Reflections on May 2010
After a hard winter there is often an abundance of fruit blossom. Hedges everywhere were thick with Blackthorn in April and my Victoria Plum tree was covered with flowers in early May. The trees in my little orchard – Bramley, Russet and James Grieve are covered in shell pink. I noticed the odd bumble bee working late into the evening gathering nectar and pollen.
There have been a number of frosty nights and before that cold winds to inhibit pollinating insects. I am becoming quite neurotic about cold dry Springs. Will we get a lovely crop of English Damson this year? They make a very special jam of unrivalled sharpness.
Now is the time to spot wild Crabapple blossom in the hedgerows (puff balls of pink against a dark green background) and preferably before the May blossom comes into bloom. Then it is difficult to work out which is which at a glance.
I have found that Crabapple trees fruit on a bi-annual basis producing large quantities per tree one year (my record is 400lbs!) and absolutely nothing the next. Travelling the countryside in May I make a note of trees in bloom then visit again in October to see which have set a crop. The mouth drying sharpness of Wild Crabapples makes then especially suitable for jelly – the perfect partner to scones and cream or to eat with pork.
At dusk I notice the Wild Cherry trees (Gean) are almost luminous in the darkness and the air is heavy with the sickly sweet scent of May Blossom. Spring has arrived at last.
May 14th
I recently became a member of the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust (BBCT) and this year determined to plant more Bumble-Bee-friendly plants in my garden. They have included Vipers Bugloss, Greater Napweed, Birdsfoot Trefoil, and Wild Foxglove.
Reflections on April 2010
April can be an uneventful month in the Rosebud calendar. The excitement of the first of the year’s crops has passed (Seville Orange and forced Rhubarb) and the pleasures of the rest still to come, Elderflower picking and fresh herbs in May and June, soft fruits in July, Rowan berries end of August, Damsons from the Lyth Valley Cumbria in September, Crabapples and Quince in October. So when we were approached by Russell and David of Evergreen Films to make a promotion film about Rosebud, we jumped at the chance. It’s been the perfect month to make a start.
The task we set ourselves was to distill the essence of what we do into a six to ten minute film, which on the face of it seemed easy enough, but as we are learning takes very special editorial skills.
You are probably wondering why after berating myself for never taking the trouble to visit the forced rhubarb sheds of West Yorkshire I did just that in March. Now you know why!
The plan is to film all the key aspects of our month by month calendar and amalgamate them into one short film that speaks volumes about what we do. I hope you will enjoy the results when we post them.
April 21st
The first swallows arrive, three days later than usual. Two years ago I introduced some RSPB recommended nesting platforms in our barns and the birds used them in preference to their usual beams. I hope there will be more swallows hatched this year than last.
Reflections on March 2010
I am standing in a subterranean world – dark, cold and damp. The blackened roof timbers above me are beaded with moisture and so low in places it is impossible to stand upright.
To my left ‘the tunnel’ I have just navigated to get here – its base no more than two feet wide, the trodden earth generously sprinkled with sawdust especially for my visit. To my right and in front of me, stretching into what seems infinity in the impenetrable darkness, are thousands of rhubarb stems, ruby red by the light of my torch. Each one is topped with a spear-shaped acid green leaf which feels like plastic to the touch.
It all seems eerie and other-worldy, a legacy of a former century, which indeed it is. A strange and unique ritual more suited to another place and time. Beyond this dark and silent world I can hear the muffled drone of motorway traffic on the outskirts of Wakefield where 21st century life goes on apace.
Then my private reverie is broken by the no-nonsense voice of my companion, David Westwood (veteran rhubarb grower of over forty years, as was his father before him) explaining the principles of forced rhubarb growing and the value of this the strangest of horticultural rituals.
As one of David’s employees demonstrates the correct way to pull rhubarb (by the light of a guttering candle held aloft by a wrought iron spike) I consider how traditional skills, combined with modern innovation, achieve the perfect product.
