I always try to make sure I have extra foraged or pick-your-own fruit to put in the freezer so we can enjoy it throughout the winter in baking. Then I either forget to use it or “save” it for a… Read More ›
Foraging
It’s all about that Quince: Jelly, Paste and Brandy
If you are lucky enough to have a quince tree in your garden (or know someone who does) it is worth making the effort to use them. And it is quite an effort as they are difficult to peel and… Read More ›
Quince and Ginger Cake
When I moved into my new house I was really pleased to have a “mature” garden, full of interesting plants, bushes and even a pear tree. It has a real cottage garden look to it. It was actually a little… Read More ›
Mini Blackberry Bakewell Tarts
There are still blackberries to be found in some places. I even spotted a few late ones near me the other day but to all intents and purposes they are finished for the year where I live. So the blackberries… Read More ›
Wild Plum Jam – from the hedgerows
I absolutely love the turn of the season when the hedgerows start to go wild and there is fruit everywhere. Not just blackberries but sloes, elderberries, hawthorn, rosehips and crab apples, amongst other things. I spend a lot of my… Read More ›
Blackberry and Lime Polenta Cake
The hedgerows where I live are full of ripe blackberries at the moment and I have discovered new places to pick them not too far from home. I didn’t manage to do any fruit picking this year as I found… Read More ›
Crab Apple and Rosemary Jelly
If you start looking for crab apples in the Autumn, you will be amazed at how many you will find. A couple of years ago my friend Gilly gave me a large bag of pink crab apples from her mum’s… Read More ›
Making fruit jellies: Redcurrant and Blackberry Jellies
I haven’t made a lot of jellies in the past for a couple of reasons. Firstly they seemed all a bit too much effort, and secondly I thought it was a waste of good fruit: a lot of it gets… Read More ›
Apple and Elderberry Crumble
When you are out picking blackberries, don’t forget that elderberries make a good addition to a crumble too! Elderberry trees tend to be found in the same sorts of places as blackberry bushes so if you are lucky you can… Read More ›
Making Blackberry Gin and Vodka – and Llama Trekking…
You may recall that recently I have given tap dancing, cheerleading, indoor sky diving, wakeboarding and singing a go, all thanks to a group I belong to with the aim of trying out new experiences. Each month or so one… Read More ›