Three cheers for the Apple Cider Vinegar – at last!
Just when we were about to give up, we successfully bottled 15 litres at The Secret Acre this winter.
We first, and last, successfully made Apple Cider Vinegar back in 2017, using it the following year for pickling all sorts, even radishes.
But the half dozen attempts since then to replicate that initial ‘beginners luck’ success have all failed.
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Last month saw some of our final summer harvest pickings as the decent into autumn gathered pace.
It’s been a long lockdown summer in the garden.
From the early broad beans, onions and garlic, through the traditional gluts, and welcome summer helpers.
Here’s another pictorial roundup of the final action. Continue reading
May and June has witnessed a flurry of brewing activities here at The Secret Acre.
While last autumn’s cider has been maturing in the barrel, we have also been pushing our apple aspirations to two extremes. As well as trying our hand at Apple Brandy, we had a second successful go at producing Cider Vinegar.
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As I came round Bristol Temple Meads, blue flashing lights appeared in the rear view mirror. With the moonshine sloshing around in the back, there was only one thing for it. I’d have to make a run for the county-line, to the safety of South Gloucestershire!
Regular readers will know that we are not adverse to a bit of home brewing and cider making here at The Secret Acre. So when a friend suggested we tried our hand at Apple Brandy it seemed rude not to.
Officially, UK Apple Day is this Sunday, 21st October.
But after this year’s unusually hot and dry summer, it seems you’ll be lucky to still have any apples left on your trees by now. Continue reading
Last month, inspired by our Turkish smallholding/winemaking experience this summer, we visited our local vineyard – Woodchester Valley – for a tour and tasting. Continue reading
September marks the start of Produce Show season, even if the football season, rudely earlier every year, has already kicked-off too.
Our history of mixed results continued this year…. Continue reading
This year, one of our early harvest gluts was radishes, which all came in a rush, despite the weather.
So for the first time at The Secret Acre, Emma tried her hand at pickled radish. Continue reading
The inevitable consequence of Apple Day in October is of course a new batch of cider making.
And this year our friend Derek was on hand to record it all on film, leaving me in presenting terms somewhere between Jack Hargreaves and Kevin McCloud I fear.
Anyway, grab your popcorn for the first (and quite possible last) Secret Acre movie…
October of course sees the official arrival of Apple Day in the UK, and an opportunity for harvest weary smallholders to invite friends round to help out under the guise of having a party!
Although in truth our apple crop had been arriving progressively in the kitchen since the start of August.
And The Secret Acre is certainly no stranger to hosting our own Apple Day events, in our long standing quest to make cider, which fortunately seems to be getting better with time at least. Continue reading
The Secret Acre 