To our ancestors, apples were more than a source of winter sustenance - they had otherwordly qualities, too. With the autumnal crop in full swing, it’s time to look beyond the crumble to this fruit’s rich history
Apples are everywhere: red, golden and green baubles hang from my allotment trees, the scent of the fallen ones drunkenly filling the air. At this time of year it is easy to see how apples have taken on such importance in our autumnal traditions and folklore: it is very much the end of the growing season, and my trees groan with fruit, which in stark contrast to the rest of my crops was produced almost effortlessly. They will easily store deep into winter with no fancy equipment required, and will provide hot puddings when other homegrown produce is long gone. To our ancestors they must have seemed sent from the gods, or at the very least worth revering and celebrating.
I am currently crowdfunding the creation of an annual Almanac, a book that will celebrate the distinctiveness of each moment in the year, in part through food, foraging, folklore and festivities. So my mind is very much on apples and the games and traditions – not to mention the crumbles - that they inspire.
Continue reading...from Gardening blog | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2dOPDAc
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