Mellow fruitfulness

[SpuffMonkey]

Taking advantage of the very clement autumn weather - I've been out foraging for stuff and today had the big cook up to use all that I had collected

 

So made - rosehip syrup, raspberry cordial, sloe gin, spicy haw sauce and Hedgerow Jelly - yum!

 

[win]

Lucky you, sloe gin sounds good! In my area all i can forage for are blackberries.

[witch]

I have been eating loads of wild hazelnuts and blackberries which are finished round here. There are plenty of rosehips and sloes though along with elderberries so I might make some wine

[rich_tech]

read that wrong first off then skim reading, thought you had made a load of "Hedgehog" Jelly

 

 

Looks nice there though

[sippo]

When I was a lad it was all about going out with an old ice cream tub and getting blackberries or raspberries. Very rarely do you see that now. Sad times.

[TheScarfedOne]

Taking advantage of the very clement autumn weather - I've been out foraging for stuff and today had the big cook up to use all that I had collected

 

So made - rosehip syrup, raspberry cordial, sloe gin, spicy haw sauce and Hedgerow Jelly - yum!

 

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Oooh, can I put an order in??

[SpuffMonkey]

Oooh, can I put an order in??

 

Shame you're not closer - I would've stood you a pot! ;-)

[SpuffMonkey]

When I was a lad it was all about going out with an old ice cream tub and getting blackberries or raspberries. Very rarely do you see that now. Sad times.

 

You're right there - I don't know why either? As witch says the blackberries are about done - but where I've been picking is in a quite built up area - but no one seems to bother to do it - had about 5kg just from one patch in the last few weeks - you'd think in this time of austerity people would make the most of freebies - but hey ho - I'm quite glad they don't...

 

Still a mate has just given me a heads up on a heavily loaded damson tree - so off to check that next

[southhamster]

Nice spread spuffmonkey - you could have your own harvest festival!

Just had a small glass of last year's damson gin this evening - excellent stuff.

I reckon damsons make the best jam and crumble too - not too sweet.

Down 'ere in darkest Devon plenty of free windfall apples just lying around for collection.

[ButterflyMoon]

I remember when a child my dad used to take us out and we filled bags with rosehips and they were handed into the local clinic then all sent off to make rosehip syrup. Everyone did it and it was traditional every autumn.

[witch]

You're right there - I don't know why either? As witch says the blackberries are about done - but where I've been picking is in a quite built up area - but no one seems to bother to do it - had about 5kg just from one patch in the last few weeks - you'd think in this time of austerity people would make the most of freebies - but hey ho - I'm quite glad they don't...

 

Still a mate has just given me a heads up on a heavily loaded damson tree - so off to check that next

That's odd - around here you will see people picking blackberries absolutely everywhere, and not just old people either. Almost nobody knows that you can get wild hazelnuts (they never have, that hasn't changed) and as far as I am concerned, that's just fine

[featured_spectre]

I have walnuts growing near me...it's brilliant. Only discovered them this season. So chuffed but also annoying that I've missed out for the last 4 years.

[pcstru]

We have a walnuts and hazelnuts in the garden. It's like the local Squirrel supermarket. I was surprised to see a crow helping itself.

[Garacesh]

read that wrong first off then skim reading, thought you had made a load of "Hedgehog" Jelly

Couldn't find an image of Walker's Hedgehog flavour crisps from way yonder, so have some Cajun Squirrel instead.

[eyetea]

How long are you gunna let the sloe gin keep! I've got 2L from last year still sitting in the back of the cupboard at home!

[eyetea]

I have walnuts growing near me...it's brilliant. Only discovered them this season. So chuffed but also annoying that I've missed out for the last 4 years.

 

I have a great memory from when I was younger - my Grandad and I went over the moor to collect some walnuts from the tree next to / over the stream. Our container was a carrier bag... I was

up the tree just over the stream with the bag, and it split! Grandad jumped in the stream to try to rescue some of them but only got 4-5 haha

[SpuffMonkey]

How long are you gunna let the sloe gin keep! I've got 2L from last year still sitting in the back of the cupboard at home!

 

As long as it takes ;-) People say you should decant off the sloes after 3 or 4 months - but personally I've had stuff sitting on them for years with no bad effects. As long as you don't get what I had happen with some plum vodka I made - I left that a long time and when poured it came out in long sticky lumps - freaked me out a bit and it got poured away, though I read later that it was just the pectin in the fruit doing its natural thing - a bit like when you make jam and it sets.

 

One of my recipe books says you can eat the sloes after taking off the gin - with cream or covered in chocolate - I tried that too - but I wasn't keen :-(

[rf600]

isnt it a bit early for sloe's?

thought you were meant to wait for the first frost, something about making them sweeter?

never get a lookin with the sloes round here, have to rely on the MIL getting me some

[SpuffMonkey]

From what I've read - the sloe/frost thing is just that it breaks down the flesh a bit and makes the flavour come out more easily - I just bung them in the freezer for a day or two..

[elsiegee40]

If we waited for frost in this part of the country the wildlife would have eaten the sloes. We pick them when they're ripe and ready

[eyetea]

From what I've read - the sloe/frost thing is just that it breaks down the flesh a bit and makes the flavour come out more easily - I just bung them in the freezer for a day or two..

 

Same here, or until I actually remember to pick up gin from the shops!