Recipe
Wild Blackberries
Wild or Garden Apples (Not crabs)
Sugar
Cloves
500g Pastry
Milk and castor (or granulated) sugar (for pastry glaze)
3 x Foil pie tins
Method
Preheat Oven to 200C.
Begin by making Shortcrust Pastry. If cheating (as i did ) by using pre-made then remove from refrigerator and leave aside for 35 minutes as per instructions. This'll give us time to do the other preperations.
Peel and core the apples. I just peel them then slice down each side to be left with square core.
Grind the cloves into a fine dust. The finer the grain the less bitty and more spread the clove flavour will be.
Roll out pastry and make the base for the first pie.
Now you may have noticed i haven't given quantities for things. This is because i haven't worked them out yet.
I simply took the apple slices and placed them in the pastry case neatly alligning them in a circle then stacking and kept doing that until they came just above the brim. Leave some gaps for blackberries
Now i took the blackberries and placed them on the apples in the gaps until they too came just above the brim.
I then shook the sugar over the top until it covered both apples and blackberries.
Finally i took a pinch of clove dust and spread very lightly over top/
Now make the pie top and place ontop. Press together seem.
Make steam holes all over.
Now repeat for remaining 2 pies.
Use remaining pastry for decorations on top.
brush milk then lightly shake sugar on pies
Place in oven and then turn down heat to 190 in ten minutes then leave for another 30 minutes.
Notes
This recipe was devised by me.
The blackberry juice did tend to leak out the bottom of the pie so when cooled on a rack and separated from the foil the underside of the pie was red with sticky juice, but to be honest that's how i like it!
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Nettle Soup
Recipe
1 lb potatoes
½ lb young nettles
2 oz butter
1½ pts chicken or vegetable stock
sea salt & black pepper
4 tablespoons sour cream
MethodCook the peeled, chopped potatoes for 10 mins in salted water. Drain.
Wash & chop coarsely the nettles (Only pick the new, young tops,using gloves!)
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the nettles and stew gently for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and heated stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender.
When all is soft, cool slightly & purée in a blender, adding seasoning and the sour cream.
Notes
The recipe was taken from http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlesoup.asp
Its not the original one i used but can't find that right now and anyway this one looks close enough.
This is best made in late winter or spring time when the new nettle shoots are bursting up. The soup can be frozen too.
1 lb potatoes
½ lb young nettles
2 oz butter
1½ pts chicken or vegetable stock
sea salt & black pepper
4 tablespoons sour cream
MethodCook the peeled, chopped potatoes for 10 mins in salted water. Drain.
Wash & chop coarsely the nettles (Only pick the new, young tops,using gloves!)
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the nettles and stew gently for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and heated stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender.
When all is soft, cool slightly & purée in a blender, adding seasoning and the sour cream.
Notes
The recipe was taken from http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlesoup.asp
Its not the original one i used but can't find that right now and anyway this one looks close enough.
This is best made in late winter or spring time when the new nettle shoots are bursting up. The soup can be frozen too.
Thursday 18 August 2011
Honey Lemonade
Recipe
1 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Cup Honey
6 Cups Sparkling water
1 Cup ice cubes
Method
Mix the honey and lemon in a large bowl or bucket until they blend.
Gradually add the sparkling water and ice cubes.
Notes
The perfect summer drink.
I've also found it the best drink after a long days walk or cycle ride.
1 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Cup Honey
6 Cups Sparkling water
1 Cup ice cubes
Method
Mix the honey and lemon in a large bowl or bucket until they blend.
Gradually add the sparkling water and ice cubes.
Notes
The perfect summer drink.
I've also found it the best drink after a long days walk or cycle ride.
Thursday 11 August 2011
Elderflower Cordial
Recipe
20 elderflower heads
1 sliced lemon
2 tsp of citric acid (ask at your chemist)
1.5 kg (3.5 lbs) of sugar
1.2 ltr (2.5 pints) boiling water
Method
Pour the water over the ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Skin the surface of the water to get rid of the scum that can arise.
Cover with a cloth (mine has a pillow case over it).
Stir twice a day for five days.
Strain though a fine sieve though a fine sieve or through muslin cloth and decant into sterile screw topped bottles. Refrigerate.
