Falkland’s first full apple harvest for more than 100 years will be celebrated next month with a series of community events in the historic Fife village.
A long tradition of fruit growing that was associated with Falkland Palace has been revived with the establishment of 600 trees which are producing four varieties of apples, including Discovery, James Grieve, Rajka and Red Windsor.
Following the initial orchard planting in 2012, early indicators suggest more than 5,000Kg of fruit will be produced, making Falkland one of the largest sustainable orchards in central Scotland.
Kevin Hodgson, manager of Falkland Orchard said last year’s preliminary crop had exceeded expectations.
He added: “We have already produced apple sauce from some early fruit falls which have been sold at the Falkland Food Market. The reaction has been great. People like to buy locally produced food because they know it’s fresh and isn’t over-processed. The fact the apples taste great also helps.”
Ninian Stuart, head of strategy at the Centre for Stewardship, which is based on the estate, said the traditions of fruit growing had lapsed over time.
“We have worked hard to establish the resulting trees which are now bearing fruit. We thought it only right to mark the occasion of our first full harvest with a season of apple events,” he said.
The Falkland Orchard Apple Festival will feature cooking workshops that are open to the public and free to attend. The events have been specially designed to showcase the versatility of locally produced apples as well as passing on useful culinary tips to be used at home.
The programme of events kicks off with an apple chutney-making workshop hosted by chef Christopher Trotter on October 5. There will be an apple pie making class on October 19 and an apple pressing workshop on October 23. The festival will culminate in a community pick that will encourage local people to collect the remaining fruit from the 2016 season and mark the end of the harvest.
