The Orchard: Blessing or Burden?
The apples are ripe again. As are the pomegranates. As with many blessings…. the orchard comes with responsibility. I did not plant it, plan it, or raise it- but I do get to benefit from it, and I am increasingly responsible for it. One of the primary issues with fruit from the orchard, is that it all ripens within a few weeks or days of itself, and it is far more than we can possibly eat, or sometimes even pick, before it spoils. We have apricots, pears, grapes, apples, pomegranates, persimmons, and cherries. Every year, we are faced with the task of finding some way to preserve, give away, harvest, and store the bounty of the orchard. Sugar is also another real issue with orchard fruit. Fruit is super-healthy, but eaten in large quantities (unless you are incredibly active and have a fast metabolism) will make you very fat, and give you tummy troubles. Dried fruit requires particular caution. Many people make preserves, but this also requires add...