{"id":16130,"date":"2025-10-02T23:04:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T22:04:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=16130"},"modified":"2025-10-02T23:09:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T22:09:25","slug":"summer-surprise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=16130","title":{"rendered":"Summer Surprise"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WENVOE FORUM<\/span><\/p>\n

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Considering Tomorrow Today<\/strong><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Summer Surprise<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Well, we certainly had a really good summer in \u201925 and it brought with it for many gardener\u2019s bumper crops. We have a plum tree and a damson tree neither of which had borne any fruit at all before this year, not a single plum or a single damson. But this year we were faced with a huge crop of both and apart from giving lots away we tried to find ways of preserving them for winter and turned to old recipe books. Our problem was that most of the preservation methods use a lot of energy and thus lots of carbon is released. So, it was a challenge to decide what to do.<\/p>\n

Top of the list in terms of low carbon was Damson Gin, and fortunately wine making was also amongst the least energy hungry so that definitely was worth a try. Inexperienced as we are, the first batch went wrong and had to be discarded; the second batch seems to be working so keep your fingers crossed for us. Others were chutney and cordial, and I suppose because we would have the freezer on anyway freezing is not so bad.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>One not so climate friendly product that I had to try, and which so far looks as though it could preserve our crop through the winter was dried damsons. Basically, these are like prunes but made with damsons, dried for hours in a very low oven. They are delicious, and I have a feeling we will not find out whether they would have lasted the winter.<\/p>\n

I am told there are good crops of fruit in our community orchards, so here is a recipe for drying fruit.<\/p>\n

How to Dry Apples and Pears <\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Peel and core the fruit.<\/li>\n
  2. Apples should be cut into \u00bc\u201d (5mm) rings and pears into quarters. If pieces are all a similar size they will dry evenly.<\/li>\n
  3. Make a salt solution, about 2 oz (56 g) of salt to each 1 gallon (4.5 litres) of water and put the fruit into it for a few minutes.<\/li>\n
  4. Carefully lift the fruit out and pat fully dry with kitchen roll.<\/li>\n
  5. Place the pieces of fruit in single layers on a drying tray (a grill pan tray will do the job)and cover<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Put into the oven at the lowest temperature you can get \u2013 50\u00b0C\/120\u00b0F\/Gas Mark 0 for around 8 to 10 hours.<\/li>\n
    2. Whilst the fruit is drying, keep the oven door open a crack to allow moisture to escape (use a wooden spoon) but be mindful of children or unsteady adults<\/li>\n
    3. Check that the fruit is dry by pressing 2 or 3 pieces together and, if they feel rubbery and spring back into shape, they are ready.<\/li>\n
    4. Remove from the heat source and leave covered for about 12 hours to cool in a dry place with some airflow if possible.<\/li>\n
    5. Pack into boxes lined with greaseproof paper or, alternatively, airtight jars or containers and store in a very dry place.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      NB There are recipes that dry fruit in the sunshine, but you need to find somewhere clean and airy and I suspect that pollution in the air would damage the resulting confectionary.<\/p>\n

      Wenvoe Hop Growers <\/strong><\/p>\n

      Along with lots of fruit and veg in this very sunny summer of \u201925 some of our hop growers had a good harvest this year. The brewing schedule had to be altered and brought forward a week because the hops were ready and would have been past their best had they been left till the traditional brew date. As well as the hops growing well, the group has grown as well with three members growing hops in the allotment. We had a total of 9.7kg, the most ever, which Pipes Brewery are brewing as we speak. I will let the group know when the Taff Temptress Beer is ready to taste.<\/p>\n

      The member of the group with the most Hops – Sue Hoddell with 2.59kg, second was Eirwen and Phil with 2.56kg then third, a new member Kelly Stevenson with 1.8kg.<\/p>\n

      If you are interested in joining the group please email: sianjo@btinternet.com<\/p>\n

      Sian Jones<\/p>\n

      \n

      To join our Facebook group, please \u2018friend up\u2019 with the GwenFo account @ https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/635369267864402<\/p>\n

      Some further information and updates, blog site https:\/\/wenvoeforum.wordpress.com\/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwen-fo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join<\/p>\n

      \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      WENVOE FORUM Considering Tomorrow Today Summer Surprise Well, we certainly had a really good summer in \u201925 and it brought with it for many gardener\u2019s bumper crops. We have a plum tree and a damson tree neither of which had borne any fruit at all before this year, not a single plum or a single damson. But this year we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[426,384],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-4ca","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8267,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=8267","url_meta":{"origin":16130,"position":0},"title":"Noticeboard Recycled","author":"Alan Williams","date":"4th September 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Noticeboard Recycled A noticeboard is now up in the Goldsland Orchard. It may look vaguely familiar to some as it was the old Village Hall noticeboard. Our thanks to the Village Hall Committee for passing it on when they replaced it. It will be repainted our standard Sage colour and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Wildlife Group"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Wildlife Group","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=48"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Noticeboard-e1599220445718.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Noticeboard-e1599220445718.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Noticeboard-e1599220445718.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6706,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=6706","url_meta":{"origin":16130,"position":1},"title":"Upper Orchid Field","author":"Alan Williams","date":"29th October 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Upper Orchid Field Visitors to the Upper Orchid Field will have noticed that the field has been cut and the cuttings removed which is essential to keep the meadow in the best condition for wildflowers to flourish. 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However, the main activities were pruning the fruit trees, strimming and re-locating plants in the herb garden that were becoming invasive, such as Comfrey.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Wildlife Group"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Wildlife Group","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=48"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12087,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=12087","url_meta":{"origin":16130,"position":3},"title":"\u00a0Seven Green Flag Awards","author":"Alan Williams","date":"5th August 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Wenvoe Wildlife Group \u00a0Seven Green Flag Awards for 2022!! This is a tribute to all involved with the community sites. The landowners - The Reader family and Vale of Glamorgan Council - make it possible. Without the land we would not have the orchards and meadows for everyone to enjoy.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Wildlife Group"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Wildlife Group","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=48"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Picture7j-300x242.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7288,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=7288","url_meta":{"origin":16130,"position":4},"title":"A Lot More Blossom About","author":"Alan Williams","date":"29th February 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By the time you read this there should be a lot more blossom about. In mid February we can see the first white splashes in the hedgerows of Blackthorn, from which you get your sloes, and early flowering cherries are popular in gardens. 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Yet since 1950 the UK has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=49"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Guelder-Rose-1-300x260.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16130"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16130"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16134,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16130\/revisions\/16134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}