Preserving season is winding down, except for quinces and apples that is.

Today friends Michael and Roberto came with their harvest and spent the day bottling the bounty.

We started out clean and tidy, but soon a mess covered the benches. Not a mess, a creative environment. Added to that a few little edibles – apricot tray bake and a dozen or more rustic beef curry and pea puree pies to keep the energy levels up

By the end of the afternoon 52 jars of fruit had come out of the preserver. Well done guys!

Only two crates of their quinces to go, to be preserved on Wednesday.

A bonus – Cilla the pig will be very pleased with the addition of apple peels and quince cores to her morning barley porridge tomorrow.

Tidy so far

Three men at work

The mess increasing

The rustic pies that sustained us

A job well done, jars covered with a cloth as they cool