Unbought Delicacies: 25/09/2011

Friday 30 September 2011

Hedgerow rum

This is a new one for me, loosely based on a recipe in a book; the whole point of these sorts of seasonal drinks is to use what you can forage at the time. In this one, I have the very last of the elderberries, plus rosehips, brambles and rowans. Remember *always* to leave some for wildlife to help them through the autumn and winter.
Collect your fruit in the middle of the day when it's good and dry, only use sound fruit. Pick over it all, removing leaves, twigs, rotten bits, stems and beasties. Try and get an even balance fo fruits, but again, go with what you've got. Layer the fruit in a wide neck jar with sugar - I used vanilla sugar for an extra taste kick, but plain granulated would do, or maybe a soft brown sugar for this one. Pour over dark rum, seal and shake. Leave in a cool dark place shaking occasionally; ready by Yule. Looking forward to this one! Will report back.

Quince brandy

Part of this year's crop was earmarked for this delicious and warming winter drink - well worth a try if you can get hold of quinces - you only need a couple.

1/2 bottle brandy - any kind
1 1/2 - 2 quinces
sugar
spices - for this one I used star anise, vanilla pod and cinnamon sticks

Wipe the quinces and cut them into quarters, or big chunks; place in a wide necked jar - Kilner or similar. Pour over brandy, add a little sugar ( I used 1 dessertspoonful, but add to taste), pop in the spices, seal the jar and shake. Leave in a cool dark place for a couple of months, shaking occasionally. Will be ready for Yule.

Cheers!

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Hops

Got the first of the hops picked this morning; some browning a bit, but still perfectly fine for drying and sorting with a view to future pints - for ME. I now tend to pull the bines, rather than the individual hop flowers; bines are very, very scratchy, and can shred your lowers arms if you're not careful. I'm sure there must be some sort of weaving thing you could do with the bines, either fresh or dried, they're so strong, but flexible. Off for a Google. Kitchen smells like a brewery (again)

http://www.grannysstore.com/Wilderness_Survival/Cordage_Making.htm

Lots of interesting stuff there, will have a go at cordage too I think. Quick shuftie around the net reveals that hop bines can indeed be used for basketry, probably in a mixed hedgerow basket; off to unearth my basketmaking books, something I've been wanting to get back to for a while now

Monday 26 September 2011

To make you smile

Fruitful post

Yes, another one! lol

Winter Queening apple at the front; the three smaller ones are from an odd seedling that appeared and I just left, although it's not in an ideal place really; glad I did, though, it's very like a Golden Delicioous, lovely wee sweet apples.

These were the quinces now stewing away for jelly

Quinces wrapped for a few weeks' storage

The last of the Bardseys, now ripened fully and the most glorious colours; I've wrapped these to store fora while to see how they last.

Another fruitful endeavour has abeen a foray into the world of fruit leathers for the first time. Teh puree is made and ready for the next stage, so will post when it's done. Interesting and enjoyable to do, I love trying new things for the first time. Smells good too! lol

Wartime crisps

Saw this on another blog yesterday and decided to give it a go - good way of using every bit of the potato! I always remembered in Home Economic classes we were told that all the good things in a vegetable were right under the skin, so this is another way of making sure we get all those too.
Tried them today, and the results were excellent, bug thumbs up from EJ too - who is very discerning in the crisp department, I can tell you lol

Peel the potatoes thinly ( as you always should anyway I suppose); tiny bit of oil on a baking tray, dry off the skins if they need it, on to the tin and into a very hot oven until crisp and brown ; sprinkle with salt immediately they come out of the oven.
Give it a go!

http://self-sufficientinsuburbia.blogspot.com/

Sunday 25 September 2011

Little film for a wet Sunday

Bit of nostalgia for a time I never had, I suppose, but a wonderful piece of footage. Share and enjoy it :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDc1vit8roI&feature=related

I have found such joy

I have found such joy in simple things;
A plain, clean room, a nut-brown loaf of bread,
A cup of milk, a kettle as it sings,
The shelter of a roof above my head,
And in a leaf-laced square along the floor,
Where yellow sunlight glimmers through the door.
I have found such joy in things that fill
My quiet days: a curtain's blowing grace,
A potted plant upon my window sill,
A rose, fresh-cut and placed within a vase;
A table cleared, a lamp beside a chair,
And books I long have loved beside me there.
Oh, I have found such joys I wish I might
Tell every woman who goes seeking far
For some elusive, feverish delight,
That very close to home the great joys are:
The elemental things- old as the race,
Yet never, through the ages, commonplace.

~ Grace Noll Crowell

Ideas for handmade gifts

Small knitteds - gloves, scarves, hot water bottle covers, hats, tea cosies, phone covers, little toys,,cushion covers, bags. Some of these can be felted/fulled for extra interest.
Edibles - chutneys and jams, pickles, nice teas in a vintage/retro tin, sweeties, toffees, mustard, home made wine and liqueurs, home dried fruits, ketchups.
For the home - trimmed tea towels, handknitted dishcloths, quilted wallhangings, small samplers, restored picture frames, pot pourri, lavender bags, covered coathangers, little scented bags for hanging on handles, framed photos of family,etc you've taken yourself, pincushion,needle book, scissor keeper, book of promises (eg babysitting, 1 hour's housework, the ironing, etc)
Bathtime - homemade soap, bath oils, bath salts, knitted washcloths, herbal bags for the bath, hand sewn toilet bags, trimmed hand towels, homemade lotions and potions packed in pretty jars and bottles.
For the garden - home saved seed in handmade decorated packets; homemade handcream, exfoliating soap, wheat bag for those digger's aches and pains!

Handmade books, personalised printed notepaper and envelopes.
Hamper of bits and bobs from the above lists, packed in a pretty lined basket.

I'll add some more as and when I think of them; These can be used all year round and easily tailored to the recipient - everyone loves a homemade gift. :)

Inspiring thoughts.............

I saw a man, an old Cilician, who occupied an acre or two of land that no one wanted.
A patch not worth the ploughing, unrewarding for flocks, unfit for vineyards;
he, however, by planting here and there among the scrub cabbages or white lilies and verbena and flimsy poppies, fancied himself a king in wealth, and coming home late in the evening, loaded his board with unbought delicacies.
Virgil

I had no theories to prove. I merely wanted to try living by my own hands, independently as far as possible from a system of division of labour in which the participant loses most of the pleasure of making and growing things for himself. I wanted to bring in my own fuel and smell its sweet smell as it burned in the hearth I had made. I wanted to grow my own food, or forage after it. In short I wanted to do as much as I could for myself, because I had already realised from partial experience the inexpressible joy of doing so.

Harlan Hubbard, Shantyboat: A River Way of Life

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