Cidermaking course:  For the first time, I decided this year to run a cider-making course at the orchard in Lusk. The annual course I run at Sonairte Ecology Centre in September was well attended, over-booked, and the participants were very pleased with the day, so I thought it would be a good idea to run an additional day to cater for those who missed out first time.  The purpose of the course is to show people how easy the process of producing a simple natural cider is, and how they can do it at home with simple equipment.

More fruit jellies:  Finally this month I got around to something I'd intended doing for many years - to experiment with making apple jelly. So I am pleased to say that I will have a limited stock of both plain apple jelly and a spiced apple jelly, made from Bramley apples, both of which I am very pleased with.  There was a bumper crop of sloes in the hedgerows this year, so I decided to experiment with another recipe - Sloe and apple jelly - which has turned out extremely beautiful and delicious!