It’s apple season and already time to start to harvest all that wonderful fruit!

Landport in Lewes

In Lewes last week residents were invited to bring out their apples for Landport Residents Association’s annual apple pressing event on Eridge Green. Tony Rowell told us more.

“It’s a great way to encourage people to get out and pick fruit which would otherwise be left to fall and rot on the ground” says local Tony who spent five back-breaking hours pressing and bottling pears, apples and grapes for the cause. “The apple press is popular with children, too,” adds Tony. “They’re intrigued by the process,” he adds.

Railway Land Nature Reserve

The press was hired from the Railway Land Wildlife Trust. The Trust have their own apple pressing day on Sunday 22nd September. They say

“Bring your apples for pressing! Any type of apple can be used, bramleys make delicious juice, pears, even grapes! Brown bits and bruises don’t matter, but give them a quick rinse first. Bring bottles if you can, or we’ll sell you plastic bottles (suitable for freezing).

We can press your fruit for 50p/ litre in our hand-operated wooden presses.”

Brighton Permaculture Trust

Also this weekend is the Apple Day organised by Brighton Permaculture Trust.

“Our annual celebration of the fruit harvest! On Apple Day we enjoy tours of the orchards and organic plots, music, entertainment for kids, craft stalls, activities all day, and carefully selected local food stalls, and apple juice and cider produced by Brighton Permaculture Trust on site!

The event is free, no tickets needed, although there is a £10 parking charge if you come by car. Alternatively come by bike, train, bus no.78, or on foot

If you’d like to get more involved you can help out on the day”

Common Ground – a national apple holiday?

Common Ground would like National Apple day (21 October 2019) to become a national holiday! Your Greenhavens blog editor would like this too, as she would never have to work on her birthday… :-)

Apple Day, 21 October, was launched in 1990 by Common Ground. The aspiration was to create a calendar custom, an autumn holiday.

“From the start, Apple Day was intended to be both a celebration and a demonstration of the variety we are in danger of losing, not simply in apples, but in the richness and diversity of landscape, ecology and culture too. It has also played a part in raising awareness in the provenance and traceability of food.

The success of Apple Day has shown what the apple means to us and how much we need local celebrations in which, year after year, everyone can be involved. In city, town and country, Apple Day events have fostered local pride, celebrated and deepened interest in local distinctiveness. We would still like Apple Day to become the autumn holiday in Britain. Apple Day is now an integral part of the calendar of many villages, local authorities and city markets. It is a focus for activities organised by the Women’s Institute, National Trust properties, Wildlife Trusts, museums and galleries, horticultural societies, shops and restaurants as well as for schools, colleges and environmental study centres.

The first Apple Day celebrations, in the old Apple Market in London’s Covent Garden, brought fruit to the market after 16 years’ absence. Forty stalls were taken. Fruit growers and nurseries producing and selling a wide variety of apples and trees rubbed shoulders with juice-and cider-makers, as well as writers and illustrators with their apple books.”

Middle Farm

Years ago, Middle Farm used to run a fantastic apple festival around Apple Day. check out their cider barn if you are passing!

“The National Collection of Cider & Perry is a unique celebration of our national fruit. Visitors can taste, compare and buy from a range of over 100 different draught ciders and perries (including our own Pookhill Cider).

As well as a huge range of meads, country wines and fruit liqueurs, the Collection holds a carefully selected range of draught and bottled ales. We also stock English cider brandies, apple gin, apple vodka and apple eaux-de-vie. Fresh apple juice is pressed daily and an apple-pressing service is offered throughout the late summer and autumn.”

More to share?

We are so lucky in Greenhavens to have a community orchard in Peacehaven. It will be a few years before that has a significant harvest, but there is plenty to do in the short term. Do get involved if you can. More information about the progress of the orchard to follow.

If you know of any other apple related events and news, or maybe have some apple recipes to share, we would love to hear from you!

Get picking those apples!