Apples everywhere
Its been hard to get out on the hill at the moment, but at least I can stay fit doing the other things I have to in life. This at the moment is picking and pressing apple for making into Cider.
My sisters husband, Simon Paterson, decided 3 years ago to make his own cider from the apple tree in their garden & this year, we will finish the season picking & pressing 14 tons of apples. We collect these from a few key orchards around the South & West Lakes & pick from many different smaller orchards around Silverdale, the Lythe Valley, the Kendal area and on Tuesday I will be picking Sizergh Castle on Tuesday. Our Cider at present is called Ancient Orchard Cider, to reflect the ancient orchards we pick from.But we will have more brews on the way as our orchard, that we planted earlier this year, matures.
Its a different type of work to what I am used to, but it makes you very satisfied to be working on & with the land & producing a product that is picked, made & matured in Cumbria, rather than shipped across the world. And witrh the weather as it is right now, it is the perfect way to spend a day!!
Charlie
