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Soft fruit season


Jonzjob
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Oh how I love this time of the year for the soft fruit.

Cherries that are nearly as juicy as apriicots, which are nearly as juicy as peaches, which are nearly as juicy as nectarines and those are best eaten in the bath. That way you don't loose all the juice that runs down yer chin ...[:D]

In fact today I discovered that if you hold an empty glass under yer chin whilst munching the juiciest then the juice runs down yer chin and into the glass. Then I have pre filtered juice and I can lick and pick the bits out of my beard, yum, yum [I][geek] ! Well you can't waste any can you???

We are clearing about 2 kilos of cherries, 3 of apricots and 2 of a mix of peaches and nectarines a week between the 2 of us and our dog at the moment. All localy grown by a farmer that we have come to know and we get VERY generous measures too. Called 'Bon Kilos' ... Lovely stuff.

Shame that the asparagus season didn't last longer. I was getting well used to the funny smelling pee [:-))]. Mind you we do have several in the freezer...

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[quote user="Jonzjob"]

Shame that the asparagus season didn't last longer. I was getting well used to the funny smelling pee [:-))]. Mind you we do have several in the freezer...

[/quote]

You freeze your pee?  What for? [Www]

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You have really depressed me Jonzjob....

This year in our orchard we have NO apples, NO peaches, NO cherries and about 6 plums on 1 tree. This is our second year here and last year we had a great crop, especially peaches and apples. I can't understand it. Any ideas anyone ??? Anyone else with the same problem??? Cheers

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just come back from Tesco - the nectarines are rock hard, so are the apricots - tasteless - and by the time they are soft enough to eat, they are rotten! Cherries are rubbish. So lucky lucky you! Our garden in Leicestershire is full of raspberries and strawberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants - so they are some compensation. Can't wait to get my hands on some really sun ripe apricots though!

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Just yesterday I was given a kilo or so of big fat ripe blackcurrents.  I'm going on hols tomorrow and I didn't really want to freeze them so they are now in a big jar under about 2 litres of 96 % ABV alcohol where they'll stay for the next 6 weeks or so.  After that, strain and mix with sugar syrup and I have my own Cassis.  I wonder if I can use the alcoholic berries that I strain off in a pie or jam?
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[quote user="Nell"]

You have really depressed me Jonzjob....

This year in our orchard we have NO apples, NO peaches, NO cherries and about 6 plums on 1 tree. This is our second year here and last year we had a great crop, especially peaches and apples. I can't understand it. Any ideas anyone ??? Anyone else with the same problem??? Cheers

[/quote]Both of our apple trees and our plum tree do this.  One year on, one year off.  Maybe they just like the rest?  It could be peculiar to certain varieties.

I honestly don't know why this is and have never bothered to find out as I detest fruit of any kind.

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[quote user="Nell"]

This is our second year here and last year we had a great crop, especially peaches and apples. I can't understand it. Any ideas anyone ??? Anyone else with the same problem??? Cheers

[/quote]

Apart from possibility of adverse weather conditions at blossom time or bad pruning having removed fruit buds the year before, some apple varieties are biennial bearers.

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[quote user="Nell"]

You have really depressed me Jonzjob....

This year in our orchard we have NO apples, NO peaches, NO cherries and about 6 plums on 1 tree. This is our second year here and last year we had a great crop, especially peaches and apples. I can't understand it. Any ideas anyone ??? Anyone else with the same problem??? Cheers

[/quote]

I've been told by the locals that this is not a year for fruit - certainly my cherry tree was a disaster.  I have a few plumbs and a few apples but have been reduced to buying which brings tears to my eyes.  The viticulteurs are all holding their breath  right now.My late OH used to take the 'cuckoo spit' plant, analyse it and could tell me what sort of year it would bed, i.e. fruit, grain etc.  He was invariably right, just by looking at the stamen (?).

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[quote user="Gemonimo"]

My late OH used to take the 'cuckoo spit' plant, analyse it and could tell me what sort of year it would bed, i.e. fruit, grain etc.  He was invariably right, just by looking at the stamen (?).

[/quote]

Cuckoo spit is that frothy spittle-like stuff  that froghoppers cover themselves in for protection.

Do you mean "Cuckoo Pint" or "Lords and Ladies"?  I don't suppose you can remember what to look for?  Something to do with the spadix (the bit that sticks up in the middle) perhaps?

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[quote user="cassis"][quote user="Gemonimo"]

My late OH used to take the 'cuckoo spit' plant, analyse it and could tell me what sort of year it would bed, i.e. fruit, grain etc.  He was invariably right, just by looking at the stamen (?).

[/quote]

Cuckoo spit is that frothy spittle-like stuff  that froghoppers cover themselves in for protection.

Do you mean "Cuckoo Pint" or "Lords and Ladies"?  I don't suppose you can remember what to look for?  Something to do with the spadix (the bit that sticks up in the middle) perhaps?

[/quote]

Yes Cassis, it's the Lord's and Ladies plant. I really don't remember what bit on the plant represented what, but I'll ask a few locals here and see if they can shed any light on it.  I suppose this plant - the Arum - is related to the Arum Lilly as when I first saw its leaves in my garden I thought I would have futures in Lillies. But no, it was just the cuckoo pint.  You really know your stuff, Cassis!

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[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]Just yesterday I was given a kilo or so of big fat ripe blackcurrents.  I'm going on hols tomorrow and I didn't really want to freeze them so they are now in a big jar under about 2 litres of 96 % ABV alcohol where they'll stay for the next 6 weeks or so.  After that, strain and mix with sugar syrup and I have my own Cassis.  I wonder if I can use the alcoholic berries that I strain off in a pie or jam?[/quote]

Steady Pierre, ONE Cassis on this forum is well enough!!! Mind you I would bet that your cassis is a touch stronger than the stuff you but. Normally about 17% init?

Cassis, doesn't everyone freeze pee for a rainy day? We don't normally freeze it, just the sparragrass you silly sausage [;-)].

The strawberries here have nearly finished, but we had our, large, share of them. Not a chance that we get very much without having to share it with the dog though!

I forgot to say that the apricots are as big as the peaches. Huge, juicy and wonderful!! I think I'll have another now, yum, yum [8-|]

 

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a good rural French proverb  'annee de foin, annee de rien'    if it's a good year for hay, it's poor for everything else!   My dad has said it at least 1000000 times this year already (he is 96, so we'll forgive him hey!)

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I forgot to mention earlier - if you let a plum tree crop hugely one year, instead of thinning when it threatens to over-crop, then it may also become a biennial

fruiter thereafter.  It happened to ours in the UK.  Can be cured by ring barking, in theory, though

I've never tried it.
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[quote user="powerdesal"]Will they wait 5 more weeks?

[/quote]

We've got loads of apples, Steve.  Don't believe the crop's failed everywhere.  Should be ready in about 4-6 weeks.  Hitch a trailer to the Vulcan (or whatever you're using as a runabout these days) and help yourself.

Don't ask for pears this year though - disaster (ours, that is). [:(]

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[quote user="Jonzjob"]

Come on now me awd saus. Since when is an Alpha Jet bin anything like a Vulcan. Not enough donks for a start and the remorque is not classified for over 200 KPH either!

 

[/quote]

I thought that you meant a ZAF fighter, not a Zafira!  [:D]

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