ADAPT Saturday Market

the Market

Blenheim Orange

...the tree!

ADAPT Saturday Market. Saturday 23rd. August Lord Combermere Carpark.

It s been an amazing year for local apples with lots of people having record crops. One of by oldest and treasured trees has already lost a bough, over-burdened with fruit. I was too late, so if you have apple trees similarly laden, check them over and prop up the weaker branches with Y shaped stakes.

This old tree of mine is a Blenheim Orange. It is an old, large dessert apple with a rich, dry, distinctive, very pleasant nutty flavour. The skin has orange flush over greeny yellow background with much russeting patches and veins. The flesh is firm textured. 'Blenheim Orange' was originally found growing at Woodstock near Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in about 1740. It was originally known as Kempster's Pippin, it received the Banksian Silver medal in 1820, after which it started to be grown over a much wider area under its new name. Its parentage was shady --- grown from an unknown seedling. It is an early season apple which fruits sporadically (when the tree feels like it)

It's usually ready for eating in October but this year they will be ready in September and they store until April if kept cool. Keep an eye out soon for their market availability on Audlem Online. Pics show the fallen branch and some of the early wind-falls.

There will be plenty of other apples to choose from this week, Worcester Permain, Laxtons Superb, Discovery, James Grieve and possibly even a few Bramleys. Pears might make an entrance as well.

On the market this week will be french and runner beans, tomatoes, courgettes, plums, black berries. There will be marmalades, seedless blackberry jam, plum jam and red currant jelly and some chutneys to chose from.

There will be our free range eggs, apple juices and local honey as well. Cakes--- this week will be Lemon drizzle & Vegan chocolate brownies.

Also our selection of garden plants will be there. 10am till noon at The Lord Combermere Car Park.

Chris Knibbs
Secretary ADAPT