As with other cordials dilute with 5 parts water to serve . Experiment with it and add it to some of your favourite spirits. It is really nice as a gin mixer
Notes
This is a direct lift from http://www.selfsufficientish.com/elderflowercordial.htm
20 elderflower heads
1 sliced lemon
2 tsp of citric acid (ask at your chemist)
1.5 kg (3.5 lbs) of sugar
1.2 ltr (2.5 pints) boiling water
Method
Pour the water over the ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Skin the surface of the water to get rid of the scum that can arise.
Cover with a cloth (mine has a pillow case over it).
Stir twice a day for five days.
Strain though a fine sieve though a fine sieve or through muslin cloth and decant into sterile screw topped bottles. Refrigerate.
As with other cordials dilute with 5 parts water to serve . Experiment with it and add it to some of your favourite spirits. It is really nice as a gin mixer
Notes
This is a direct lift from http://www.selfsufficientish.com/elderflowercordial.htm
Blackberry Wine
Recipe
4 lb blackberries
3 lb granulated sugar
1 gallon water
Wine yeast and Nutrient
Method
(1)Pick fully ripe, best quality berries.
Wash thoroughly in colander, then crush in bowl, transfer to primary fermentation vessel, and add gallon of boiling water, mixing thoroughly.
When lukewarn (70 degrees F.), add yeast, cover, and set in warm (70-75 degrees F.) place 4-5 days, stirring daily.
(2)Strain throught very fine nylon sieve or double thickness of muslin onto sugar and nutrient.
Stir well to dissolve sugar and pour into secondary fermentation vessel of dark glass (or wrap clear glass with brown paper) to top of shoulder, and fit airlock.
Ferment excess liquor in appropriately sized bottle fitted with airlock or covered with plastic wrap held by rubber band.
(3)After all foaming has ceased (6-7 days), top up with excess liquor and place in cool (60-65 degrees F.) dark place for three months.
(4)Rack, allow another two months to finish
(5)Rack again and bottle in dark glass. Allow 6 months to age, a year to mature. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry's 130 New Winemaking Recipes]
Notes
This recipe was taken from Jack Keller's page here.
This is my first attempt at making Blackberry wine and the first year of making any wine at all.
4 lb blackberries
3 lb granulated sugar
1 gallon water
Wine yeast and Nutrient
Method
(1)Pick fully ripe, best quality berries.
Wash thoroughly in colander, then crush in bowl, transfer to primary fermentation vessel, and add gallon of boiling water, mixing thoroughly.
When lukewarn (70 degrees F.), add yeast, cover, and set in warm (70-75 degrees F.) place 4-5 days, stirring daily.
(2)Strain throught very fine nylon sieve or double thickness of muslin onto sugar and nutrient.
Stir well to dissolve sugar and pour into secondary fermentation vessel of dark glass (or wrap clear glass with brown paper) to top of shoulder, and fit airlock.
Ferment excess liquor in appropriately sized bottle fitted with airlock or covered with plastic wrap held by rubber band.
(3)After all foaming has ceased (6-7 days), top up with excess liquor and place in cool (60-65 degrees F.) dark place for three months.
(4)Rack, allow another two months to finish
(5)Rack again and bottle in dark glass. Allow 6 months to age, a year to mature. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry's 130 New Winemaking Recipes]
Notes
This recipe was taken from Jack Keller's page here.
This is my first attempt at making Blackberry wine and the first year of making any wine at all.
Tuesday 9 August 2011
Spiced Wild Fruits Chutney
Recipe
Notes
This is a modified recipe from http://www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/1049/spiced-plum-chutney-recipe/
One reservation i have is that it does generate a rather sloppy chutney.
It may be better to add the bigger ingredients like the plums or Blackberries almost at the end so they hold their shape better.
To remove (pit) the stones from the wild plums i simply used brute force and pressed the fruit until it burst then fished out the stone.
You soon realise that if the fruit is not ripe the stone will take half the fruit with it but when ripe the stone will be dinstinctly separate.
1.5kg wild plums
500g cooking apples
2 oranges
200g Sultanas
200g Blackberries
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp ground cinnamon
300ml red wine vinegar
500g demerara sugar
Method:
Remove stones from plums
Peal, core and dice the apples
Grate the Peel from the oranges and squeeze their juice into a large pan.
