Sunday 22 September 2013

Harvest

Sorry to disappoint you on the craft front again but my year seasonally works out like this. My everyday makes become more food based during September then I knuckle down to some serious present making and Christmas craft fair stock after that. So Look at this lovely orchard:


My friends don't have much time to do anything with them and actually have lost a little of the skill and will needed to do a full harvest not to mention the time - they both work really hard.

So come closer and let's have a look...

 
So tall, we have no hope of reaching those. so a little closer...
 
 
Lots to reach as the lower branches come right down to the floor.
 
 
They are perfectly shaped, unblemished cooking apples with a lovey flavour. We picked three buckets full and we didn't even make a dent in the trees bounty.
 

Then we wondered a little bit further...
 
 
 To find cute little lunchbox sized eating apples and larger pale skinned eating apples with a completely different flavour.

 
I was not finished yet...
 

A tin of damsons. There were six trees but the cattle had broken off the lower branches so it was hard to reach them - enough for three jars of jam though and a crumble.

 
These ones were a different variety, definitely cooking apples. Bloke made 2 gallons of wine with these today but I think it will be the sort of wine that makes you scrunch up your bottom! They were so tangy.
 
Oh and then some windfalls for chutney and a few pears that will ripen off in the fruit bowl this week.
 

The girls went to 'granddads allotment' which is essentially stealing a few potatoes from the field edge surrounding their grandparents house, but granddad fixes farmers tractors so he sort of gets away with it. Well, I hit the wall at that point (and we ran out of containers) so we came home.

 
Sadly we were too late for this one but you can't get them all.
 
The girls played pirates outside and Bloke and me had 2 hours uninterrupted cooking time. I made apple chutney, damson jam, plum clafoutis and bloke made apple wine. I stewed up apples, plums and damsons until I ran out of firstly containers then freezer space.

So a happy, happy day. Do you know what would make this day perfect? If I could do the ruddy feather stitch on my chicken embroidery for the stitch along, but I can't!!! It is too hard. Grrr! maybe I should just improvise - I am kind of good at that.

Thanks for coming along to see me. Jo x
 

 

 
 
 
 

14 comments:

  1. Amazing pictures! Congratulations.

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  2. Lovely post, made me feel comforted and homey (I'm a homey sort of lass). You worked so hard, it'll all be so scrummy :) xx

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  3. Oh you have been busy! Lovely post.
    M x

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  4. Wow, you are truly living in the season! And check out Mary Corbet's Needle n' Thread web site for fantastic video tutorials - I guarantee you will figure out that stitch if you do it along with her! Good luck! Chrissie x

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  5. Gosh what a harvest the apples look lovely! you have been busy indeed x

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  6. Ok lady...I so want some of those recipes!!! What an amazing day! The trees are beautiful and I bet you will have yummies to last for months!!! Have an outstanding week!!!

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  7. Well Jo - what an industrious happy cooky you are in your kitchen with all those wonderful goodies. You deserve a BIG pat on the back for this lot! What a wonderful post - so 'Country Life'!
    As Chrissie has mentioned already, do go to Mary Corbett's site, for it's amazing - really amazing!!!
    Joy xo

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  8. It is soooo much fun and very inspiring to view your posts, Jo! Your harvest is abundant, and I am impressed how you and your family have processed it. My family picked about 12 apples from our little six foot tall tree and they are waiting on the kitchen counter to become apple crisp tomorrow. I just caught up on your last seven posts, and admired you bead projects, your beautiful ball gown, Happy Day Card, and your great sense of humor throughout :) Thanks for posting!
    Gracie xx

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  9. Well that is what a call a GREAT friend!! I would have come back with a trailer full and then run out of freezer space within seconds. It sounds like you have had the best of days in the kitchen and I am sure somehow chutney and jam making, especially stoning l those damsons count as as really advanced and complicated craft making skill that definitely features in this week's stitch along. I'm sure hour freezer must be bursting at the seams, but with such delight!! Enjoy your week xoxo

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  10. Good lord that was a lot of produce to bring home and a lot of cooking to go with! No wonder you've not had much crafting time :p Looking forward to your Christmas makes, although I can't bare to think about Christmas just yet :o

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  11. Wow - I am very jealous of all that fruit, a day spent turning that into jam etc sounds like heaven!!!

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  12. What a harvest! You have so much wonderful produce to eat. What a nice friend. I am sure the jam will be delicious. I wanted to let you know that I received your package this weekend and it's lovely! Thank you so much. I am thrilled to have pretty things made by you. I will share about it on my blog soon. :)

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    Replies
    1. Glad you got it. The little paper inked pieces are for you to try making your own card. Thanks for always dropping by. x

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  13. Goodness, what a haul! I wouldn't have been able to resist either. We went blackberry and elderberry picking yesterday and it was hard to tear ourselves away and leave so much behind. Now I just have to decide what to do with it all. x

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