Peasgood's Nonsuch

On our return from Chathams we had a day at Bro's place to sort out the transport of Mr B’s motorbike.

Bro has an extensive garden and orchard from which I scavenged a bucketful of Black Doris plums (still clinging right at the top of the tree).  I'd no sooner stowed those in the van when Bro pointed out the tree of cooking apples and said "take those with you. I still have some in jars from a couple of years ago."

Peasgood's Nonsuch

They are huge. Fortunately it's a small tree and birds had feasted on a few fruits so I only had 15 or so to carry away.

They turn to fluff when heated gently.  I have stowed most of the fluff in yoghurt pots in the freezer - to use in my porridge over winter - and put a few apples, with some of the excess ripe tomatoes we returned to, into a chutney.

Bro also unloaded a 45 litre bag of walnuts (in shell) and 60 litres of hazelnuts (also unshelled) onto us. They were last year's harvest. No one at his home fancies the task of shelling them so....

Maybe half have spoiled because they were collected late or not stored properly, but I have nearly finished the walnuts and have about 3kg (6.6 lb) of shelled good walnuts now also in the freezer.

We are rapidly running out of freezer space but might be able to survive a seige or WWIII rationing.