Tick tock…the clocks change to British summer time at the end of the week. An hour less in bed but an extra hour of light in the evening to enjoy a glass of Charrington’s as the spring sun sets. Actually meteorological spring arrived on the 1st March with a massive dip in temperatures and the arrival of rain! The Spring Equinox will also have already happened at 9:24pm precisely tonight (Monday 20th). The Spring or Vernal Equinox (from the Latin Ver “Spring” and Equinox from the Latin Equi “equal” and nox “night”) marks the point in the year when the daytime hours are exactly the same as the night time hours.

We would normally be starting our bud watch by now but the recent cold snap has held things back. The first to spring into action tends to be our early pollinators which are specially selected to have flowers early and late to try to ensure at least some are in bloom when our apple varieties are in bloom. They can easily be spotted for their deeper purples and reds against the pinks and whites of the apple blossoms. These are the bud stages we are waiting for:

Source:
Apple Growth Stages – Taken from www.apples.msu.edu 11-24-14

 

Saturday this week between 8:30 and 9:30pm marks Global Earth Hour. The idea is to turn off lights / non essential power for one hour in solidarity with Climate Change and use the hour to do something positive for the planet. You might be thinking what planet are we on!…but this year it will definitely save you money and it is also about where our power and food comes from so there’s no wonder it is gathering momentum. You could always use the hour to enjoy a lovely Charrington’s cider made with the planet in mind! All taste, no waste (not even an hour)!

What are you doing in late April / early May? Look out for our blossom farm walks. These are leisurely walks through our orchards followed by a free tasting of our juices and ciders. You get a chance to buy at the end of course! We’ll be posting on social media and will do an extra newsletter once we can see the flowers on their way. This can happen slowly in cold conditions or all of a sudden in warm weather!

Breakfast crunchtime! Do you have cereal for breakfast? Try our apple crisps crunched up and sprinkled over you cereal or mixed into your granola with a lovely glass of apple juice to boost your day:

Apple Crisps (15 x 20g)

£15.00

At Charrington’s we’re always looking for innovative and flavoursome ways to tempt you with our homegrown and hand-picked apples. We slice and air-dry a medley of apple varieties (Cox, Egremont Russet and Cheerfull GoldTM). There’s no frying and nothing is added. You’ll be convinced our award-winning apple crisps are right for your lunchbox from the first bite – a satisfying, crispy crunch!

Naturally low in fat, a single bag counts as 1 of your 5-a-day.

• 15 x 20g bags