A Few Notes on Seventeenth Century Fruit Carving Techniques
Back in the C17th, elaborate forms of carved fruit were apparently all the rage at high-status banquets, or so several sources suggest.
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Anon, on the Pear’s Peculiarly Ponging Posy
Intrigued by a mention of an odd odour in a paper from 1934, I stuck my face in several clusters of pear blossom, and this is what I found…
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Gallery: Fruit Blossom, Early Spring 2026 Edition
Early blossom has been hit hard by a cold snap around these parts, but not before I snapped a few photos.
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Winter Pruning: Canopy Lifting and Canopy Thinning in Action
An overview of three recent pruning jobs, in which significant changes have been made to the shape and structure of the trees in question.
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Fruit Harvest Highlights – Autumn 2025 Edition
Part two of my harvest highlights from a superb fruit-growing year features plenty of autumn apples, pears, medlars and more.
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A Few Notes on Palladius’s c.420 Recipe for ‘Liquamen Ex Piris’
I’ve fallen down another ancient Roman research rabbit-hole, this time looking into a pear-based version of the Romans’ favourite fermented fish sauce.
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A Late-C14th Recipe for ‘Tart de Brymlent’
Here’s a recipe from the Fourme of Cury, for a pie with a filling that might sound a little unusual to modern culinary sensibilities.
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Thomas Dawson’s 1594 Recipe for ‘Chewets in Lent’
If you’re observing Lent this year and fancy something a little different to spice up your fish days, then here’s a C16th recipe you might like to try.
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John Murrell’s 1630 Recipe for ‘A Quince or Warden Pie’
Here’s another rather tasty-sounding, seventeenth century pear pie recipe to add to the steadily growing collection.
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Gervase Markham’s 1623 Recipe for ‘A Warden Pie or Quince Pie’
Cooking pears and quinces should be in season round about now and here’s an idea for how to put them to delicious use.
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Orchard Visit: Killruddery House and Gardens, Bray, Co. Wicklow
A productive kitchen garden with mature and recently-planted fruit trees makes this Bray estate well worth visiting.
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Orchard Visit: Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin
This 38-acre working farm and education centre offers a great many mature trees, vines and more for the fruit enthusiast to enjoy.
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Richard Bradley, on Essential Apples and Entertaining Pears
A few wise words on England’s favourite fruits from the University of Cambridge’s first ever Professor of Botany.
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Orchard Visit: Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow
A visit to this grand old estate garden resulted in an unexpected bonus: a row of handsomely mature, wall-grown fruit trees.
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Essential Orchard Work for Early Summer
Summer can seem like a quiet, peaceful time in the orchard, but there are still plenty of important jobs to be getting on with.
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Winter Pruning Apple Trees? Watch This.
Before you start in on this year’s winter pruning, check out this sound advice from a 30+ year expert orchardist.
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John Worlidge, on Growing Pears for Perry
Mr Worlidge outlines the advantages of growing pears rather than apples in wet, heavy soils, and tells us the best C17th sorts to plant for perry.
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Robert May’s 1665 Recipe for ‘Warden or Pear Tart’
Here’s a seventeenth century recipe for a classic pear pie. Packed full of sugar and spice, it’s also rosewater-iced, which sounds nice…
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My Fruit Harvest Highlights – 2023 Edition
It’s my 2023 fruit growing round-up! The highs and the lows, the good and the bad, the weird and the wonderful.
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A Few Top Tips for Orchard Harvest Season
In which I re-post a selection of how-to articles that will help you get the best from your apple and pear harvests this autumn.
