Category Archives: UK

Dorothy Hartley: Verjuice

Posted on February 16, 2016 by

I’ve been reading Lost World: England 1933-1936, a collection of essays by Dorothy Hartley, originally written for the Daily Sketch Newspaper.  Dorothy was an eccentric, a wanderer, and a writer, whose prose style was that of a novelist or perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Apple Varieties, History, Perry, UK | Leave a comment

Pheasants and Pear Trees

Posted on February 3, 2016 by

The end of January is the close of pheasant season in England. The Beater’s Shoot marks the day at the end of the season when the paying guns are done, and the beaters take guns in hand. At this point … Continue reading →

Posted in Landscapes, Perry, UK | 1 Comment

Cheese Meditation Minute

Posted on May 26, 2015 by

I was drinking a cider and admiring a cheese.   And then I had some cheese thoughts that my friends seemed to enjoy.  Following this, I decided that the cider blog should definitely have a Cheese Meditation Minute every so … Continue reading →

Posted in Cheese Meditation Minute, Midwest, Tasting, UK | Leave a comment

Mistletoe

Posted on December 19, 2014 by

During my research in England, I wrote some observations (reposted below) about my encounters with mistletoe, and I recently got to revisit them in a conversation with Annie Corrigan on WFIU Radio’s Earth Eats Program.  If you are interested in … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, History, Landscapes, Orchards, UK | Leave a comment

Elderflower Detour

Posted on July 30, 2014 by

June in Indiana is the time to gather Elderflowers, though almost no one does, except me.    Some folks here are familiar with the elderberry as an edible fruit for pies or cordials, but floral tastes are not something that … Continue reading →

Posted in Elderflower, Landscapes, North America, UK | 1 Comment

Wassail: An Unexpected Revival

Posted on January 16, 2014 by

I was sitting in a pub in East Hackney, London one January night a few years ago trying to convince a young man from Portsmouth that English people did in fact practice the custom of wassail.  “Wassail?” he said.  “I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Orchards, UK, Wassail | Leave a comment

Wassail: Some Historical Reports and their Contexts

Posted on January 16, 2014 by

Have you been dying for some historical sources for the custom of wassail?  Come on, I know you have.  Lucky for you I am the folklorist with the super folklore library collection a mere 30 minute walk from my doorstep.  … Continue reading →

Posted in History, UK, Wassail | Leave a comment