Panic buying, hoarding

[Oldjohnw]

We get our stuff by home delivery. A number of items are restricted to two or three. Seems sensible as this will preserve stocks, unlike the free for all in March.

[pwa]

We get our stuff by home delivery. A number of items are restricted to two or three. Seems sensible as this will preserve stocks, unlike the free for all in March.

Are you guaranteed a slot as a "vulnerable" household? Good idea, that.

[Cyril Haearn]

I am hoarding apples, picked free out in the country

[philvantwo]

You could make some cider?

[mercalia]

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[Cyril Haearn]

You could make some cider?

Certainly not! I gave up alcohol thirty years ago
I have them with rice or pearl barley or in muesli
..
Had some trouble with pears, ripening, I think the pears in the shops are treated with some sort of potion, mine do not ripen properly, or they go brown

Anyone got pear-ripening tips?

[Debs]

My pears tend to have a carrot like crunchy texture for a while.
They take ages to properly ripen to that juicy sweet wonderful lushness, trouble is they suddenly all ripen at the same time.
So i have to crunch away for a few weeks until suddenly they are ready; soft, sweet and delicious and all need eating quick in a three day window of opportunity before they go past it and start to rot.

This year i decided not to pick all off the tree, leave some on to continue growing and ripening.

Apparently some pears are ready to pick in September, and some are best in October, so it may not be too late.
It they're still hanging on the tree now they may well be the October pick variety. I think that's what mine are.

Trouble is around here, everyone in this village either has apple and pear trees or knows someone who gives them away, or farmers friends and family, so they get bucketfuls for free.

My apple trees produce cookers, i get too many, can't give them away, no one wants them, and my freezer isn't big enough.
Far too many end up in my compost bin, seems a shame.

I think i'll make me a large apple crumble tomorrow

[Cyril Haearn]

Apples are good at least, got some lovely little red ones

[kwackers]

I think i'll make me a large apple crumble tomorrow

Pear wine?


Look like my mum's apple and pear trees, positively dripping but so many and so little time to eat them - I love conference pears too...

[DevonDamo]

With pears, you have to pick them off the tree at the right time, and then let them ripen off the tree. There are all sorts of ways to decide when is the right time to pick them but the two most common are (1) rotate the pear at a 90 degree angle and see if it snaps off the branch without needing to pull or (2) cut a slice through a pear. If the inner flesh is moist/shiny then they're ready to pick.

If I didn't make pear cider with mine, I have no idea what I'd do with that many pears. Even if I gave up drinking, I'd still make it as I can't think of a more effective way to save something going to waste and turning it into an easily-stored, highly-valued commodity - you'll always have friends who'll be thankful for it.

[Debs]

I think i'll make me a large apple crumble tomorrow

Pear wine?


Look like my mum's apple and pear trees, positively dripping but so many and so little time to eat them - I love conference pears too...

I did think about pear wine, i even took down my old faithful C.J.J. Berry's 'First Steps in Winemaking' [ Enlarged and completely Updated nearly 2,000,000 sold 1984 Edition ] off the dusty bookshelf, and had a peak at the easy enough job to do, but i'm really not into country wines these days.

Back in the 80s i made homemade wine, it was very trendy back then, and had lots of time and patience and at least a dozen demijohns all plopping away in sync, plus lots of friends, neighbours, colleagues helpfully willing to drink it for me because the funny thing was i never really enjoyed it much myself, even tho' i was rather good at making it.

These days i by far prefer an Italian red

Plus i'm on a household declutter, and the last thing i want to do is spend money on fermenting buckets, air locks, hydrometer, bottles, corker, etc,
which will only add to the clutter i already wish i didn't have

Crumble and custard is where it's at

[mercalia]

Still no Rich Tea at Lidls. Thats 2 weeks now. What is the world coming to when there is a run on pkts of 29p biccies

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

You could make some cider?

Certainly not! I gave up alcohol thirty years ago
I have them with rice or pearl barley or in muesli
..
Had some trouble with pears, ripening, I think the pears in the shops are treated with some sort of potion, mine do not ripen properly, or they go brown

Anyone got pear-ripening tips?

Store in a dark place........then you need to inspect no more than weekly and take out ripened ones.

[mercalia]

here is a nice story of an orchard where life flourishes

Orchard that's the apple of our eye: Amid so much doom and gloom, escape into this enchanting story of two friends who stumbled on a neglected paradise - a true English Eden....the records show that an orchard has been on this site since at least 1840, and among its 700 standing fruit trees are many varieties of apple and pear now lost entirely to the countryside at large but here cherished and protected by the owner, Nancy, and her son David. From a long line of fruit farmers and cider-makers, they are also perhaps the best wildlife farmers I have ever met.

( only for non Mick f's )

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8841223/Two-friends-stumbled-neglected-paradise-true-English-Eden.html

[pete75]

People will start hoarding for when we get Johnson's no deal Brexit.