Apple time at Appletree Cottage

Apples Galore!

Apples awaiting picking on a misty morning

Its Harvest Time at Shandon Farm and Appletree Cottage.  The trees have begun dropping their fruit so its time to pick.  There are around 350 trees on the farm with 48 varieties of apples including many old Scottish varieties.

Iron in the soil enhances the redness of the Discovery apple

The soil in some parts of the farm has quite a high iron content which can mean that the red apples turn out very red!  The variety shown here is Discovery.

Beauty of Moray is a very popular variety when juiced.

Once the apples are picked they are juiced, bottled pasteurised and sold locally.  One favourite is a variety called Beauty of Moray which is shown here.  A green dual purpose apple (cooker and eater) it produces a very clear sharp fruity juice.  Once tasted many people come back for more.

Red apples awaiting pressing

Each year we do a pressing entirely of red varieties.  This produces quite. a red medium sweet juice.  Another very popular choice.

A selection of bottles awaiting pasteurisation and labelling

The bottles we sell contain pure apple juice and nothing else - no sweetness, preservatives, salt or pepper.  Just pure apple juice.  
Once bottled the juice is pasteurised which means a bottle will keep for over a year.
In addition to the apple juices we produce apple jellies and marmalades - again from our own fruit.
Be sure to ask about our produce when you come to stay at Appletree Cottage.