Fresh Mint, Mixed Frozen Berries, Tangerines, Mixed herbs and vinegar

I have four bunches of sweet fresh mint ready to turn into home made long-keeping Mint Sauce.  This is something that I make most years and is really simple to do.  Also very simple to reconstitute. The Recipe is here: http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/something-for-pantry-shelf-mint-sauce.html

OH uses copious amounts of mint sauce and/or jelly so this is one that is always in constant use as he uses mint sauce on everything.

I have also made some mint vinegar for adding to the mint concentrate so that you really get that impact of flavour and freshness.

The Mixed frozen berries are to turn into cordial and coulis for the pantry shelf.  I shall process them in the bottle steriliser and that way on they will keep through the winter months and I will be able to drag out ice cream sauce during the middle of winter. It is also good on cake.  I am not paying £5 a bottle no way for a bottle of home made Coulis especially when it is so easy to make at home.  You can of course, make Passion fruit coulis, Strawberry Coulis, Raspberry Coulis, Blackberry Coulis, Blackcurrant Coulis, etc. etc.

The tangerines were reduced and I fancy making some tangerine curd for a change. I managed to get four nets of oranges.  It will not make a lot but at least there will be a little. Lovely on toast and in cakes alike. Yummy.

The mixed herbs are for a batch of home made mixed herb vinegar.  I am just about to bottle up the Tarragon vinegar so the jar will become available to do this new batch of vinegar. At the moment it has the remnants of the Tarragon in it but these are strained off through a paper coffee filter or through very fine muslin and then decanted into fresh sterilised bottles.  I don't put any herb in the newly sterilised bottles at all. I always add a splash of Tarragon vinegar to home made Prawn Cocktail sauce (its my secret ingredient) and it gives a bit more of a tang.  It does not take long but makes a heck of a difference to dressings for salads and also for deglazing the pan of meat juices when making gravy.  You only need a little but it helps build up the flavours in the gravy. I think the mixed herb one would be good with a roast like Porchetta (a favourite here).  I will not of all the herbs buy Parsley from the supermarkets.  This one I buy the plants and then dry it myself.  The flavour and the quality of the dried herb is far more flavoursome this way on.

If there are any herbs left over they will get put into the freezer in ice cube trays for use during the winter months.  I also intend making some more herb butters as these are especially good with things like steak and garlic and parsley for home made garlic bread which is lush.

Right some serious work on as usual.  Better get a wriggle on.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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