Foraging finds
Well off we tottled with the moo (Missy is also known as moo i.e. Missy Moo) well armed like a British Expedition trip. I have a wooden basket that I normally use and could I find it - not at all. Its safe somewhere just not sure where. So instead I have gone armed with a couple of decent sized carrier bags, some freezer bags and a bin liner. We do not need the hook as the trees are not that high up. Also a biscuit each and a bottle of drink.
We promptly arrived at the Crab Apple Trees most of the apples were down so I have been scrabbling on my hands and knees under the tree picking up the apples which were perfect. I think I have about 20lbs in weight with which to make crab apple jelly, spiced crab apple jelly, crab apple and sloe jelly, sloe gin jelly, crab apple cheese, crab apple and rosehip cheese, crab apple and rosehip jelly. I am hoping that I will have more than enough crabs to do everything I want to make.
We have started to pick the sloes. I have about 2lb of them and when OH comes back from fishing at the weekend I am hoping to go and pick more. At least I can start off the Sloe Gin. I have two litres of gin in the cupboard specifically for this purpose. The sloes are a nice size as well. Some of them have already split but they are still going in the freezer to give them some frost.
I hope that in the interim someone has not swiped the sloes as apart from the sloe gin, I am looking to make sloe vodka and also slider as well as jam and jelly.
I have also found a lovely recipe for turning the sloe pulp into chocolate. I may actually freeze the pulp and then use this for making the chocolate for Christmas. Yum. I will pop this up later.
So a nice start which I am chuffed with. I also found some tiny larch cones for use on Christmas decorations and cards smaller than those I usually get. Hopefully will be able to spend more time at the weekend and harvest a little more of the sloes, some more crabs if needed and rosehips, and some more larch cones and teasels. So for the time being matters are progressing nicely. Now I have some more serious preserving to do.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
My favourite crab apple tree has been chopped down after a new would-be farmer bought the field for his sheep. Why not just leave it there for heaven's sake? I have yet to find a replacement.
ReplyDeleteI need to get across our top field to look for sloes, but there are some cattle on it at the moment but they should be off next week as the grass is getting low now. Then I can look without audience participation!
Is it not always the way however I know the feeling. OH used to go fishing on an MOD lake (private fee paying) and on that campus they had loads of wilding apples and crab apples, all sorts. I used to go with him at this time of the year to collect the crabs, because they had the green ones, the golden yellow ones and the beautiful red ones so the jellies I used to make reflected all three colours. The MOD decided that they were doing new works and closed the site and took the fishing away. Since that time I have been without crab apples. Last year was the first time we found crabs and it was the first year of fruiting however they were very small. This year the trees have had their first proper crop and they are a reasonable size. So I count myself very lucky and at least crab apple jelly is back on the menu again. I was quite shocked to find the sloes and such a lot of them so I hope they are still there come the weekend. Everywhere else I have heard of has said that the frost hit hard and has hit the fruiting quite badly. So I class myself as lucky. Hope you find a replacement crab apple soon and that you manage to snaffle all the sloes. Cattle are always unpredictable so I can appreciate you not wanting the audience. Hope you are okay. How is the dresser coming on or is a non-event at the moment. Take care. Pattypanxx
ReplyDeleteI made my second batch of elderberry and rosehip cordial this afternoon - over 4 pints! I still have crabapple and quince jelly from last year and the year before so I think I may give it a miss this year. I've already made several jars of mint apple jelly for lamb. We have a cooking apple tree in our garden which we inherited from the previous owner who bought the house new in 1957 who said the apple tree was part of the original plant nursery the houses were built on. It's loaded with huge fruit. I need to get dehydrating but haven't been home more than four days at a time for three months! What do you use your teasels for?
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though you have been busy in the time that you have been home for. The elderberries have finished around here unfortunately and I missed out this year despite plans to the contrary. I still have a bottle of Pontack sauce on the larder shelf that I have had for a few years as well. Lucky you having an original tree and with lots of fruit on. Lovely. My grandparents had orchards. I use the teasels for creating Christmas decorations. I dry them and cut the prickles off the stalk so it does not snag your hand and spray them with gold paint. I then wire them and pop them into wreaths, together with fresh greenery. I also have some little star anise wreaths I am going to do for the Christmas tree and some baubles. You can do the same with nuts. I am hoping to get rosehips on the weekend when OH comes back from fishing. I process them by cutting in half, taking the seeds out, and then drying the shells. It is very fiddly but that way on I have vitamin c powder which I add to muesli and porridge during the winter months once it is ground down. However if the shells are whole then I can use them to make wine and/or more cordial etc. Quince is something I have dabbled with but do not really know. I am hoping that the neighbour will let me have the Japonica quince he has growing in his front garden. I thought that it would combined with apples make a very good jelly. I do hope you are okay. I have just made some keeping mint sauce leaves preserved in vinegar for the pantry as oH puts it on everything. Nice to hear from you and please take care. Tricia aka Pattypan x