On Monday 7th October, the P4 children travelled to The Orchard County to learn a little bit more about apples.
Firstly we spent time with Paul where we learned that there are many apple varieties, such as Granny Smith, Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Paul's Pippin and Pink Lady. Paul told us that all of these apples look different and have different flavours. Some apples are sweet and juicy whilst others are not. They can be very bitter and not that nice to eat.
We learned how the apple tree 'changes' during each season. How buds start to grow and then blossoms appear. How the bee is so important in moving pollen from one blossom to another. Finally apples begin to grow and it is in autumn when the apples are ready for harvesting.
Paul showed us the journey of an apple from the farm to a factory, to shop, and to home.
Paul showed us some 'apple' foods, drinks, sauces, chutney, pies, juices, apple scented hand-wash and shampoo. So we learned that not all apples are used for eating. Some are used in cooking, baking, flavouring other foods and drinking. Some are even used in cleaning products.
Later we got to see how important apples were for those who lived at the 'Palace' over 200 years ago. We learned that they harvested their own apples from their orchards. As there were no shops at that time, when apples were available these used to make a variety of food stuffs like apple bread, jams, chutneys and apple juice.
We were challenged by Mr Heaney, the Meanie, to see if we could guess how to put the pieces of the apple press together to make it work .We figured it out! Rods were needed to twist the wooden blocks down on top of the apples, this was to squash them and squeeze out the juice. It was very hard work and only a little juice came out. Mr Heaney told us that bruised apples were the best for making apple juice.
Finally we met the cook in the Palace kitchen. He told us that the kitchen was the warmest room in the Palace to work. He was showing us how apple bread was made. We were shocked when he said that his flour had weevles (bugs). He told us that they were little black creatures that lived in the flour and you had to pick them out before you started a cooking or baking task. Yuck !! Cook used a stove to cook the bread and he showed us that in the middle of an apple, is a star!
We got to make a lovely apple craft with Sylvia and we really enjoyed the whole trip.
Please enjoy the photos below!
