Apple excesses

We excavated the apples in our newly-discovered orchard in 2012. Seven months of hard graft revealed the poor apple trees. Neglected for decades and submerged by brambles, sycamore and blackthorn. Planted after WWII by the Polish airforce personnel who’d set up a mushroom farm here.

Free from submersion, they now have a meadow at their feet and no competition for light.

The trees enjoyed their best cropping year last year and the harvest was picked as directed by the Maria Thun lunar calendar and then stored in old bread trays lined with newspaper.  We’ve luxuriated in apple cakes and smoothies and crumbles and compotes since the autumn.

But apples will only store for so long and now we’re into the last knockings and the final fruits look tired and are susceptible to rot if not used quickly.

So quick sharp all remaining apples have been cored and chopped and washed and microwaved. And now frozen.

Apple pleasure will continue for a few more weeks.

And the spring blossom is just emerging on the apple trees again.