How'd ya like THEM apples?

[Poly]

A dried jobby is something completely different up here!

[A1an]

Aye, proper air dried chorizo, I've mostly done hams and dried sausages in Spring before the flies and when its a bit cooler.

This time of year I use a box I made from an old wooden wine case and some fly screen and hoist it up into the trees.

Il grab a pic for you.

If you need fly screen just shout, il send some down.

[A1an]

Drying box...

[Pikey Dave]

Ah! Cheers. I've got plenty of fly screen thanks, we use it on the jobby job😄

Poly, I did think that after I typed it, but left it in for comic affect😜


.....sh1t happens.......

[A1an]

The next home grown tasty, tonight is the night...I hope.

http://youtu.be/eERJgI4YMEc

[willk]

I was a bit late with the bottling - 2014 crop just finished today. The 2015 apple crop is miserably small, so it'll have to stretch a bit - I feel a wee bit of a druth from just thinking about it....

[A1an]

I keep meaning to pick your brains about what apple/pears I should be looking at growing for my location.

I've got a fair sized paddock here that I want to turn into a fruit orchard with apple, pear and plum and of course it will need to contain some drinkable varieties.

[willk]

Originally Posted by A1an

I keep meaning to pick your brains about what apple/pears I should be looking at growing for my location.

If you only do one thing, buy this book and read the bit about selecting varieties and planting an orchard: Craft Cider Making - Third Edition by Andrew Lea, 9781785000157
Later on, it will become your manual for Cidermaking as well.

It's not rocket science but without overstating the obvious, you make your bed and then lie in it, so you want to start off as best you can. Surprisingly, apple trees come into fruit quite quickly so you will be making cider in 4-5 years.

A few things to consider:

1. Location - apples like poorish quality, reasonably well drained soil. It's best if they don't see the sunrise to avoid frost damage - and you're going to have to work at that. A frost hollow would be a disaster. If they have some shelter from wind then that's a very good bonus.

2. Varieties, you'll do best with disease resistant types. Cider apples are completely different to Cookers and Eaters. They are very sweet and taste horrible. They are also quite fibrous which aids pressing. Certain varieties have superior characteristics and if you can have a majority of these then your cider will have a MUCH better taste. That said, you don't want all your eggs in one basket, so a few other lesser fruit types will be a bonus in years when the main cropper is reduced for some reason. Without labouring the subject, cider apple varieties possess many qualities, and it's best to have a palate of different fruit to play with - maybe three sorts in your case? My main crop is Dabinett and I have a few others to bring in if needed. You can add cookers and eaters to cider too - you just need to be careful with the blend - too much and you loose all the character.

3. Planting is easy and you do it once, so it's good to get it right. If you go for MM106 "bush" rootstock then you can pack 'em in and they crop well. I have a few M26 dwarf trees as well and they are very useful - not the joke trees I expected. You'll need 6-10 trees to make useful quantities* of cider.


* A bottle a day, all year

[A1an]

Many thanks sir.

[A1an]

Any chance of a few of your apples to go with this bad boy?

[mick]

Hog roast coming up😜

[A1an]

'kin right Mick!

[mick]

Last nights work ? Is that the night vision sight

[A1an]

It was actually meant to be night work hence the night vision but the bold boy strolled out at 20:45.

Saves me a night in the high seat being eaten by midgies

[mick]

How are the midges

[A1an]

On triple time!

[hank]

We are back to our old tricks and pressed 100 litres of apple juice yesterday
looks like a good apple year here in the Pacific North West Coast
cheers
Hank

[hank]

another 100 litres from one tree

[willk]

Originally Posted by hank

another 100 litres from one tree

Ah stop - yer depressing me! There's a very poor crop here. That said, I went mushroom picking today (to one of my "secret" spots) and we did well - got this lot in 15 minutes.

"Frying tonight"

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by willk

Ah stop - yer depressing me! There's a very poor crop here. That said, I went mushroom picking today (to one of my "secret" spots) and we did well - got this lot in 15 minutes.

"Frying tonight"

Just needs some smoked bacon & scallops