In praise of apple juice

I love apple juice: in fact, I have a suspicion that apple juice is partly responsible for me keeping so trim in my advancing years. When I say apple juice, I don't mean the stuff that looks, and smells, like horse pee that you get in cartons from the supermarket. I mean 'proper' cloudy apple juice with a known provenance. Luckily, the West Country is full of orchards and getting a decent bottle is not difficult.

 

I get my regular fix of juice from Derek who runs Tamar Valley Apple Juice. The fruit is collected over an area within a few miles of us and pressed down at Hatton Quay on the Tamar, again just a few miles from us. He knows my taste for a sharper juice and he generally keeps a few bottles 'under the counter' for me. He presses apples from various sources and, delicious though his juice is, it's not that often that I can get a single variety bottle. You can imagine my delight (perhaps?) when, during a recent walk through Throwleigh in Devon, we came across a road-side stall selling some interesting blends of varieties that aren't grown around here. Tommy Knight was one I hadn't come across before and was a nice tangy tipple. The Winter Peach/Summer Stibbert combination was interesting. Bags of apple flavour with a subtle dry finish. Both were very more-ish and worth seeking out again. It pays to keep your eyes open for local produce and try it when you can. You never know what pleasures you can come across in the most unexpected places.