Last Sunday we pressed about a tonne of apple juice and gave away 1,000 cups of pure juice on the High Road.
Chiswick used to be full of fruit orchards, and many gardens still have huge old apple and pear trees, often of interesting rare varieties. Many of these trees bear more fruit than the owners can cope with, and for the last thirteen years Abundance London volunteers have been picking the surplus. In previous years we ran school sessions, but with climate change the season has become earlier & earlier, so by the time the schools go back in September, much of the harvest has already been collected.
This year we set up our stall at the Flower Market. The press is a traditional ratchet wood and cast iron machine, while the scratter, which breaks up the fruit ready for pressing is a sleek modern electric funnel. We used to use a traditional cranked scratter, but the teeth were so dangerous and blocked so frequently we decided to upgrade.
Sarah and I originially set up the fruit picking sessions, and ran them ourselves, but for the past two years I’ve been able to delegate to a picking leader and an engaged WhatsApp group. The benefits of delegation and modern technology!
Later this week we’ll be picking pears and grapes. The quince crop is also ripening…