Weekend food with Darina Allen

THE apple blossom is in full bloom in the orchard this week with the promise of a bumper harvest provided we don’t get a random frost within the next few weeks.

Everyone should have at least one apple tree in their garden for the sheer joy of having a picnic under the apple blossom at this time of the year as well as the anticipation of juicy apples and apple pies in the autumn. The old-fashioned Bramley’s Seedling is a brilliant cooker and keeps well. This year we’ve managed to save the last apples of last year’s crop until now — that’s definitely a record for us. When choosing an apple tree to plant seek out an old variety that you can’t find in the shops like Arthur Turner or Lane’s Prince Albert, which are delicious cookers and maybe Ergemont Russet or Cox’s Orange Pippin as a dessert apple.

There’s a tantalising choice of ‘eaters’ as well. I particularly love Beauty of Bath, it’s an early variety that used to be in almost every Irish garden. The apples are mottled yellow and red, juicy and bittersweet, the flavour bringing back memories of robbing orchards! Irish Seed Savers have an extensive range of old varieties that particularly suit the Irish climate (order now to plant in the autumn): www.irishseedsavers.ie.