Autumnal Mornings

This morning there was a chill in the air, the promise of the crispness of Autumn has finally arrived and I stood out in the garden at 8am picking the harvest of apples from my trees feeling the cold nipping at my fingertips.

This year the main tree has produced over and above a normal harvest of apples, and as a result I am giving away bags to friends and colleagues as I will still have too many for myself. The tree is a family one (with three different varieties), and can be used for both eating and cooking with (I just use less sugar) so we will have some crumbles, pies, fruit purees and compotes to eat throughout the rest of the year. I will also use some of the apples to create next year's batch of mincemeat which I will make at christmastime as it makes it lighter than the more stodgy apple-less versions. I will add the recipe to my recipe blog for those interested.

I also have a Howgate wonder apple tree, providing cooking apples. It has only been growing since 2002, Dad having planted it in the year before he died and this year it has just started to produce fruit worth using. I know I will probably struggle leaving here when we move 300+ miles to Cornwall (we don't have a date yet, but we hope it will happen in around 5 years) but I have my memories and in any case it is better not to transfer trees; I will leave them for the next family to live here and enjoy on their autumnal mornings.