It was the size of a small turnip and weighed in at 534g. It’s a Howgate Wonder from England.

The pictures show it in comparison with a supermarket bought Royal Gala.

What a whopper! Can we harvest some as large this year please?!

Abundance Edinburgh are proud to announce two free pruning workshops in March.

Saturday 17th March, 11am – 5pm at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital orchard with Tom Watson.

Sunday 18th March, 12pm – 5pm (finish time approx.) in the Grange with Peter Upton.

Both workshops will be practical in nature.

Places are limited so if you’re interested please e-mail
Valla:valla@abundanceedinburgh.com.

Abundance_Edinburgh_Newsletter_2011

We look forward to more good things in 2012!

Sea buckthorn is supposed to be very good for you, high in vitamin C amongst other things. The oil is used in skin creams too.

We found the best harvesting method was to cut off small branches. When we tried to pick the berries, they dissolved in our hands in a sticky mush! You can also use a fork to rake the berries off the branch into a tub.

At home, I cut my branches into twigs with the berries still attached and put them in the freezer on a baking tray. Once they were frozen, they popped straight off. I put them in a bag back in the freezer to be processed at a later date.

I’m going to make mine into a runny conserve/jam with left over pectin from last year. I’m also tempted by the idea of a sorbet… Others have made juice (mixing with apple juice makes it a bit nicer!) and infused oils and vinegars and a cordial. I’ve seen Hugh Fearnley-W  make a juice/syrup for a sea buck’s fizz too. My Finnish friend Trella also makes a sea buckthorn vodka.

Valla

We’ll be making some juice, using our big press and laying down some cider this Saturday.

Bring apples along if you’d like them juiced on the spot!

It’s all happening at the Pavilion Cafe on the Meadows, from 11am this Saturday…

The money raised through the event will go to Abundance Edinburgh and Bridgend Growing Communities. Any funds that we do raise will make us less dependent upon funding bodies, and more free to do fun things again next year, so come along for a dance!

Abundance Edinburgh members with Robin Harper and Green MSP Alison Johnston

What a beauty!

Abundance Edinburgh attended the Holyrood Apple day last Thursday and were lucky enough to win a Wee Apple Award in recognition of our fruity work – well done for your hard work so far this season Abundancers!

A few of the apples on the two trees

View from the tree - Samantha shaking apples down onto the tarp, as seen by Fergus from the upper branches

Some of the apples we couldn't reach

We’re starting to get offers of fruit coming up for the next few weeks – if you want to get involved, it’s not too late! We’re looking for enthusiasts to help pick, process and distribute fruit as well as donations of fruit.

Sign up to our mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/abundanceedinburgh?hl=en or e-mail us on info@abundanceedinburgh.com for information about pickings.

We also have a group discussion list: https://groups.google.com/group/abundance-edinburgh-spraff for more in depth fruity chat.

Picking the plums.

This was Abundance Edinburgh’s second plum picking, in Sciennes on the 9th of September.

I also had some plums from the first one two days earlier at Damhead (as featured on Radio Scotland).

Washing, halving and stoning...

Raw ingredients assembled.

Simmering the fruit with a little water...

Adding sugar.

This is what happens if you overfill the pan! (I decanted some of the jam into the small pan so as not to lose too much.)

Boil and bubble...

Jars warmed and sterilised with hot water.

The first jar filled.

The finished product.

Jam labelled and ready to go.