Autumn Fruits

 

The last church harvest festival was last Sunday - an evening service followed by a hearty supper. These events draw in people who don't usually come to church and it is lovely to be able to share both worship and food with them. The Rector@6 has one more harvest service to attend and that is at the local school. He does enjoy these events. With harvest over in our churches, I have spent this morning peeling, cutting and slicing apples for freezing and drying.What a bumper year for apples and other autumn fruits and vegetables! I have invested in a new toy - a dehydrator. It consists of five drying racks through which warm air gently circulates. It sits in the corner of my kitchen, wafting delicious apple and strawberry scents into the air and warming the room. The resulting apple rings are so scrummy that they disappear rather quickly - not much chance of building up a supply for later in the year. The last of the British strawberries are not so good for eating on their own so I am drying them and I have ground them up to make a sort of strawberry dust, which is great sprinkled on cereal, porridge or cheesecakes. They are worth drying just for the smell!

Now the Rector@6 has also got rather excited about this glut of apples and when he heard that a friend had a press, they spent a happy afternoon squashing apples and dreaming of cider. A demijohn of murky sandy -coloured, liquid sits in the corner of our kitchen, gently burping out a bubble now and then. After the Rector's other attempts of home brewing (click here to read more), I have banned him from hiding this away in any dark corners of the house. This has not stopped him from secreting away containers of rotting apple skins and cores. They appear amonst the cake tins and the plate cupboards. He assures me that these will turn into wonderful apple vinegar. I fear that they may walk out of the cupboard on their own, if the amount of mould is anything to go by! I will keep you updated on their progress.

 

 

 'All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above:

then thank the Lord ,

O thank the Lord, 

for all his love.'