In October, we celebrated the joy of harvest with an apple picking event that brought our community together for a fun and purposeful day. With the expert guidance of Roger Humphry from the Carse of Gowrie Group, we were able to turn a simple apple-picking activity into an educational and engaging experience for everyone involved.
The event kicked off with Roger bringing along the group’s apple pressing kit, which was a huge hit. Invitations were extended to families, local community members, staff, and those we support, and it was amazing to see so many people join us.
Over the course of the day, we ran three separate groups, and each one enjoyed a hands-on experience picking apples from the trees and gathering them to be processed.
Roger shared his wealth of knowledge about apples, from those left on the ground to the many possibilities for what they can become – apple juice, black butter, chutney, or even a crumble.
As we collected the apples, they were taken over to the mixer, where Roger demonstrated the blending process with safety in mind, explaining how the long plastic tube kept everyone’s hands well away from the blade.
One of the highlights of the day was placing the apples into the blender. It quickly became a favourite task, with everyone getting involved. Once enough apples were blended to fill a bucket, we moved to the next step—pressing.
Layer by layer, the crushed apples were placed between cheese cloths and boards, and staff took turns using the jack to press the apples. Blair and his mum, Ashleigh, took on the important job of filling bottles with the fresh apple juice.
As the juice was squeezed out, the dry remains of the apples were offered as a snack, with many enjoying the natural treat. The rest was composted, making sure nothing went to waste. Attendees were also given the chance to taste the fresh apple juice on the spot and take some bottles home as a keepsake of the day.
The feedback from those who took part was wonderful:
Dora expressed her enjoyment, saying, “I really enjoyed that,” while finishing her second cup of juice.
Around 40 people attended throughout the day, and we were lucky with the weather, which made the event even more enjoyable. The success of the day has sparked new ideas about how we can better utilise the apples in the gardens. Small groups will now make regular trips to collect apples, which will be used by our catering team to make delicious crumbles and other treats for lunch and tea.
It was a day full of smiles, learning, and community spirit, and we look forward to hosting more events like this in the future!