Solstice Apples

December 21, 2011

Finally, a little time off coinciding with good weather. Actually, it has been a December conspicuously devoid of rain for the Northwest, but anyway, it is time for a little garden clean up and first on the list is to clean up all the remaining apples. Somehow, and I'm always slightly ashamed to say so, but there are always apples left unpicked. Our two trees are small and this family loves to eat apples but it seems like every year there are lots of apples that go to waste, so instead of letting them rot and be a reservoir for pestilence and disease I go pick pick them and get the fallen from the ground for the compost pile. As I pick the bird-pecked, half eaten hangers on I find there are many that look good and firm which a quick polish on my sweat shirt and a cautious bite confirms. In fact, having weathered several significant frosts I find them particularly sweet and crisp, as delightful as the Winter Solstice day when I finally harvested them, what a nice surprise. Surely they will not last long in storage but we can feast on them while they last! Happy winter gardener!