Scottish Apples & Apple Day
I became interested in Scottish Apples in the 1980’s. Apple trees are a real asset in that they produce edible fruit. They are also a model for creating and managing diversity. Anyone who grows their own will tell you about the joys of taste and seasonality.
In an ideal world we would all enjoy food that is in season, as people used to. Advances in agricultural productivity mean we tend to buy what’s on the supermarket shelf today, regardless of where it comes from (often from the other hemisphere) when the supply system is geared to delivering perfect looking product, which the market demands. Growing local cultivars (varieties) means we can have fresh produce, with high quality and good taste.
Our garden supports a range of apples which come ready from late July through to Christmas, and sufficient range to keep through to May. Once upon a time, before supermarket ‘efficiency’ Scotland produced its own apples in this way. Stobo Castle, and White Melrose cutlivars with a true Borders heritage are stars in this pantheon. Over twenty years we have planted many historic collections around the country to preserve the best cultivars for the future. Locally suited varieties can be highly productive. As people relearn the pleasure of seasonal fruit and vegetables, we hope that commercial viability will re-emerge to bring back the orchards that were grubbed up as ‘unviable’ in the sixties and seventies.
Update 3 November 2007
Despite a rubbish summer it’s been a bumper year for apple crops. White Melrose, Duke of Devonshire, Blenmeim Orange and Pitmaston Pineapple have been prolific. James Grieve, Katja, Kerry Pippin, Laxton’s Superb, Margil and Cox’s Orange Pippin have kept pace. Only Stobo Castle (lots of apples but very small) – seems to have been knocked back. There are other cultivars out in the jungle of the forest garden too folks, but these are the ones that spring to mind…
Fantastic year for pears too, and the Quince Vranja has yielded very high quality fruit. Turned into thirteen pounds of quince jelly and five pounds of marmello – the wonderful Portuguese (or in this case Scottish) quince cheese which is probably the origin of the idea (and name) for marmelade!
Quince Vranja October 2007
I should just point out we don’t repost this stuff every season as the garden realiably produces without us doing very much, year on year.
January 2010
Our lingering apple supplies (including some still hanging on the trees) have been a lifesaver for some of the garden birds including fieldfares – scandanavian visitors – in the longest cold snap for forty years.
