What are you preserving today?

by Guest 5th June 2010, 4:56 pm

Well it has started with a bang this year after whinging about a late start!

Preserving the harvest BEGINS!! What are you preserving today? 142796

Today we have:
Bottle in light syrup 5x1litre bottles of morello cherries with 5x0.5litre bottles of pitted cherries.

Pitted a further 3.5kg of morello cherries and frozen them in large bags laying flat so lumps can be broken off. Pitting cherries a slow job but think of the winter when they will be so appreciated!

Frozen on flat trays several pounds of strawberries for later addition into summer puddings, as the extensive rain has made them a little too watery for jamming.

Elderflowers collected and steeping for elderflower champagne and another for elderflower cordial.

....and there are a lot more cherries to get in and process!

by Guest 5th June 2010, 8:24 pm

Ah what Zoe did not say was that the de-stoning of the cherries was aided by my new 'toy'....

What are you preserving today? Dencombi-1-p

I first came across these when I lived in Germany and they seemed to be a basic requirement for every household! They are of a simple construction and very robust and also do plumbs too.

by Mam Miniog 5th June 2010, 10:15 pm

Elderflowers collected here too for champagne and cordial, wild rose petals collected and added to sugar as the first step to home made 'wax' for leg (not quite a preserve though). Also got a load of strawberries to make jam with tomorrow. What are you preserving today? Icon_biggrin

by Sparhawk 6th June 2010, 2:09 am

Wood Troll wrote:Ah what Zoe did not say was that the de-stoning of the cherries was aided by my new 'toy'....

I first came across these when I lived in Germany and they seemed to be a basic requirement for every household! They are of a simple construction and very robust and also do plumbs too.

Hmm, what called? So I can look on fleabay... What are you preserving today? Icon_lol

by Guest 6th June 2010, 1:05 pm

The model shown is translated as a "Cherry and plum stoner" by Westmark, it was under 25euros new. They may be called a cherry pitter though.....

by Wilhelm Von Rhomboid 6th June 2010, 1:55 pm

I always bottle cherries with the stones in. I am convinced they taste better thus.

The trick to freezing them and any small berries etc , IMO, is to spread them on on baking trays with a silicon sheet and put them in the freezer thus, then bag them up once they are frozen so they come out individually.

by Compostwoman 6th June 2010, 2:06 pm

Yep, thats how we do it for any small item ( sliced courgettes, green beanes etc etc )

by Dandelion 6th June 2010, 2:24 pm

I'm not preserving at the moment, just looking to see what we can eat from the freezer to make room for the harvest to come! (The plum tree is looking good this year, though the gage seems to have died.)

by Guest 7th June 2010, 8:48 pm

If you are short of time it is worth trying the freeze a flat layer of produce in a bag. The all you have to do is bash it gently on a table and the individual items break apart. It means you don't have things freezing uncovered and you don't have to do the second (often forgotten stage) of putting the items into boxes or bags!

by Sparhawk 8th June 2010, 12:34 am

Zoe wrote:The model shown is translated as a "Cherry and plum stoner" by Westmark, it was under 25euros new. They may be called a cherry pitter though.....

Thanks, may just have a look & play...

by chickenofthewoods 8th June 2010, 9:18 am

Bottling some syrups today: Hawthorn, rose petal and elderflower. I've also been drying elderflowers for later use in teas and coled remedies.

by Guest 10th June 2010, 5:41 pm

I done some rose water to try in strawberry icecream... What are you preserving today? Icon_cool

Morello cherry jam, strawberry jam, yet more elderflower cordial and elderflower champagne.
Looking at morello cherry wine - anyone done this?
and perhaps even juice as we have loads on two trees.

by chickenofthewoods 8th July 2010, 7:26 pm

Just been bottling up a really nice batch of lemon pickle (kinda like lime pickle). It tastes really good now, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it is when its matured for a couple of months.

by Guest 9th July 2010, 12:10 pm

Do you grow lemons C-o'the woods??!! If so I thread might be interesting...I know how not to grow them (2 trees died), but have 10 baby trees in pots.

