Category: News

Meanderings through Apple Orchards to get to that Glass of Beer!

It was a while ago that this little sequence of events began.  At the beginning of October a friend came to help me pick all the apples that were not to be stored this year .

apple pickingI am only talking about small quantities here as it is not a large commercial orchard, but as I hate wasting the fruit this was the perfect solution to use all the excess apples.   The trees are a naturally grown mix of eaters and cookers, a miss mash of varieties,  the theory being that every year at least one variety should do well.

a mish mash of all sorts

I had already collected a large crate from Ringden Farm  so to make life easier we were able to pick directly into this in the back of the pickup and duly delivered the harvest to Ringden Farm.   Then the wait to receive the bottles of apple juice.  Ringden give an excellent service – they press, pasteurise and bottle for you.   Apple picking time is their peek rush hour time, consequently it takes about 5 weeks before you take delivery of your juice.

apple juiced 2

At the recent visit to the West Dean Apple Affair early in October I had joined a guided tour around their orchards to listen to the talk about their different old varieties.

all sorts of varieties

bloody ploughman apple

apple tastings were available

One of my favourite apples is the Keswick Codlin which my husband’s Grandparent’s grew.    It’s early, does not need very much sugar and turns into a white puree when cooked.   It has a distinctive scar line in its skin running down one side.    Apparently the Keswick Codlin was  originally found growing on a rubbish dump in Keswick in 1793,   so when our tour guide passed a Keswick Codlin tree and told us that this was the apple of choice in ancient times for ‘Lamb’s Wool’ my ears pricked up.

Keswick Codins showing line down their lengthKeswick Codlins showing line down their length

He said that these apples would be roasted over a fire until they foamed and frothed, (knowing how they bake this makes perfect sense) this froth was allowed to drip into the warmed ale beneath.  While a spit could be easily improvised over our fire, sadly all the remaining Keswick Codlins had already gone for apple juicing to Ringden Farm a few days previously!   This could be another interesting thing to put on the ’to do’  list for next year.

The name ‘Lambs wool’ I thought most likely stemmed from the froth resembling lambs wool floating on top. However, after some quick research I found this article  –  according to Richard Cook in 1835, it seems it was most probable that it derived from the Celtic pagan festival of ‘La mas ubal’, The Day of the Apple Fruit, and this gradually became corrupted to ‘Lamb’s Wool’.

Another recipe printed below from 1633,  may be good for you but mulled beer and eggs?!   Mmmm I don’t think so.  I would rather have an omelette, followed by a spicy baked apple, accompanied by a decent glass of unadulterated beer!

LAMBS WOOL RECIPE FROM 1633 – UNATTRIBUTED SOURCE

Boil three pints of ale; beat six eggs, the whites and yolks together; set both to the fire in a pewter pot; add roasted apples, sugar, beaten nutmegs, cloves, and ginger; and, being well brewed, drink it while hot.

Read more about Lambs Wool here

 

  

tea cosy from hop fabrics

Sewing with Hop Fabrics

Since my daughter & son in law, Nova & Andy emigrated to live in Australia 15 years ago, Nova has always said she has got used to the hot Christmases and other key dates except for September. Having been brought up on a hop farm September is and always will mean only one thing…… ‘hop picking’ and heralding the start of autumn. So with this in mind I sent Nova some of my new ‘hoppy’ fabrics to play with hoping she would have fun with them and a mini hop picking celebration of her own.   This is what she has made with the bits and pieces in the mixed bunch of hop fabrics.

hop fabric tea cosy

book pincushion, with hop fabricshop fabric book pincuhion open

hop fabrics pincushionThe t-cosy made me smile and the little pincushion so sweet.   Thank you Nova for sharing!

Hop fabrics available here & the book pincushion pattern is available from Patchwork Pottery.

load of cascade hops in the kiln

Traditional Charcoal Drying of Cascade Hops

In preparation for this first traditional charcoal drying of the Cascade hops,  locally made charcoal had already been sourced and collected during the summer.     All other hop varieties had been picked  and dried with an oil fired drying unit in the usual way used by growers today.   The late variety Cascade hops had been ear marked for this initial trial drying traditionally with charcoal.

When the hops were picked last weekend, the weather turned out to be perfect for this first trial drying, it was a dry and clear day with a light breeze running.     After the preceding wet week this felt like a good omen.

cutting the hop bines

There is only so much you can pick up from old books and hearsay from the very few remaining people who can remember  cascade hops being dried with coal and charcoal kilns. Basically it had to be a practical hands on, ‘go for it’ , learning on the job experience.   Of course it will take several burns before I become familiar with the many aspects of the furnace and the nuances of how the new oast behaves in different atmospheric conditions.

levelling the load of hops in the kiln

The hops were loaded very shallowly compared to their oil dried counterpart loads but carefully raked level in the same way.   I use a solid fuel rayburn to cook with so was hoping that this would stand me in good stead here.   The fire was lit and because this was a venture into unknown territory, the size and heat gradually increased until the correct temperature was reached.  Literally testing the temperature!  It was a surprise how quickly the temperature in the kiln responded to any alterations with the draft.

keeping watch of the charcaol kilnAs the hops were approaching being dry the fire was allowed to die down before unloading them onto the cooling floor then as for any other load left for a time before being pressed.

dried cascade hops cooling on the floorHave I already learnt masses?  Yes of course and would I try things a little differently next time?    Well again yes, I will make a few small changes,  but certainly nothing dramatic especially for another year yet.   And as for the finished article I am very happy with how things turned out with this initial trial drying.

pressing dried cascade hops by hand

If you’d like to try some of these traditionally dried Cascade hops in your next brew, visit the Hop Shop now as we only have a very limited quantity this year.

Beautiful but Sad

I have always loved old metal and always have to stop to take a picture if I have my camera with me – the rustier the better – beautiful but sad to see once treasured sewing machines abandoned.

beautifulI have been given the two most extraordinary gifts this weeks and oddly both are original prototypes.   I feel humbled by the workmanship that has gone into the making of both of them and both relevant to the new website.    I will be posting about them later this month, watch this space…

Brilliant ‘Topsy Turvy’ Business Ethics

The first picking of the ‘Cherokee Trail of Tears’ beans .

Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean from the Real Seed Company

The seed is from the Real seed Company. I admire their business ethos, as well as a seed company advising you why and how to save your own seed! To have a look at the story behind these seeds check out their website.

HOP TILE FABRIC

Hops in a Trug – Our New Hop Fabric Range

Here are some of the first pieces of my ‘hoppy’ fabric which have arrived hot off the Woven Monkey printer, so exciting to see them for real, it has been quite a journey.

Hop fabric designs

I will have time to have a play now before hop picking starts.

red and mustard hop fabric

They are in a sussex trug, these traditional baskets are not only beautiful but amazingly adaptable and strong.

Trug made by local craftsman Richard Bingham.