December 30

We have the following available on the Fruit Stall.

‘Red Beaut’ plums – delicious flavour – yellow flesh

New Spuds – yum – Sam grows these

Cherries – yum

Sadly Apricots are not ripe as yet but they should start next weekend with PYO a wee bit later on……….will keep you posted…..

Nectarines are a wee bit later, with all other fruit looking good…

You will like our prices!

Open from 7am-9pm every day

Contact me, Ruby, on 0272886090 for all fruit queries

Lately we have been asked a lot about Bottling and Freezing so I hope the following helps.

If you intend to bottle or freeze apricots this Season, now is the time to wash all your jars, and purchase seals and freezer bags.

Freezing is not a complicated procedure.

All you do is halve the apricots, remove stones, bag up and freeze….

We usually freeze in 2 kg lots, enough for a pudding or stewed apricots for shortcakes, apricot cakes, muffins, or with yoghurt & ice cream, Also cooked apricots with porridge, muesli, cornflakes and ricies is delicious.…Apricot Chicken is worth a try….there’s heaps of other ways of using bottled/frozen apricots.

We also freeze apricots in 3kg lots for making Jam during the Winter months…

If you make Smoothies, freezing apricot halves in one layer in a freezer bag is the way to go…

This takes away the need for using ice and frozen apricots are a wonderful nutritional base for Smoothies.

Free-flowing apricot halves is another way and this means all you do is grab a handful or two of frozen apricots from the freezer bags and chuck them in your blender for the Smoothie base.

Very important to remember never thaw the apricots before cooking; always cook when frozen….if you thaw them, they will turn brownish.…..only add a wee bit of water……gently bring the fruit to the boil and cook gently…. add the amount of sugar you like….some use a small amount while others pile it in ….we often use raw sugar instead of white…

If you only want to freeze a few bags of apricots you can always cook them up in a stock pot and then freeze in pottles or ladle the cooled down apricots into freezer bags. Just thaw them over night for porridge, cornflakes, muesli or whatever. Of course you don’t have to cook again as they are already cooked….…

Hope this makes sense as I am in a hurry to get to the Fruit Stall…..I forgot to write this last night!!!

Give us a ring/txt if you need any advise about preserving fruit…After all these years I would like to say my Mum is an expert with me trailing along behind as a trainee expert.…..