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Orchard Notes

@orchardnotes.com
1K followers 165 following 1.2K posts

#Orchards, #Fruit, #Cider &c posts by @darrenturpin.bsky.social #Orchard enthusiast & amateur pomologist based in #Manchester, UK Pro Gardener @ National Trust Quarry Bank #orchardist & #allotment #fruitgrower website: orchardnotes.com

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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 14h
Kirkstall Valley Farm’s market celebrates apple harvest season
westleedsdispatch.com
Kirkstall Valley Farm's market celebrates apple harvest season - West Leeds Dispatch
Words: Eliza Ainley Photos: Yann Ainley A new monthly market at Kirkstall Valley Farm welcomed visitors for its third outing on Saturday, with this month’s event celebrating the apple harvest […]
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Dr Neil Buttery @neilbuttery.bsky.social · 8h
Happy #internationalpodcastday to all who celebrate! If you've never checked them out before, please have a listen to my food history-themed shows: *The British Food History Podcast *A is for Apple with cohosts @mrssbilton.bsky.social & @alessandrapino.bsky.social Available on all podcast apps!
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Pellicle @pelliclemag.com · 17h
An ode to Café Beermoth in Manchester, by @totalcurtis.bsky.social, who reckons (after some soul-searching and a lot of research) it is his favourite bar in the world. www.pelliclemag.com/home/2026/9/...
pelliclemag.com
We’re Going To Be Friends — Café Beermoth in Manchester, England — Pellicle
Today, Café Beermoth is known and loved as a venue that sources exciting beers from independent breweries. But before Beermoth became a café, it was a shop. In February 2013—when its original location...
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TeePee Cider @teepeecider.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Move over perry pears it's now the turn of the cider apples. Our very first apple blossom. A big difference is seen. The perry pears bloomed before the leaves appeared the apples bloom at the same time as the leaves emerge. #apple #blossom
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 14h
Kirkstall Valley Farm’s market celebrates apple harvest season
westleedsdispatch.com
Kirkstall Valley Farm's market celebrates apple harvest season - West Leeds Dispatch
Words: Eliza Ainley Photos: Yann Ainley A new monthly market at Kirkstall Valley Farm welcomed visitors for its third outing on Saturday, with this month’s event celebrating the apple harvest […]
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The Orchard Project @theorchardproject.bsky.social · 17h
We hate waste, especially when it comes to fruit, so we jumped at Martyn from Agriton's offer to write a blog for us about using Bokashi composting to turn apple pulp into nutrient-rich soil conditioner 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/blog/bokashi... #Bokashi #CommunityOrchards #Composting #Apples
Partly chopped green apples starting to brown, on sawdust and straw
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Leah @leah.myatproto.social · 29/09/2026
(pounces on you at a cocktail party) Did you hear the good news about crabapples! #PlantSky 🌱 #ScienceSky 🧪 #Apples 🍏🍎 source.washu.edu/2026/09/wild...
source.washu.edu
Wild crabapples have genetic potential to improve domestic varieties
A plant scientist at Washington University in St. Louis studies genetics of native crabapple species to identify traits that will help production of domestic apple crops.
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TeePee Cider @teepeecider.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Perry pear blossom at petal fall. Well blown off in our strong equinoctial winds! The naked structure reveals the nectar cup of the fused sepals which will become the calyx of the fruit. #pear #blossoms #nectar
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The Museum of Cider, Hereford @museumofcider.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Last minute addition! Jack Laycock from Cidermugs - importers of fine French cider & perry - will be delivering a short talk at 11.15 for PerryFest on Sat 3rd Oct. Tickets are free, so make sure you don't miss 'Lady Pear & the Deathtrap Apple'!
