Celebrating and remembering old fruit and vegetable varieties
The Golden Spire apple was reported to have been discovered in 1850 by Richard Smith of Worcester.
Fruits have a dense, crisp flesh with an acidic, astringent flavour.
Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Late April to Early May
Picking: Early September
Natural Storage: September – October
The Golden Spire apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
The first record of the Edward VII apple was in 1902. Introduced by Rowe of Worcester in 1908.
The apple received the RHS Award of Merit in 1903.
Fruits have a firm, rather coarse texture, fairly juicy, with an acid flavour.
Reported to be an excellent cooking apple.
Uses: Culinary
Parents: Female -Blenheim Orange? x Male – Golden Noble?
Flowers: Mid to late May
Picking: Mid October
Natural Storage: December to April
The Edward VII apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
The Lancashire Pippin was received by the national fruit trials in 1950, from Westmorland in Northern England.
Fruits have soft, slightly course flesh with a subacid flavour. Reportedly, this flavour becomes very bland when cooked.
Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Mid to late May
Picking: Mid September
Natural Storage: October
The Lancashire Pippin apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
The medlar is an ancient fruit native to Iran and there are records of it’s cultivation since the 2nd Century BC, being grown by ancient Greeks and Romans.
Medlars were very popular during the Victorian era. The large shrubs or small trees growing up to 8 m tall is deciduous. The dark green, elliptical leaves are about six to fifteen centimetres long and three to four centimetres wide. They turn a spectacular red in autumn before falling.
The five-petalled white flowers are produced in late spring, they are hermaphrodite and pollinated by bees.
The matte brown fruit is a pome, two to three centimetres in diameter, with wide-spreading persistent sepals giving a “hollow” appearance. It’s popular slang name is “Dog’s Bottom”.
Medlar fruit are very hard and acidic, only becoming edible after being bletted (softened by frost), or naturally in storage given sufficient time.
Once softening begins, the skin rapidly takes a wrinkled texture and turns dark brown, and the inside reduces to a consistency and flavour reminiscent of apple sauce. They can then be eaten raw, often consumed with cheese as a dessert, although they are also used to make medlar jelly and wine. Another dish is “medlar cheese”, which is similar to lemon curd, being made with the fruit pulp, eggs, and butter.
Acorn Bank at Temple Sowerby in Cumbria is home to two very large Medlar trees.
Medlar recipes on the Garden Organic website.
Medlar Cheese recipe.
Growing and Pruning Medlars – Advice from the Royal Horticultural Society
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.