From The Pumpkin Patch

It’s late September, so it’s time to head to the apple orchard.

I just love visiting Hewitt’s Farm at this time of year. The tractors are out in full force harvesting kabocha squash and other seasonal produce to sell in the farm shop, while the pumpkins are growing merrily in their fields almost (but not quite!) ready to pick for Halloween.

But today, we have our sights set on one particular seasonal fruit.

It can be difficult to gauge the best time to pick apples, particularly with the fluctuating weather we’ve been experiencing over recent years. Luckily our local orchard grows a range of varieties, all ready to harvest at different times.

We chose the Worcester Pearmain variety this year, as there was a huge bounty weighing the trees down when we visited. These apples are sweet and juicy, perfect for homemade apple cider doughnuts.

There are always so many fallen apples left to rot on the ground. It used to make me a little sad, but last year we saw a small deer peeking at us through the trees. It’s good to know that the local wildlife can also appreciate the joy of an apple harvest!

At the farm shop we picked up my favourite local honey, a few bottles of apple juice grown in nearby Kent and a big marrow. Along with my basket of apples, it was a fine haul.

In my eyes, apple picking marks the official beginning of the autumn months. The heat of summer has died down and a chilly wind has picked up, rustling the newly-fallen leaves in my back garden.

Now that I’m all stocked up, it’s time to lean into seasonal recipes and use up all these apples!