Eating seasonally

[skier-hughes]

PS

Why is this thread so wide? I have to use the scroll bar at the bottom to read a line from one end to the other.

It's long links or big pictures that force the formatting of the page larger than normal.

Turn the page and the link is no longer on the page you are viewing and you are back to normal.

 

[Jocelyn]

Hear, Hear Moo! There is glut of sloe gin brewing in the Holy Land. This week's Country Life says ready for drinking in 2 months!

Jocelyn

 

[Nemesis]

Erm - I think mine was ready for drinking in about two days.. ;-)

 

[Moo]

It's long links or big pictures that force the formatting of the page larger than normal.

Curiouser and curiouser.

I turned back to page 1 to see which long link had cause the wide-screen effect, and lo! The hugely long link had a line-break in it and the page was a normal size.


And - talking of damsons - an allotment neighbour begged me to harvest some damsons from his groaning trees and I now have eight jars of the first chutney that I've ever made (thanks, Delia) in my larder. Not to be opened until Christmas, she says.

 

[Nemesis]

Not so curious - I took out the offending link and replaced with another shorter one.

What a waste of damsons! Some should have made gin - not to be drunk until... well, rather rapidly in my case!

Freeze them first and that releases the juice easily. Prick with a fork, stick in a jar, about a third to a half full, add Aldi cheap gin. A spot of sugar can be added to taste but I prefer it without. Or a sugar syrup can be added at the nd of the process. Wonderful. Trouble is it's so tempting to keep trying it to see how it's doing...

I made Delia's damson chutney once but I have to say it wasn't the best I've ever eaten, you may have more luck. I'm in the middle of plum chutney making. And probably green bean chutney too, we have so many.

I am now waiting for the lone pear to ripen, although we have apples to come by the zillion.

 

[Penners]

I am now waiting for the lone pear to ripen.

I always appreciate a nice pear. :shock:

 

[NT]

I've had a huge harvest of zero courgettes and pumpkins this year thanks to the gastropods. Quite disappointing. Will have to convert to trees & bushes.

NT

 

[Nemesis]

Small crop of damsons and large bottle of gin is an excellent slug repellant.

I haven't seen one all evening.

 

[Penners]

I understand that's also a wonderful deterrent to camels. I bet you haven't seen one of them, either...

...unless you've had that extra glass of damson gin.

 

[Nemesis]

Elephants - pink ones... doesn't seem to deter those.

 

[Moo]

Can we scrap this, please and let it die the death it deserves.
A thread about garden produce and inebriation has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of this forum

 

[Nemesis]

Moo - go and have looong lie down.

It had died until you resurrected it.

 

[middi]

Unlike all you good people of leisure I have no time to idulge into growing home crops.

I must add that apart from fruit trees I have a fantastic crop of nettles where the lawn mower cannot reach.

 

[thiambal]

I must add that apart from fruit trees I have a fantastic crop of nettles where the lawn mower cannot reach.

So have I, and I keep bloody stinging myself on them en-route to the shed!

Dock leaves don't work either! :evil:

 

[Nemesis]

I could point out you can make wine from them and eat them too but...

Actually our crop growing is for food, not an indulgence - as with cottagers through the ages.

Nettles though - often a strong patch where a former outside privy was, a hen run (which is where ours are best) or a pig sty.

I recommend Anthesan - better than dock leaves.

http://www.nettles.org.uk/

http://www.highlanderweb.co.uk/nettles.htm

 

[middi]

....AHhh...., That explains why my nettles are the best in the village.

The lady that owns the land adjacient to mine said that in that corner of the land used to be an old chicken run.

My grandmother used to boil the roots for something or other whenever she felt poorly. Nettle soup I have heard of, never had the pleasure of tasting nettle savignon.

 

[Ushy M]

Can one make plum gin then? I've made enough chutney and jam to feed an army and have taken to accosting unsuspecting strangers passing the house and thrusting carrier bags full of plums at then. I never want to see another plum again - however am prepared to turn to alcohol!

 

[Nemesis]

You too... it's been a good plum year! But yes our compost heap is now getting the surplus, there comes a point you have to say enough. Apples next. They aren't so demanding.

I haven't yet tried plum gin, but why not ? What's the worst that can happen? (Hic)

Co-op is cheapest I've found, Aldi is good too...

Plum vodka ... hmmmmm.

Nettles apparently make good wine - I keep meaning to try that one.

 

[Moo]

Moo - go and have looong lie down.

It had died until you resurrected it.

Sorry, Evelyn. I was just quoting from another thread.

 

[Nemesis]

I suggest another looong lie down - very different context. And the other has been removed.