It is a funny summer and harvest season here at the Welsh Hovel. Everything has come on more rapidly than usual. Normally the early apples I planted by the river would be picked now whilst my other apples would not be ready until mid September. But with bows breaking under the strain of a bumper crop I am already harvesting and processing the harvest.
My blackberry and apple jam is a little bit runny for reasons that I cannot explain but tastes great. Last night I was up late stewing apples and there is now a big jar in the fridge for this month’s breakfasts and three bags in the freezer for the Autumn. As the freezer is emptied of ice cream by Sharestock, more bags will be added in.
I have secured more jars and will be making apple chutney this weekend for this family and to give to various folks as Christmas presents
Joshua and the Mrs are keen apple eaters but there really is a glut despite palming off bags of apples and plums, where there is also a glut onto many of my neighbours.
At some stage I will be bottling up a crate or more of apple juice. The apple scratter and juice press stand ready.
Then there is the apple rack you can see below. If you wrap apples in newspaper they can survive for several months. And thus, with dreadful left wing newspapers provided by my in-laws, I am wrapping up early apples for stewing post Sharestock. Yes, the Guardian really does have a use other than for lighting fires. Apples harvested in later September and racked should last until Christmas.
Notwithstanding plans to spend Saturday afternoon watching my niece Evie play for Stoke U-16s against Wrexham, I plan to have that rack filled up by the end of the weekend. But that still leaves hundreds of apples to deal with. And then there are the crabapples to deal with. And pears.