We retrace our steps through the old wooden sheds and emerge into the bright light of a chilly March day. Just a few metres further and we are in the modern pack house. The contract seems quite bizarre – light, bright, clean and airy with a team of people trimming and packing the freshly picked stems.
Hopefully continued demand for this wonderful Yorkshire forced rhubarb will ensure these unique horticultural methods survive for many generations to come.
We have Rhubarb and Ginger Jam and Rhubarb and Orange Jam made from David’s forced rhubarb each year from mid January to mid March.
Reflections on February 2010
February has come and gone, and with it my plan to visit the rhubarb sheds of West Yorkshire. As it turns out, it would have been a celebratory trip this year, because the twelve remaining growers in the “Rhubarb Triangle” have gained Protected Designation of Origin classification from the EU for their Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb. Joining the ranks of international high flyers, such as Champagne, Roquefort Cheese and Parma Ham, the growers can be justly proud of their achievement and their wonderful product.
I imagine a visit to the warm, dark forcing sheds would be a surreal experience - hundreds of rhubarb stems, ramrod straight, pushing upwards in the impenetrable darkness, broken only by the gentle glow of candlelight during harvesting.
Here in the Rosebud kitchen, the ruby-red stems lend an exotic vibrancy to February mornings. Sweet-sharp and tender, they make the most delicious Rhubarb & Ginger Jam, and more unusually, Rhubarb & Orange Jam, a great alternative to marmalade; then, at the weekend, a sublime rhubarb crumble for my family.
Three cheers for Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb, and our thanks to David and Jonathan Westwood who have provided us with their beautiful product for over twenty years.
Reflections on January 2010
It has been a memorable January. Very little on the shelves after a busy Christmas and now a large order to fulfil for our American Importer.
Many days bring fresh falls of snow followed by bitterly cold nights. Our staff are understandably nervous about driving to work along country lanes that haven’t seen a gritter. Some come on foot. It is difficult to get supplies in and jars out under these conditions but the delivery drivers are so helpful and uncomplaining – seems ‘the white stuff’ has brought the best out in all of us!
Each day when the snow is thick I take our big dog for brisk walks over fields towards the dark shape of a conifer plantation. There are the tell tale signs of barked wood where rabbits have searched desperately for food.
Back in a warm kitchen the air is filled with the scent of Seville Oranges and every available receptacle too! We have several tonnes to wash and freeze.
With the help of a miracle, or so it seems, our American friends get their Mint Jelly.
Happy New Year!
We’d like to wish you all a prosperous and good 2010.
Christmas Products Now Available
It is with great delight that, this morning, we have made our Christmas preserves available in our online store.
If you were keen to organise Christmas early, as I know many of you are, and have already placed a reservation we will start shipping out your preserves over the next few weeks and if not if you want to ensure your delivery before Christmas please make sure to place your order before 7th December to ensure delivery.
We would also like to reassure our customers that we do not use the Royal Mail for our shipping and the arrival of your preserves will not be disrupted by any backlog as a result of the recent strike action.
Take a look at our full range here.
Happy Christmas!
Rosebud featured in the Northern Echo
Ruth Campbell from the Northern Echo came out and visited us in September and the article she wrote following that visit was published in Echo Women in the Northern Echo on Thursday gone.
If you missed the printed edition you can read the article on the Northern Echo here.
If you would like to read other articles on Rosebud Preserves our archive can be found on our press page here.
Rosebud mentioned in the Northern Echo
Our thanks go to Sharon Griffiths who was kind enough to mention us in her article ‘Pig out for Britain‘, published in the Northern Echo on 19th September 2009.
If you missed the printed edition you can read the article on the Northern Echo here.
If you would like to read other articles on Rosebud Preserves our archive can be found on our press page here.
Find Rosebud Preserves on Twitter
Yes after months and months of persuasion we have finally joined twitter. You can find and follow us here:
We hope to keep our posts as interesting as possible and look forward to hearing from you.