chilli Jelly. This year, I’m going to make Crab Apple Wine. We may return later to collect some more to make jelly again, there’s enough left on that tree to fill a whole jam shop.

Mmmmmm! This Looks Exotic.

Apple Day at Mansbridge Community Orchard

The day was overcast and I had been outdoors since 9:00, my son had been playing rugby at a tournament.  Now it was 2:30 and we were heading to Mansbridge, to take part in the Apple Day Picking and Pressing event.

I’m pleased to say that the Southampton Woodcraft Folk have taken an active role in the Mansbridge Community Orchard; this event was planned and organised by them, but open to all.

We arrived, slightly late and the scene was one of tremendous animation and bustling activity. There was a big tent, lots of tables and benches, two presses, a fruit mill or scratter and loads of apples and pickers.

Everyone was doing something; bodies were crowded around tables and children were scurrying about everywhere. There was even a group of people knitting, jointly weaving a strange and interesting article (Possibly a Christmas jumper for an oddly shaped child).

After brief greetings and introductions, we recruited a small group of friends and children and set off into the trees to fill our large bags and buckets with apples.

As we picked and collected, various other participants were ferrying the vast amount of apples back to the base camp in the containers.

Back at the trestle tables, a smoothly run sequence of events was being meted out, processing the apples into juice...

The fruit was first fleetingly washed. The cores were removed and the apples sliced, by deploying a cunning little kitchen instrument that did the job in one swift action (I must get one of these).

The chopped apples were tipped into the scratter, which was powered by strong and enthusiastic children. The pulp was then emptied into the press and the screw turned down by many keen helping hands and the delicious fresh juice flowed out into waiting receptacles.

Finally, the remaining apple mush, minus the precious juice, was taken back into the trees and left to nourish the ground and wildlife.

It was a lovely, friendly event and even when it started to drizzle about 4.00, most people seemed oblivious to the weather and carried on with the communal fun.

More Hedge End Apples

While wandering around Hedge End I located a few smaller apple trees by the roadside.

One of these trees was covered in lovely little, dark red eating apples. They were ripe, tasty and plentiful, covering the branches and causing them to droop down. Surprisingly, no one had picked them.

A few metres further on, another tree was filled with hard green fruit which had quite a sharp tang to it, cookers!

I came back to the little trees at the weekend with my son and he was soon up and at ‘em whilst I got busy with the apple picker.

In under an hour we had filled our two big builders buckets and were heading back home again with our boot full of booty (about 30 Kgs); even so there was still plenty of fruit left on both of the trees.

There was another tall tree with delicious rosy eating apples but this one was in a more dangerous place next to the road. I grabbed a couple for the store but decided to leave the rest until I could arrange some adult help…

The following weekend I popped back with my friend Loz and quickly hoovered up as many of these crunchy beauties as we could reach with the picker. We must have got at least 10 Kgs, which are now all safely stashed in the apple store. All the rest will be pressed into juice or made into cider...

Mansbridge Community Orchard

Is it just me, or is the weather becoming more interesting? I’m talking here about the forecast on the radio, not the atmospheric conditions outside. People have often stated the “interesting fact” that Eskimos have fifty words for snow; I think that the British must have at least that many for rain. I guess it makes broadcasting less boring if you deploy the odd euphemism and dig up ancient adages.

The other day the forecaster said, of the UK weather,

“Regardless of where you are in the country - If it’s raining where you are, it will continue for the rest of the day. If it’s not currently raining, it will be soon.”

Pretty simple and direct but this morning, the lovely chap on Radio 4 stated that this weekend we will experience…

“The mists and mellow fruitfulness of autumn, as opposed to gales.”

All of which is pretty good news for anyone who wants to join in at the Mansbridge Community Orchard, where people will be picking and pressing apples (about 2:00 – 4:30 pm this Sunday) …