Old Varieties — Page 12 — Celebrating and remembering old fruit and vegetable varieties

Sep 27 2009

Apple Day in Cumbria 2009

Counties all over the UK are preparing for their Apple Day events to be held throughout the month of October.

Britain has the largest apple heritage in the world, with only a handful of the varieties seen for sale today. Old varieties do exist all over the country with many special National Apple Day events taking place each year to promote these wonderful fruits.

The annual festival is aimed at raising awareness about the importance of preserving traditional apple varieties,

The 2009 Apple Day events in Cumbria will be held on:

28th September – 1st october 2009 – Sizergh Castle & Garden, Kendal, Cumbria.
Guided walks and apple identification. Juicing and tasting. (Identification of apples on Tuesday and Thursday).
Recipe cards and advice available.
Visit Sizergh Castle & Gardens website

Sunday 3rd October 2009 – Wordsworth House, Cockermouth, Cumbria.
Taste some of Cumbria’s heritage apples such as the Keswick Codlin, Greenup Pippin and Carlisle Codlin.
Lots of apple games, baking and juicing demonstrations, fun and competitions.
Visit the Wordsworth House website.

Saturday 3rd October – Orchard Barn, 32 Briery Bank, Arnside.
Orchard walks, apple identification, cakes and jams, cookery demonstrations, story-telling, children’s games and much more. 10am – 4pm Organised by the Arnside and Silverdale AONB Partnership

Saturday October 17 & Sunday 18th – Beetham Nurseries, Pool Darkin Lane, Beetham CLA7 7AP
Meet Hilary Wilson ‘The Apple Lady’ on Saturday 17th October. Hilary’s interest in apples, which began when she was a child, led her to research and source varieties suitable for the wet and cold conditions in this area, she is also an expert in the skill of grafting.
Hilary will be on hand to chat and answer your questions. She enjoys helping people to identify their apples.
Attractions to include: Wide selection of apple trees including some unusual varieties; Enjoy apple tasting and delicious home made ‘fruity food’ in the Tea Room.
Expert advice on pollination, pruning, pests and diseases & tree selection; we will have many other types of fruit trees including: Peaches, Pears, Plums, Kiwis and Cherries. And on Sunday 18th October the Kendal Beekeepers’ Association will be present. They will bring along a glass observation hive with real bees, information on attracting bees into your garden, and a beehive containing photographs so people can see inside ‘safely’, and perhaps even honey to sell.
Visit Beetham Nurseries website.

Sunday 18th October 2009 – Acorn Bank, Temple Sowerby, Penrith, Cumbria.
Games and competitions, advice on growing apples, storytelling, Punch & Judy, Music, dance and pruning demonstrations with the Northern Fruit group, cookery demonstrations with Annette Gibbons. There will be a local food producers’ market and country crafts.

Entertainment from Punch and Judy, Crook Morris, The Eden Valley Storytellers and The Eagle Bowmen.
A large number of different varieties of apple are available to buy and to sample, and you are welcome to bring your own apples to be identified (by prior arrangement).
Visit Acorn Bank website.

To find out about Apple Day events all over the country visit The Common ground website.

Sep 27 2009

Perry Pear – Blakeney Red

The Blakeney Red Perry Pear is named after the village of Blakeney in the Forest of Dean. Also known as Red Pear, Circus Pear, Painted Lady, Painted Pear .

Known to have been in existence in 1600, some trees are over 300 years old and it is now the most common perry pear in the Gloucestershire and Herefordshire region.

The Blakeney Red is a greenish yellow perry pear with a red flush on the sunny side, an old favourite which was even considered a desert pear in the 1600’s. which could also be stewed and used to dye soldiers’ khaki uniforms.

This popular pear is renowned for perry making and is considered one of the best single perry varieties.

Many Cider companies still rely on this pear to produce quality cider.

A statuesque specimen can be found in the Acorn Bank Orchards at Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.

Perry Pear - Balkeney Red at Acorn Bank, Cumbria.

This tree towers above it’s neighbouring Medlar’s to some 40 or 50 feet.

A well shaped tree, the fruit glows red on the sunniest side and hangs in abundance, crammed onto the upward facing branches.

To find out more about Perry pears and Perry making visit the Three Counties Perry website.

You can find young trees at Cummins Nursery.

Sep 27 2009

Apple – Scotch Bridget

The Scotch Bridget Apple also known as White Calville, originated in Scotland in 1851.

A culinary apple commonly found in Cumbrian farm orchards, it will produce regularly and crops fairly heavily in Northern Locations.

The fruits have tender, soft flesh, flushed with red. It has a subacid rich flavour and will not fall when cooked.

When kept until December, the fruit ripens to become a desert apple.

Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Mid May
Picking: October
Natural Storage: October – December

The Scotch Bridget apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees available from Adams Apples

Sep 27 2009

Apple – Red Ellison’s Orange

The Red Ellison’s Orange is a more highly coloured sport of Ellison”s Orange and was discovered in 1948 in H.C. Selby’s orchard in Walpole St. peter, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

The Fruits have a soft juicy flesh with a rich and strong aniseed flavour.

Red Ellison’s Orange is a good mid season eating apple.

Uses: Desert
Parents: Female – Cox’s Orange Pippin x Male – Calville Blanc
Flowers: Mid May
Picking: Mid September
Natural Storage: September – October.

The Red Ellison’s Orange apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees available from Adams Apples

Sep 27 2009

Bramley’s Seedling

The Bramley’s Seedling apple is a triploid, raised around 1809 – 1813 by Mary Ann Brailsford in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England.

It was introduced by Nurseyman H. Merryweather in 1865 and first exhibited in 1876, receiving a First Class certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1893.

By far the most popular culinary apple in the UK and the variety most often found on supermarket shelves.

The fruit is a green/yellow with a strong acid flavour. A vigorous grower.

Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Mid May
Picking: October
Natural Storage: October to March.

The Bramley’s seedling apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees available from Adams Apples