One the preserving the harvest front I am trying to put away something everyday for those leaner times. Just cleared the peas and petit pois and frozen them...pealla futures!

by chickenofthewoods 9th July 2010, 8:28 pm

I really wish I did Zoe but sadly, no. I just got lucky enough to lay my hands on a big pile of organic lemons and have been happily trying them out in various lemony recipes for the last week (which reminds me, I left a jar of lemon pickle lacto-fermenting out in the garden - must remember to bring that one in!). I'm willing to bet someone here knows how to advise you though, it's that kind of place! What are you preserving today? Icon_biggrin

by polgara 14th July 2010, 5:38 pm

Made 2 small jars of pickled beetroot.

Prepared a load of veg for a couple of jars of mustard pickle for OH.

Shallots still drying befor I pickle them

by Guest 14th July 2010, 10:31 pm

Shallots are in the brine tonight!

by Compostwoman 14th July 2010, 10:39 pm

Mine are drying on the rack, with an load more to harvest when it has all dried out a bit more...we have had a LOT of rain today....from parched to a quagmire, indeed!

Tayberries frozen as neither CM or I have time at the moment to make jam...so we have time shifted them by dint of freezing them ...hopefully only for a few weeks!

by Aberlemno 15th July 2010, 4:26 pm

Blackcurrants here, just being prepared and then flash frozen for the freezer, until I decide if I will make jam or wine with some of them later on. A brilliant year for blackcurrants. Raspberries are being eaten as they ripen! Courgettes being used as they are big enough (trying to keep ahead of the glut).

Zoe - did you try the morello cherry wine? If you have lots in the freezer you could make industrial quantities of cherry brandy . . .

by polgara 15th July 2010, 5:20 pm

Made several jars of mustard pickle today, will have to wait till OH has finished the bought jar he has before he tries it. Me I hate it, but then he likes it & this way he has good food.

chef2

by Guest 15th July 2010, 6:22 pm

Aberlemno wrote:Zoe - did you try the morello cherry wine? If you have lots in the freezer you could make industrial quantities of cherry brandy . . .

Aber - Yes to the wine! I have two demi john worth waiting to be racked. I have made one litre of Cherry Brandy with the amazingly strong flavoured sour cherries. We do have many more cherries in the freezer but the problem with the brandy is that you have to buy the brandy!

polgara wrote:Made several jars of mustard pickle today, will have to wait till OH has finished the bought jar he has before he tries it. Me I hate it, but then he likes it & this way he has good food.

Pol - have you tried your home made? I find many things that I would not eat "shop bought" are worth eating when they are your own.

by polgara 15th July 2010, 10:25 pm

Not yet, but the smell of most pickles put me off, main problem is I don`t eat a lot of veg, & cauliflower comes into the definately NOT area.

I do eat me onions though & sometimes the plum or apple chutney.

by Aberlemno 16th July 2010, 7:04 am

Pol - by mustard pickle do you mean something like Piccallilli? I used to make that for my mum - seems like a lifetime ago now. I just adore making chutneys, pickles, jams and jellies, but I'm the only one that eats any of them in this house so I end up giving as presents or selling surplus at car boot sales . . .

Zoe - I know what you mean about cherry brandy - having to buy the brandy first! You will have to sort out a Still . . . They have Cherry lager in Belgium but I have to say, I'd rather stick to the non-cherry stuff! I found a sensibly-priced Rumptopf jar this summer, when we were house-sitting in the New Forest, and I have just invested in half a bottle of white rum and will start layering it . . .

by polgara 16th July 2010, 8:04 am

Yep Abers like piccalli but not cut so small. That would have taken for ever.
There is so much satisfaction in making things & people do love them as gifts.

by Chilli-head 16th July 2010, 11:48 am

Aberlemno wrote:
Zoe - I know what you mean about cherry brandy - having to buy the brandy first! You will have to sort out a Still . . .

Can you do that legally in France ? Distilling your own is considered naughty here What are you preserving today? Icon_cry

by Sponsored content

What are you preserving today?

What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?

Re: What are you preserving today?