We have just returned from a lovely holiday in Devon with apples on our minds as well as several bags full that we collected during our trip. I am planning some (entirely legitimate) scrumping trips this month, in association with my new friends at Transition but more details on that soon – Don’t touch that dial!
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| First Though, More Pears! |
First though, a quick pear round-up; it has been a great year for all fruit and pears are no exception, with tree branches bowed under the weight of this fabulous bottom-heavy fruit.
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| High Fruit - No Problem |
First we visited a tree situated on waste-ground in Portswood – this is a personal favourite of mine and last year we got a splendid yield from it. This year we were possibly a bit late and many of the lower fruit had already been taken but we soon had the extendable fruit picker in action plucking off the big boys at the higher reaches.
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| Actually Daddy, I Do Like Pears Now |
My son previously professed not to like pears, despite being something of an apple fiend. After helping me fill the bucket though, my daughter and I eventually persuaded him to try one of our bulging beauties and he was soon converted.
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| About 10 Kgs |
Next we zoomed off up to Pear-Tree Green and you don’t need to be a genius to work out what we were after there.
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| Walnuts and Pears You Plant For Your Heirs |
First port of call was the lovely little tree planted by the city Mayor in 1951, which still produces a healthy crop of unusually small and round pears.
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| Thanks Mayor Cutler |
These make excellent little snacks so we filled my daughter’s hat with some to take home and left loads to ripen further on the tree.
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| Always Bring Suitable Sun Protection - You Never Know When You Might Need It |
Close by there is a pub – named The Pear Tree, and guess what grows in the pub garden?
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| What A Coincidence |
This is a huge tree laden with huge pears and I’m sure that if someone asked the landlord/lady nicely, he or she would be happy if someone came to help pick the fruit. Who knows, it may even be possible to arrange some kind of beer fuelled pear picking party in their garden.
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| Big Pears on a Big Tree |
Returning home with our boot full of fruit (we got about 10Kgs of pears this time), I remembered another very tasty pudding that the Head Chef had made previously – Chocolate Pear Upside-Down Cake!
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| Looks Good Enough To Eat, Doesn't It? |
A great reward for the tired and hungry children, and let’s not forget the poor Urbane Forager; I am now in training and aiming to be in peak condition for the forthcoming season’s apple avalanche!
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| Also Likes Chocolate Cake Mixture |
Pudding
Chutney
Perry (Pear Cider)
Pirates
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