Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core ....
The light changes in September. The sun seems to be lower and the morning shadows are longer. The lawn is covered in apples and plums: time for jam.
The apple and plum trees in the garden were originally part of a shared orchard. The rest of the remaining fruit trees are in neighbouring gardens so when we have a glut of fruit so do the neighbours. You can't give fruit away! We eat some of it but it has to be examined, washed and sliced because we don't use anything to stop insects. I freeze some and I make jam but the rest goes in the compost bin .... such a waste! This year will be different - the owner of the allotment has an apple press we can use. Mulled cider anyone?
In the meantime Pork Chops in Cider are delicious.
Tomorrow we plan to collect elderberries to make wine. The blackberries at the top of the lane need a few more days but the jam jars are ready for blackberry and apple jam ... a firm favourite.
You're lucky I have had hardly any apples and no plums this year - so the hedgerows are going to have to be my fruit larder.
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