Fruit Hill Farm Blog

Steam juicing is a gentle and efficient process that involves using steam to extract juice from fruits and vegetables.

Often considered a practice of the more geekier strain of gardener, saving seeds (of certain plants) is, however, easy and accessible to anyone.

It's the time of year when many people can have a glut of produce in the garden. You may find you have a bumper crop of beans, courgettes, carrots, cabbage, onions or kohlrabi....well we have a few ideas of what you can do with your surplus produce. Fermentation is our favourite way of dealing with a glut of food and...

What are Nematodes? Nematodes are small, often microscopic, unsegmented roundworms with a narrow cylindrical body.  They are parasitic and prey on many garden pests. Nematodes are host specific and as a result there are thousands of different ones. They are one of the most successful and adaptable of all animal groups. Natural predators, nematodes attack the pest by entering body...

If you have an abundance of cucumbers, then fermenting is a great way to preserve them. Fermented Cucumbers or Gherkins are a great addition to sandwiches, salads and they even taste great just by themselves as a quick snack. Fermenting vs Pickling The fermentation of vegetables is among the oldest and healthiest methods of preserving food. There can be a...

You can dry herbs to make your own herbal teas and to use in cooking throughout the year. It's a relatively simple process and a great way to use up any excess or underused herbs you have growing in the garden.. Harvesting Herbs for Drying You can harvest herbs throughout the season, but the best taste is obtained from fresh...

Why are there holes in my Rocket? These tiny (and unsightly) holes that have appeared (often suddenly) in the leaves of young Brassica plants are the distinctive damage of the rarely seen Flea Beetle and can be very off-putting to the beginner gardener. WHAT ARE FLEA BEETLES The term Flea Beetle is used to describe a number of different species...

Not hailing from Jerusalem, nor an artichoke, but a species of sunflower which produces masses of edible tubers. Jerusalem Artichokes originated in North America and were introduced to Europe by colonists. Growing Jerusalem Artichokes Jerusalem Artichokes are very easy to grow but some things are worth considering - They are large plants which can be between 1.5-3m high so be...

Certified seed potatoes are seed that has been certified for purity and freedom from disease by the Dept of Agriculture. Each seed crop is inspected to confirm the identity of the variety, to ensure that it meets the minimum level of varietal purity and that it meets certain plant health and pest infection standards.

Grain is an amazing food – beautifully packaged in its exterior wrapping of bran it will keep for a very long time.  Once milled its nutritious bounty is made available for us to enjoy as flour and with the magic of fermentation this is transformed into our daily bread. A blessing indeed - especially if you step out of the...