Shaftesbury’s free summer harvest
If you didn’t already know, Shaftesbury is now an Orchard Town. It’s fruit and nut harvesting time, and Shaftesbury Town Council, supported by Shaftesbury Tree Group and the Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee, want everyone to take free advantage of the fruit and nuts on our doorstep to boost our health and wellbeing.
Yes, that’s right. If you find plums, apples, pears and nuts such as walnuts and cobnuts growing on trees in public parks and open spaces they are absolutely free to pick and eat.
And NOW is the time to harvest…
Plums and damsons
Pick, eat, and enjoy from Shaftesbury’s Town Orchards
August is a great month to harvest plums and other ‘stone fruit’ relatives such as damsons. There is a fine grove of damsons at the top of Jubilee Steps that lead down into St James Park, between the highest zig-zag and war memorial on Park Walk. You can take enough for your need from here. The same goes for fruits growing in other public spaces around town such as apples and pears when in season.
When’s the best time to pick?
Plums develop the best flavour when allowed to ripen on the tree, so avoid picking too early. If a plum feels soft when gently squeezed, if it ‘gives’ a little, then it should be nigh-on perfect. If fruits have a delicate powdery surface deposit (called a ‘bloom’) then that’s another telltale sign. Harvest carefully because plums are easily bruised.
Plums on the same tree will ripen at different times over a short period so harvest in stages. In other words, pick over the tree several times. Dry days are best as moist plums spoil quickly and won’t store, unless you meticulously dry each individual piece.
Collect your plums or damsons in a suitable container and eat as soon as possible, definitely within a few days. You can also de-stone and freeze, make into pies and crumbles, or get your jam pan out.
A note of caution: Be careful to avoid wasps which might be quietly feeding in hidden holes or crevices!
Happy picking from our town orchards.
See our Shaftesbury Orchard Town page for more information.
