February 2001

Pruning the trees and tidying the orchard are our main winter tasks and we have made a start on both. Most of the winter pruning is done with a saw, removing overcrowded and diseased wood. The idea is to create a balanced tree that will bear quality fruit evenly throughout its branch framework. An unpruned tree may be fine for several years, but eventually gets too thick and only bears fruit on the outside where the light and air reach the fruit buds. The prunings are made into a big heap and we let them dry out so that next year we can have a lovely BONFIRE!

On the 13th January we had some friends round to the orchard for a Wassailing party. This old tradition is an excuse for a post-Christmas “knees-up” in an orchard. According to the old books, folk would gather in the local orchard on the evening of old Christmas eve or Twelfth Night and sing songs, discharge shotguns, drink hot spiced cider round a bonfire and wish good health to one another and to the apple trees. A piece of toast was dipped in cider and put in the branches of the oldest apple tree for the robins. We did all this except the shotguns. A fine entertainment of music, song and dance was provided by Wickham Morris. An unexpected pleasure was a magnificent sunset with a prolonged red glow in the sky as the stars came out. What a marvellous creation we have to enjoy! You may wish to try our hot spiced cider wassail bowl recipe.

4 pints cider, 6 oz honey, 2 sticks cinnamon, 1 ounce sliced ginger, a few other spices e.g. cloves, allspice, star anise or whatever to taste. Cinnamon alone will do. Dissolve the honey in a pint of the cider over medium heat, perhaps an outdoor wood fire, simmer with the spices for 15 minutes or so, then add the rest of the cider. Strain before serving warm (not too hot) in mugs or tankards. Good health!