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 29/09/2026
This is very true indeed. And time will tell 🙂
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Pies, Puddings and Pottages @piespuddings.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Huntingdonshire was known for its cultivation of gooseberries. This pudding provided a way to use locally grown gooseberries to fill hungry stomachs. You can find the recipe piespuddingsandpottages.com/recipe-post/... #britishfood #foodhistory #recipe #gooseberries #puddings #Victorian
Huntingdon pudding on pale blue plate to the right.  Small dish of gooseberries to the left.  Dish of serving of pudding with cream and silver spoon in the centre.  Grey linen background.
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Pies, Puddings and Pottages @piespuddings.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Gooseberries are still in season (just)! This creamy tart is a lovely way to use them. If you can’t get hold of fresh gooseberries, frozen ones will do. You can find the recipe at piespuddingsandpottages.com/recipe-post/... #britishfood #foodhistory #recipe #tarts #gooseberries #Victorian
Gooseberry tart with slice cut out on white plate on black background. For Gooseberry tart recipe.
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Pies, Puddings and Pottages @piespuddings.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Barnstaple Fair pears were made in September as a celebration of the newly harvested pears from local orchards. Serve with generous dollops of clotted cream. You can find the recipe at piespuddingsandpottages.com/recipe-post/... #britishfood #foodhistory #recipe #pears #Medieval #Devon
4 upright Barnstaple Fair pears in pewter dish on pale grey linen cloth.  For Barnstaple Fair pears recipe.
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Pies, Puddings and Pottages @piespuddings.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Baked in a pool of butterscotch syrup, Devonshire apple dappy is a delicious dessert to serve during the apple harvest in early autumn. You can find the recipe at piespuddingsandpottages.com/recipe-post/... #britishfood #foodhistory #recipe #pudding #apples #Devonshire #Victorian
Tray of apple dappy - coils of scone wrapped around chopped apples.
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Pies, Puddings and Pottages @piespuddings.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
As there are blackberries in this recipe for Hedgerow pudding, it’s a good dessert to serve at Michaelmas, which is tomorrow. You can find the recipe at piespuddingsandpottages.com/recipe-post/... #britishfood #foodhistory #recipe #sweetpudding #hedgerowfruits #victorian
Large terracotta pot of Hedgerow pudding with serving spoon.  Small blue dish with portion of pudding with cream and a silver spoon. Branches of rosehips and haws on either side.  Slatted wooden background.
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 28/09/2026
Apple 'Gibbon's Russet'. Not very russety. Not very flavourful. A hint of melon, not much acid, not much sugar either. Dry and mealy too. I think I left this one on the tree a bit too long. Maybe next year it will impress me more.
A 'Gibbon's Russet' apple, yellow with pinkish-red blotches, held in the palm of a hand, with dark green apple leaves in the background. A 'Gibbon's Russet' apple, yellow with pinkish-red blotches, and with a bite taken out of it to show the whitish flesh, held in a hand, with dark green apple leaves in the background.
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The Museum of Cider, Hereford @museumofcider.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Tickets for our expert led talks and tastings are available to reserve on our website, for FREE! Join David Lindgren from Bushel + Peck Cider + Perry for 'In Search of Perry Pears' at 12 noon on Sat 3rd October🍐 @3ccpa.bsky.social
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Oh yes. Apples will cross-breed freely, and seedlings will always be hybrids of the two parents. Which means there are probably some absolutely unique varieties growing in your neighbourhood, never seen anywhere else in the world 🙂
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Wow. What a great story. Which varieties do you have in your garden? And do you happen to know if there's a history of the site anywhere? Fascinating!
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Ah, I see what you mean. Interesting insight! I've never enjoyed pineapple (bit of an understatement there) so I tend to avoid it like the plague, but I can see how a baked version would tone down the acidity.
