Elderflower Cordial

....is all bottled and water-bath processed so that I have plenty to use through the year not only for drinking but making sorbet and home made ice cream and for adding in gooseberry tarts, pies and a little in whipped cream to add to a Victoria sponge with some homemade gooseberry jam - lush.  When you make your own preserves that is one of the perks playing around and finding different uses for the preserves you have prepared. Its also very satisfying seeing all the lovely things prepared on the pantry shelf.  Especially in the run up to Christmas and my stockpile.

Next on the hit list is pineapple.  I am contemplating (no not my navel) but making some pineapple jam and also pineapple jelly. Might start the jam tomorrow evening - I can leave it running in the jam pan whilst I get on with something else.

 I also have a few oranges to play with and so am going to soak them in the pectolase to see what happens.  If it works and I am happy with it, it will literally be something for nothing as I was given the oranges and they cost me nothing - so all this will be just down to my time.

I also have some apples and so may make some apple rings in my Dehydrator although that may have to wait until the weekend.

We have had Cornish pasties, mixed veg and crushed boiled potatoes with lashings of gravy for tea.  OH is extremely awkward with his food of late, but I seem to be getting there  - how I am not quite sure at times, but we do it one way or another.  It was quite delicious and I was very much ready for it.

We have had nothing but rain again all day - miserable  - I hated being cooped up as a child nose pressed against the window in disdain because I could not go out - I am not much different as an adult as it is stopping me doing things.  I did manage to have a quick look in the mini grow house.  I still have two more to set up but the seeds are coming through - nearly all the Nasturtiums have taken, the pattypan squash are coming through as are the Scarlet Emperor beans and the Artichokes.  The mixed lettuce is certainly coming along well but I need to get out there to get more going and I cannot because of the rain!  I must say though all my herbs and sorted out tubs seem to be appreciating the watering.  But I need to get out to tidy up the area around the herb border and make it nice and tidy and put the planters where I want them.  More compost is going to have to wait until pay day.

I think I have mentioned this before but one thing I would quite love to have is a proper cutting garden so that I can have fresh flowers to bring in during the year.  My Nan and her niece (she was my second cousin in reality but we always called her Aunty also had one but the garden she had was in an old Victorian walled garden belonging to Wellingore Hall (also owned by my Nan's sister and turned into professional flats for professional people - if my aunt had not of bought it, it would have been pulled down and it was such a beautiful place).

I have a lot of seeds to plant yet  - if you haven't gathered yet I am a tad stir crazy as I like to get on with things where I can and generally although I can be extremely patient when I make my mind up to do something I usually take some stopping.  Oh well it will keep until it dries up a bit (I mean I hope it dries up)!

This was Wellingore Hall as I knew it. I do so dreadfully miss those days and my relatives who have now passed on.  Where the greenhouse is on the front of the house, behind it was my Aunty Kit's flat. Sadly I never met her as she passed when I was six months old. She did meet me but I was too young to remember. The greenhouse I only ever knew as my Uncle Pat's domain and when I stayed I used to assist with the watering up. To the right of the photo where the tree is showing was a big pond which cascaded into different ponds all the way down the hill.  It was my Uncle Pat's pride and joy.  In the summer months when I used to stay as a little girl I used to cool off in the ponds and paddle.  It was a beautiful old house and my Aunty Rene used to live in what was the old kitchens to the right of the photo behind the pond and my Uncle Pat's flat was next door. It Hall had its own ball room and library and in fact my uncle Jim restored the ballroom for the seed company who originally bought the Hall after my uncle died.  Happy days for a child who was allowed to roam within the confines of the estate.  The Park itself in the summer months when you used to be able to burn the stubble looked magnificent.  That was early on in my childhood but in later years the land was returned to arable farming mainly cereal crops.  Horses used to roam prior to that.  I loved going here.

(the postcard I was given by my aunt is an exact replica of this which I found online).  It is a Francis Frith photograph.

Right had better get a wriggle on.

Catch you later.

Pattypan

x

P.S. 22 Bottles of home made elderflower cordial. Not bad for two batches of cordial.