#everybitcountschallenge .Day 17, 17 August 2022 Blackberries Again

Sorry I am right off track on keeping up with the diary entries for the #everybitcountschallenge.  Hopefully will catch up in the next couple of days or so.  Let us just say it has been very busy here.

I have on three occasions this week been Blackberrying again and have minus the first occasion managed to gather another 14lb of Blackberries.  The first lot have been dealt with.  When I initially typed this post the latter 14lb of Blackberries I had started to tackle.  I had plans for one part to go for Blackberry and Apple jelly. One part to go for Blackberry syrup/cordial and the rest to be bottled  up.  Since then I have bottled 6 x 1 litre jars of Blackberries in syrup.  All the lids have popped and I am highly chuffed.  Altogether I now have 9 x 1 litre jars of Blackberries in syrup on their own.  I have also started off the second batch of Bramble and Apple jelly.  

So not so much action on the preserving front per se, but I am building up to that.  At least I have done the gathering. I suspect that this may well will not be my last visit to go Blackberrying.  I just would like a few more with which to make some Blackberry Syrup/Cordial and that will do on the Blackberry front this year.  I have been able to make some lovely things as a result for the Winter Pantry. I have already made Blackberry Wine, 2 jars of Bramble Whisky, 1 batch of 6 jars of Bramble Jelly, Apple and Blackberry pie/pudding mix, 3 x 1 litre jars of Brambles in syrup.  There is also the Bramble vinegar that I made earlier in the year.

I have also managed to gather some other things as well.  Onions for general use but I foresee some Onion relish of some sort being made from some of them.  I might make an onion Marmalade.

Three kilos of Tomatoes.  The jury is out at the moment, as to whether it is to be pasta sauce or indeed bottled tomatoes.  In truth I have no Tomato products yet put up this year.  Fingers crossed I will be able to access cheap tomatoes again.  We use a lot of pasta sauce, but I am keen to explore other options such as making Bruschetta, plain Spaghetti sauce, Salsa.

Three kilos of Plums.  I considered this one carefully. A friend of ours quite a few years ago (and now sadly deceased), when he visited would always disappear with quite a few bottles of my home made preserves.  He used my Plum jelly as a stir fry mix, and various other preserves too (at that time we had access to my Nan's plum trees) and I always made a lot of jelly as a result. Orange jelly is also a good alternative or indeed Pineapple.  I would assume Peach would be good too.

Anyway, I digress.  I make a lot of stir fry meals during the year, and some of the jelly could be used in those meals, as well as being lovely on scones, pancakes, hot buttered toast, and also for glazing meat and poultry.  The plums are a good colour and I think that they would make a good jelly.  Being stingy though I want two items for the price of one.  Once the plums have been juiced there should be some pulp left afterwards which I intend to pop into a pan with some apples and cook until the apples are soft and breaking up, and then turn into a quasi plum and apple jam. That is what I am thinking at the moment.

I also have the Sweet Pepper jelly to make.  I also intend to make a Jalapeno version as we like the Jalapenos with a cream cheese in and some of the Pepper jelly on the side.  There is also an Onion and Garlic version that I have seen as well.  Sometimes it is good to try new recipes and mix things up a little bit and expand the repertoire in the process.

The Blackberry wine the next stage has been completed by taking the liquid off the fruit, adding the sugar and the yeast.  It is frothing very well.  The orange is the same. That should have been put into the Demijohn tonight but that will have to happen tomorrow now as I ran out of time. Ginger Beer is doing nicely as is the Sourdough starter.  Make Bread tomorrow all being well.  Fingers crossed toes plaited.

All ingredients are being stored in the fridge to make sure that they keep well in readiness for using.

I also have some Pickled Oranges; Lemon Curd and more Apple Sauce to make.  So it is going to be a very busy time of things.  I think I am going to have to type myself a schedule up of things to do to make sure I do not forget about anything.  This is just going to be for the preserving never mind anything else.  Might also start a schedule for things to do in the house at some point as well.

Right must press on.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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