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Yes, I think I know what you mean. They have quite low acidity and they're not too sugary, so there's not much of that bright, green-apple zing or a red-apple sweetshop vibe; a more honeyed sweetness instead? 🤔🙂
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The Orchard Project @theorchardproject.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
🥧 If you can’t face yet another crumble & have a freezer full of fruit, it's time to consider sharing your surplus! Check out our fruit donation directory to find a willing recipient nearby: www.theorchardproject.org.uk/donate-apples #CommunityOrchards
Hand holding out a white and red flushed apple that is cut in half to show the pips, with blurred body in the background
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
The Apples and People project, on @museumofcider.bsky.social's heritage orchards in Breinton. "Varieties have been collected and grafted from trees across Herefordshire, the West Midlands and South-West ... All varieties are being genetically tested to help confirm their identity."
applesandpeople.org.uk
Savouring Old Apple Varieties
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redrunsriot.bsky.social @redrunsriot.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Was lovely to meet @orchardnotes.com last weekend and take a look around the walled garden at NT Quarry Bank Mill. (Thank you again for the apples!) Beautiful garden, full of colour and lots of edible plants. Saw the biggest mulberry tree I've ever seen and some beautiful little pomegranate bushes.
Large mulberry tree overhanging a path.Small, bright green pomegranate bush with bright red flowers.
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Thank you very much, and it was lovely to meet you too 🙂 What did you think of the Pitmaston Pine Apple..?
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Jack Wallington @jackwallington.com · 27/09/2026
In Grower Gatherer I’ve shared nutrition information for each crop from official nutrition databases and peer reviewed scientific research - here are some edible perennials I foraged from our garden the other morning 🍏🌰🥬 www.jackwallington.com/product/grow...
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Apple Fair at Brogdale Collections Date: 3-4 October Time: 10am-4pm (Last entry 3pm) Adult ticket (16yrs+) £16. Under 16 years FREE. "Come and find out all about apples at our annual apple fair and pick your own fruit from the Brogdale Collections orchards during this special apple weekend in 2026."
brogdalecollections.org
Apple Fair Brogdale, Faversham, Kent - Brogdale Collections
Join us for Apple Fair at Brogdale Farm, Faversham. Discover rare and unique cherry varieties not available in supermarkets!
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Will Rea @willrea.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Pink Punch, Pink Asuko, and Egremont Russet from the farmers market
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Cider Review @ciderreview.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
A Cidermaker’s Tale. A few notes on Adam’s first two years as a cidermaker. By @adamhwells.bsky.social
cider-review.com
A Cidermaker’s Tale
A few notes on Adam’s first two years as a cidermaker.
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Barry M @barmas.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I honestly thought Albert @rosscider.bsky.social was pulling my leg when he told me our Jeremias Runde had won 1st place in the @3ccpa.bsky.social Perry Championship, and then I was told it also got Best in Show, Supreme Champion! Really not sure how to process that yet! 😁 Thrilled!
Bottle of our perry with a pear shaped wooden trophy, a rosette for champion, and the first prize for the dry perry category
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
👏👏👏 Congrats!
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
East Cowes Charity Beer, Cider, Music and Poetry Festival 2 October 2026 15:00 - 4 October 2026 23:30
experiencecowes.org
Charity Beer, Cider, Music and Poetry Festival | Experience Cowes
Waverley Park charity festival raising funds for Beaulieu Respite with over 30 bands & performers
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Record-breaking summer heat threatens apple harvest ahead of popular event (via Yahoo News)
uk.news.yahoo.com
Record-breaking summer heat threatens apple harvest ahead of popular event
Bicester's annual Apple Day could be affected by a poor harvest after one of the hottest and driest summers on record, organisers have warned.
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Full steam ahead as station's pop-up cafe raises £2.8k for Bentley orchard scheme (Via Alton Herald)
altonherald.com
Station's pop-up cafe raises £2.8k for Bentley orchard plans
Rail passengers have shown stirring support for a station café and its green ambitions for an East Hampshire community.
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 27/09/2026
Why farmers (and orchardists) are pairing crops with solar panels (via Yahoo News)
uk.news.yahoo.com
Why farmers are pairing crops with solar panels
From cooler soil to paid grazing land, farmers in the US are finding that solar panels can do more than generate power.
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 26/09/2026
Enjoy!
