The nightmare begins....

[David Chaus]

So, summer in the PNW is in full swing: from late July to mid-October, it's sunny, less rainfall during this time than anywhere else in the country (it's true, you can look it up) and comfortable, upper 70's to low 80's with no humiditity. The grass is no longer growing so fast so I don't need to use my riding mower all the time (a Deere X300 in case you want to know). So what's the nightmare?

Too F#@%ing many fruit trees!!! I harvested the peaches last weekend and an early variety of apples, the plums are in full swing, another apple is almost ready, probably one variety of pear as well, then come more apples and the Asian pears and the grapes growing in the greenhouse and it JUST NEVER ENDS!!!!!

All this beautiful weather and instead of doing fun things in my free time, I am up on an orchard ladder, picking fruit, have to find a place to keep it, slice, dice, squeeze, freeze and dehydrate, and still find more room. It will continue through late October, with the last harvest being the Hardy Kiwis (vines that produce fruit about the size of olives, but yes are Kiwis and taste just like the fuzzy kind you find in the store). A lot of it won't last well enough to be feasible to sell at a farmer's market, and it's not all cosmetically pretty enough anyway.

Peaches

Ashmead Kernel apples

Liberty apples

Yellow Shiro plums. The tree is large and the fruit is prolific.

Some apple I'm not sure about. There are several types grafted on this one tree, so every year we may get different varieties on different branches.

Pears. And Sadie and myself. She's looking for something to chase. But see how exhausted I am already?

 

[VickiK]

OMG, that looks awful. Let me help you unload all that fresh fruit. Just box it and ship to.....

 

[crgildart]

Preserves, jam, cider, apple sauce, etc..

 

[SkiNurse]

 

[David Chaus]

Preserves, jam, cider, apple sauce, etc..

Yes, indeed. And who do you think gets to do all this? It takes away from my time obsessing about what skis to buy next, and whether Vail sucks or if the Epic pass is now the greatest thing ever?

 

[Blue Streak]

Awesome fruit trees!

 

[David Chaus]

Here's a few more:
Asia pears

Another view of the Liberty apples

Jonagold apples. Notice there's a broken branch due the weight of all the fruit.

I keep forgetting about this tree. It's a pear/quince, small fruit, very intense and sweet. It only started producing a few years ago because it was shaded by several ornamental shrubs, so it sought the sun, grew pretty high and is now producing. We will hoard these.....fabulous fresh or dried.

Grapes

One of the Walnut trees.

Close up of the same walnut tree. At least with these, they just fall to the ground and the outer pod splits open. I just have to get them before squirrels do.

 

[Philpug]

It's the pits isn't it?

 

[crgildart]

Got any spaghetti trees??

 

[David Chaus]

That could be useful.

 

[AmyPJ]

Well, now I regret not visiting you while I was up there! What a bounty!

 

[David Chaus]

It's the pits isn't it?

Speaking of which, the three large cherry trees were last month. I do have a cherry pit removal gadget. Froze a lot of cherries.

 

[David Chaus]

Well, now I regret not visiting you while I was up there! What a bounty!

I also regret you not visiting. I could have easily put you to work.

 

[AmyPJ]

I also regret you not visiting. I could have easily put you to work.

FWIW I did hit up a park in West Seattle with my niece and daughter to score some blackberries. They made an excellent cobbler

 

[David Chaus]

Oh, don't get me started on blackberries.......delicious, yes, and the bane of my existence. I have done so much blackberry hacking, and digging them up by the roots and burning them on the burn pile.....another never ending story. Seriously invasive species.

 

[Uncle-A]

My mouth is watering just looking at the photos. The peaches will hold up very well if you cut them up and store them in wine. I use red wine in large glass jars but white works well also.

 

[Tricia]

Pie time.

 

[crgildart]

I remember the time our 2 year old came in from the back yard with his face looking all bloody. Mulberries! This year wasn't as bountiful as usual, guessing the dog ate most of them off the ground before we saw them.

 

[David Chaus]

That reminds me, we have a small mulberry tree in a pot, we need to plant it in the ground, and I suspect it will quickly take root and get pretty big so we have to consider where to plant it. The mulberries are really good.

 

[crgildart]

That reminds me, we have a small mulberry tree in a pot, we need to plant it in the ground, and I suspect it will quickly take root and get pretty big so we have to consider where to plant it. The mulberries are really good.

Ya, one year my daughter set up nets all around under the trees to catch them. She made juice from them every night for about a week. Not bad for a 6 year old, but way too much sugar hahahaha!