Add the rest of the ingredients
Heat and stir until Sugar dissolved
Simmer until thick and syrupy
Place in sterilised preserving jars
Notes
This is a modified recipe from http://www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/1049/spiced-plum-chutney-recipe/
One reservation i have is that it does generate a rather sloppy chutney.
It may be better to add the bigger ingredients like the plums or Blackberries almost at the end so they hold their shape better.
To remove (pit) the stones from the wild plums i simply used brute force and pressed the fruit until it burst then fished out the stone.
You soon realise that if the fruit is not ripe the stone will take half the fruit with it but when ripe the stone will be dinstinctly separate.
Saturday 6 August 2011
Hawthorn Chutney
Recipe
2 lbs ( 900gms) ( 8 cups) of haw berries
3/4 lb ( 350 gms) (11/2 cups) brown sugar
1 pint ( 1/2 litres) of cider vinegar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp of salt.
1/4 tsp spoon cloves
Plenty of fresh black pepper.
1/4 lb ( 115 gms) ( 1 cup) of dried fruit
Method
Remove any stalks and black ended berries
Wash berries and place in large saucepan.
Add vinegar and salt.
Bring to Boil and simmer for 1 hour.
Press pulp through sieve into another saucepan.
Add the remaining ingredients
Bring to the boil again stirring continuously.
Turn down heat slightly until mixture thickens.
Pour into jars and seal.
Notes
This is basically a compaction from http://earthlinksall.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/hawthorn-chutney-recipe/
I made this chutney late last year, giving it to my unsuspecting relatives at Christmas. They just rang me up saying they'd loved every drop of it and only just (August) finished it.
2 lbs ( 900gms) ( 8 cups) of haw berries
3/4 lb ( 350 gms) (11/2 cups) brown sugar
1 pint ( 1/2 litres) of cider vinegar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp of salt.
1/4 tsp spoon cloves
Plenty of fresh black pepper.
1/4 lb ( 115 gms) ( 1 cup) of dried fruit
Method
Remove any stalks and black ended berries
Wash berries and place in large saucepan.
Add vinegar and salt.
Bring to Boil and simmer for 1 hour.
Press pulp through sieve into another saucepan.
Add the remaining ingredients
Bring to the boil again stirring continuously.
Turn down heat slightly until mixture thickens.
Pour into jars and seal.
Notes
This is basically a compaction from http://earthlinksall.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/hawthorn-chutney-recipe/
I made this chutney late last year, giving it to my unsuspecting relatives at Christmas. They just rang me up saying they'd loved every drop of it and only just (August) finished it.
Plum Wine
Recipe3 1/2 lb Ripe wild plums
3lb Honey
1 Pack Yeast
1 Campden tablet
4.5 Litres boiling water
Method
(1)Wash plums and blend in blender (do in batches)
Place blended plums in bucket and add boiling water
Stir with wooden spoon.
Leave for ten days.
(2)Skim off any surface residue and mould carefully.
Strain using funnel and sieve or Muslin cloth into Demijohn
Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Add yeast and give final stir.
Cork with Airlock
Leave until fermentation has completed.
(3)Skim off any surface residue
Strain again using mulsin cloth into bucket.
Add crushed Campden tablet
Decant into bottles.
(4)Ready in six months. Better after nine.
Notes
This is a modified recipe from http://grapestomper.com/recplum.html and their "Easy Plum Wine Recipe (one gallon recipe) " recipe.
Update
Now Bottled and (based on 6 months) will be ready by February.
3lb Honey
1 Pack Yeast
1 Campden tablet
4.5 Litres boiling water
Method
(1)Wash plums and blend in blender (do in batches)
Place blended plums in bucket and add boiling water
Stir with wooden spoon.
Leave for ten days.
(2)Skim off any surface residue and mould carefully.
Strain using funnel and sieve or Muslin cloth into Demijohn
Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Add yeast and give final stir.
Cork with Airlock
Leave until fermentation has completed.
(3)Skim off any surface residue
Strain again using mulsin cloth into bucket.
Add crushed Campden tablet
Decant into bottles.
(4)Ready in six months. Better after nine.
Notes
This is a modified recipe from http://grapestomper.com/recplum.html and their "Easy Plum Wine Recipe (one gallon recipe) " recipe.
Update
Now Bottled and (based on 6 months) will be ready by February.
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