Damsons may be a labour of love but they are worth it for the taste and the deep vibrant colour. If you find some, pick them and remember where you found them for next year. Having been on the lookout for them this… Read More ›
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Blackcurrant Jam and growing your own fruit
Last weekend I went to stay at my parents’ for a couple of nights while they were away. They have a relatively small garden but it is full of beautiful flowers, fruit and vegetables: they spend hours on it and… Read More ›
Bakewell Tart – and Alicante
Last week I got to spend a few days in Alicante on the Costa Blanca in Spain, visiting my friends who are spending a year sailing around the Mediterranean. They are wintering in southern Spain while they wait for the… 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 ›
Rhubarb Jam
I have been making jam for the past few years and I have tried several times, without success, to make rhubarb jam. Instead of a lovely soft jam, I end up with a sort of burnt rhubarb “toffee”. I hate… Read More ›
Almond Bakewell Slices
It’s half term here in the UK and we are visiting my parents on the Isle of Wight again. Despite wind speeds of 99mph recorded at the Needles Battery on the night of the huge storm we had in the… 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 ›
Jam Session – tips for making homemade jam
I may have mentioned (just the once or twice) that I love to go fruit picking in the summer. It’s a fun and delicious way to spend a few hours and a great way to make sure the kids get… Read More ›
Bakewell Sponge – a lighter slice
If you like the flavours of Bakewell Tart but would prefer something lighter and more summery without the pastry and frangipane filling, this is the sponge for you. This is an almond flavoured sponge, filled with cherry jam and topped… Read More ›
Homemade Apricot Jam
Apricot jam has to be my all time favourite jam and one of the added bonuses of a summer holiday in France by car is that you can buy fruit by the crate in the supermarkets and bring it home to make… Read More ›
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