On this photo you can see here the crab apple (Malus sylvestris) that I have in my garden in Orbaizeta (Navarre) It is an exceptional specimen for the specie because it measures more than 10 meters.
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| Crab apple or Baxako.(Malus sylvestris) |
The last year had been very good for apple trees, and they gave an unusual amount of fruit. In this case,3 months later, the most of apples from this specimen remain still on the ground, in perfect conditions.
I wonder how a fruit can be three months above the ground, outdoors, and not rot.
Surely there will be many animals feeding with them.
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| Pecked apple by a blackbird (Turdus merula) |
I could see apples pecked by birds, probably from blackbirds (Turdus merula) but I could also observe eaten and defecated remains of carnivores like foxes.
With these apples, we make a liquor made with anise, very much appreciated in these Pyrenean valleys, both in Navarra and in our neighboring valley of Garazi / Cize and Xiberoa / Soule across the border; the Baxaka or patxaka.
I picked up two boxes of these apples, which gave to my neighbors, and I did a test with few of them in white wine, to try out how it would catch the flavour of s the baxaka in white wine.
After three months I filtered, and bottled.
The result was a white wine with an astringent touch, and with a flavor reminiscent of quince.
I dont think so it is going to be fashionable to go bar hopping, but is cool.
It really heat up the stomach!!
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| Terana Coerulea |
To finish, I leave you with this photo of a cobalt color mushroom, eating this stick of boxwood. Although the picture clarifies a little bit, it has an extraordinary blue color. It´s the Terana coerulea,
Here you are two links:
http://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/hongos/Terana-coerulea-(Lam.)-Kuntze-1891-img80449.html
You see, a twig with a nice color, but it is much more than it seems!
The essential things are invisible to the eyes!
