Category Archives: Smallholding

James and the giant Butternut Squash

Posted on January 16, 2026 by james

We didn’t get many butternut squashes this year. Probably in part because I didn’t do much watering of the vegetable plot. Which is ironic in the light of the previous posting. If I had watered the plot we might not … Continue reading →

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Wow! Pink apple juice!

Posted on January 16, 2026 by james

Someone brought in a large-ish batch of apples of mixed varieties to be pressed. By sheer chance, the first batch I did produced juice of an amazing pink colour. It was sheer chance that I noticed — if it hadn’t … Continue reading →

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Second cider pressing day

Posted on January 16, 2026 by james

This time it was Dabinett apples, but otherwise it went much the same as for the earlier Harry Master’s Jersey. Slightly less than two hundred litres perhaps, but not by much. This juice also had a high pH of 4.4, … Continue reading →

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It seems pears don’t stick

Posted on January 16, 2026 by james

to the inside of the press cloth like apples do 😀 I had another test of the settling “tank” with the pear juice too. This is the sediment from about forty litres of juice… And the pear juice, with apple … Continue reading →

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There will be quincequonces…

Posted on January 16, 2026 by james

… if I don’t use these soon. But for what, hmmm?

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Testing apple juice settling tank

Posted on January 16, 2026 by james

To reduce the amount of sediment in bottles of apple juice I have been testing an extra step in the process — leaving the juice in a barrel or tank for twenty-four hours prior to syphoning off the juice and … Continue reading →

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I hope this breaks down before Spring

Posted on January 15, 2026 by james

I’ve pressed so many apples this season that I was running out of space to compost the pulp. I estimate that I’ve done seven tonnes of apples and I’m not finished yet, so I just had to start spreading it … Continue reading →

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A culinary masterpiece!

Posted on January 15, 2026 by james

I found some left-over bacon in the fridge, so decided to have bacon sandwiches for lunch. Whilst I was frying the bacon in a pan (the grill is too much effort for a few slices of bacon :D), I happened … Continue reading →

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First cider pressing of 2025

Posted on January 14, 2026 by james

After being so dry for so long, I think this (mid-October) was when the weather in 2025 really started to change, so I was pressing apples whilst dodging rain showers and still having to cope with gusting winds. First up … Continue reading →

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Cider apple picking

Posted on January 14, 2026 by james

Towards the end of last year I had the good fortune to be allowed to pick cider apples at a local orchard where there are many different varieties of tree. As well as collection quite large batches for a single-variety … Continue reading →

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