A glut of fruit? So what next?

It has been a great year for fruit but what can you do with the burgeoning harvest? David Patch offers suggestions

- David Patch

This has been a fabulous year for fruit, certainly in my neck of the woods. No late spring frosts, long hot sunny days – boughs have been bent over with the weight of fruit. The only issue has been the lack of water, which has meant that fruit has been smaller than normal, especially if the crop wasn’t thinned in May. Otherwise, it’s been a bumper year for many home fruit growers.

Now, there are worse gluts to be faced with (yes, I’m thinking of you, courgettes) but what to do with this precious bounty? By all means share with neighbours and friends – just don’t give them all the best fruit – but it’s also the year to investigate keeping and preserving your harvest to see you through the winter.

PICKING AND STORING 

Knowing exactly when to pick your fruit isn’t as straightforward as it may appear. There are many factors at play which can alter the best date for picking by many weeks – weather, geographical location and aspect – but the most important is the tree variety. There are varieties which are at their best in August, whereas a late-season variety such as ‘Winston’ may need until late October to be picked. If you know which variety you have planted, a quick search on the internet will give you a rough idea of what stage of the season it is likely to be ripe. If you have inherited a tree, I’m afraid the first year will be a bit of a trial run, but hopefully, you will be able to have an educated guess!