This morning was the annual medlar picking from the tree of friend Kaye at Austins Ferry. It’s a tradition of more than two decades now.

Very few remained on the tree as is customary. Instead they had mostly fallen to the ground forming a carpet of the beautiful golden orbs.

They now will be bletted on straw in boxes in our shed, which will take a couple of weeks, after which they’ll be ready to make the house specialty of medlar liqueur.

Next late Autumn/early winter we will return for next year’s harvest, taking with us for Kaye a bottle of the 2023 liqueur, thus completely the circle of the magnificent medlar tree.