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 26/09/2026
Yeah, I reckon you could. The marrow will release a lot of liquid as it cooks though, which will dilute the vinegar, so you might want to add a bit more vinegar to compensate 👍
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The Orchard Project @theorchardproject.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
🌳 Looking to improve your orcharding skills, particularly with veteran trees? Our next Certificate in Community Orcharding course starts next month in Barnet, London, with just three places remaining 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/events/certi... #CommunityOrchards #VeteranTrees
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TeePee Cider @teepeecider.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Peak perry pear blossom time for our main variety. Great to be growing these as standards as a late frost has affected some nearby bush orchards. I fear we are in for a bumpy ride with El Niño and the current negative Pacific decadal oscillation affecting our weather. #perry #pear #weather #EINino
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Temple Cider @templecider.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A touch of pre-pressing, baskets-of-pears-on-pickup wrangling. Now we're pressing Blakeney Red pears. The next ones to harvest will be Hendre Huffcap, and then it's on to the apples! 😮
Paul wrangling baskets of pears on the back of the pickupBaskets of Blakeney Red pears on the back of the pickupBaskets of Blakeney Red pears on the back of the pickup
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Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Apple "detectives" wanted to identify a gnarly old tree growing on a remote plot of land in Maine. What they discovered was the key to a centuries-old apple mystery.
scientificamerican.com
How apple detectives solved the mystery of an ancient tree—and rewrote the history of fruit
And how they might have helped save the future of American apples
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george-1788pow @george-1788pow.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The genetic mechanisms mangoes activate to process UV blue light for energy: sunlight has 25% of blue light wavelengths & mango anthocyanins (i.e. pigments) increase with this producing more sucrose & carotenoids (i.e. photosynthesis pigments)…
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Brigitte Webster @tudorfoodrecipe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Propped up my windswept, favourite #pear tree which had succumbed to persistent gale force winds last winter and ended up resting on the laurel hedge. This lonesome fruit tree miracle never fails to amaze me how it still produces masses of crop every year.
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Pies, Puddings and Pottages @piespuddings.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This Damson tart, based on a Hannah Woolley recipe of 1664, was made last week with damsons picked from a friend’s tree. Scrumptious with a dollop of clotted cream! You can find the recipe at piespuddingsandpottages.com/recipe-post/... #britishfood #foodhistory #recipe #tarts #damsons #Stuart
Damson tart on blue and white plate to the right.  Blue and white plate with slice of tart and dollop of cream with silver spoon bottom left.  Blue bowl of clotted cream with spoon top left.  Autumn leaves bottom right and on left.  Wooden surface.
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 25/09/2026
Makes a good chutney with a bit of apple, onion, tomato, dark sugar, spices etc.
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The Museum of Cider, Hereford @museumofcider.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
PerryFest is just around the corner, and we will be joined by some fantastic perry makers, including: Totemic Cider & Perry, Redvers Cider & Perry, The Houghton Project, Gregg's Pit Cider & Perry, & Frome Valley Vineyard, who will all be bringing along a fantastic offering of perry for sale 🍐
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The Museum of Cider, Hereford @museumofcider.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Tickets for our expert led talks and tastings are available to reserve on our website, for FREE! Join Albert Johnson @rosscider.bsky.social for 'Perry Pear Varieties to Rely On: A Fireblight Resistance Tasting' at 3.15pm on Sat 3rd October🍐 @3ccpa.bsky.social
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Manchester Cider Club @manchestercider.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
thecatintheglass.co.uk/product/mcr-...
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Nightingale Cider Co @nightingalecider.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Falstaff apples: one of the fantastic varieties that goes into our Night Bird and Tenterden ciders, bringing lovely tropical fruit notes to every sip. We’ll be picking them in the next few days. #CiderYes #DrinkGreatCider
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Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 24/09/2026
Karim at Keepers Nursery is planning to breed some new varieties of red-fleshed #apples, and is inviting you (yes, YOU!) to take part:
youtube.com
Keepers Nursery. Red Fleshed apples
YouTube video by Keepers Nursery Karim
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