We grow lots of our own fruit here on the smallholding. We preserve it in lots of different ways so that we can enjoy all year round, but in season we get to eat it fresh and straight from the tree or plant.
I’m getting excited because our fruit is forming and it’s going to be a good year.
Our cherries in the recent rain have accelerated their growth and actually look like cherries. OK, so they are still green and have some ripening to do but think of the cherry pies I get to make and eat.
These little fruits may not look like much but these are my first pears.
The blossom has just died back and the fruits have started to form. Fresh pears on a hot day are some of my favourite treats, but poached pears with clotted cream….yummy!
My staple fruit is of course apples. We still have beautiful apple blossom with some of the fruits starting to form. We have 10 apple varieties all with different flavours, uses and keeping qualities in our orchard.
We use apples as a base for so many recipes and I spend lots of time preserving them.
Most exciting this week is that strawberries are forming.
I make fruit leather from strawberries and rhubarb or strawberries and gooseberries. Both have a sweet and sour combination which is just fantastic and a great way to enjoy the fruit all year round.
Of course there’s other things to do with the fruit. There’s infusing brandy with either cherries or pears, making cider with the apples or even making strawberry wine. Strawberry wine is the best homebrew wine in my opinion. So cheap, simple and full of flavour.
Cheers to a good year for fruit!
If you’d like to look at making your own wine from your fruit take a look at our video on the equipment you will need to start out including some low and no cost solutions.
Enjoy!
English Country Life 