Monday, January 23, 2012
Invigorating
A word we use when we are too polite to say "freezing the bollocks off". Actually it wasn't really that cold down the lottie yesterday, and I worked like a navvy so I was actually a bit clammy by the time I had finished. I got stuck into the raspberries, chopped the whole lot down, removed a few rogue suckers and some old wood. They look much tidier now and I even had a little hack at the gooseberries, so they grow outwards more (easier to pick!).
I then had a big of a dig in the soon-to-be onion bed, pulled out the old nasturtium vines and chucked them in the compost, threw a layer of sand over my top path which tends to get grassy in spring, though that might calm it down a bit. I pulled out a couple of dead brussel sprout plants and generally had a wee tidy up and a prune. I also did something a bit sneaky which may or may not work. My neighbour has 3 lovely grapevines. I noticed that she had pruned them and the vine cuttings were lying in a big pile by the path. I nicked about 6 or 7 of them.... Even though they were not just cut, I read that any trimmed wood will retake if put in the soil, so I stuck them into a pot with some sandy compost. I wouldn't take any living plants or crops, but as the dead wood was just lying there - I figured a few sticks missing won't be noticed. Except later I might have to explain how I got a grapevine :-S That is, if they even take, it's a bit of a long shot. But as the vine had been trimmed, I couldn't ask her to cut even more off, and I only see her once in a blue moon. if they take I will admit to my bit of thievery. So that was my confession for this week.
And after my criminal activity, I packed up and went home with 4 leeks, a bag of sprouts and some green kale. Yum yum.
In the house, the onion seedlings are doing well! I am chuffed as I have never grown onion from seed before. I even sowed another two pots, to see how they get on. I did half and half of Bedfordshire Champion and Ailsa Craig.
I then had a big of a dig in the soon-to-be onion bed, pulled out the old nasturtium vines and chucked them in the compost, threw a layer of sand over my top path which tends to get grassy in spring, though that might calm it down a bit. I pulled out a couple of dead brussel sprout plants and generally had a wee tidy up and a prune. I also did something a bit sneaky which may or may not work. My neighbour has 3 lovely grapevines. I noticed that she had pruned them and the vine cuttings were lying in a big pile by the path. I nicked about 6 or 7 of them.... Even though they were not just cut, I read that any trimmed wood will retake if put in the soil, so I stuck them into a pot with some sandy compost. I wouldn't take any living plants or crops, but as the dead wood was just lying there - I figured a few sticks missing won't be noticed. Except later I might have to explain how I got a grapevine :-S That is, if they even take, it's a bit of a long shot. But as the vine had been trimmed, I couldn't ask her to cut even more off, and I only see her once in a blue moon. if they take I will admit to my bit of thievery. So that was my confession for this week.
And after my criminal activity, I packed up and went home with 4 leeks, a bag of sprouts and some green kale. Yum yum.
In the house, the onion seedlings are doing well! I am chuffed as I have never grown onion from seed before. I even sowed another two pots, to see how they get on. I did half and half of Bedfordshire Champion and Ailsa Craig.
Labels: grapes, onions, raspberry, winter
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Blackberry liqueur and grape jelly
Almost forgot- as I went blackberry picking during the holidays, I made the inevitable jam and also decided to trymaking blackberry liqueur.
I took a big empty passata jar and filled it two thirds with ripe blackberries. Then filled up the jar with supermarket brand vodka.
At the end of the month I will need to strain it and add half a cup of sugar syrup. Another month to mature and it should be good to drink :-D
While we blackberried, the kids made a good find - wild grapes. We pick our berries in a grape growing area and many grapevines run wild. They picked a dish full of wild grapes, too sour to eat raw but I heard from Bob Flowerdew thatgrapes make great jelly, so I cooked them up, strained the juice out, mashing the grapes with a saucer; there was about a pound of juice, put in a pound of sugar and boiled it up. It did indeed make terrific jelly, just one great big jar of it (I am running out of jam jars), so maybe next year I will get another chance at that one!
I took a big empty passata jar and filled it two thirds with ripe blackberries. Then filled up the jar with supermarket brand vodka.
At the end of the month I will need to strain it and add half a cup of sugar syrup. Another month to mature and it should be good to drink :-D
While we blackberried, the kids made a good find - wild grapes. We pick our berries in a grape growing area and many grapevines run wild. They picked a dish full of wild grapes, too sour to eat raw but I heard from Bob Flowerdew thatgrapes make great jelly, so I cooked them up, strained the juice out, mashing the grapes with a saucer; there was about a pound of juice, put in a pound of sugar and boiled it up. It did indeed make terrific jelly, just one great big jar of it (I am running out of jam jars), so maybe next year I will get another chance at that one!
Labels: blackberry, drink, grapes, jam, recipe
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