'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness'

[jenny_haddow]

I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but I do get the greatest pleasure from spending half an hour in the garden and coming back with this lot.



It's that time of year when you can never find enough preserving jars to accomodate the bounty. So far I've made plum jam, dumpsie dearie jam(from Gloucestershire, it means windfalls), Chinese plum sauce, and a great chutney to includes the marrows that proliferate and which required a good shot of scotch whiskey, that's going to be a good one!
As there are just the two of us, I can see the family will be going home clutching jars of jam etc., but the satisfaction is all in the gathering and preserving don't you think?

Cheers

Jen

[saucisson]

I'm just eyeing up all those hedgerow blackberries and elderberries at the moment.

Dave

[jenny_haddow]

I have the best blackberry thicket in front of my house, the freezer is full and the kilner jars stand resplendant full of blackberry jelly (cant stand the pips). In an nearby lane I have had an abundance of golden bullaces, and sloes are there ready lurking, just waiting for the gin!! Spotted a medlar tree too, need to look up recipes for those.

Cheers

Jen

[Spuddy]

Spotted a medlar tree too, need to look up recipes for those.

Jen

Makes good wine if you're into that too.

[jenny_haddow]

My dad does so he might be interested in a few. Interestingly I've just read it's a member of the rose family, which is logical when you think of the form of the fruit.

[BBQer]

Harvesting the bounty. How can you not like that?!

It's magical, it's envigorating, it's therapeutic on so many levels (to me at least).

[sausagemaker]

Hi Jenny

We are a bit behind up here but once they start to ripen I be collecting & making wine.
Just found a pear tree in the park near my house so that's in for a good picking.
I have had a few brambles & sloes up to now but nothing else to speak of.

Regards
Sausagemaker

[saucisson]

Sloes?, I thought that they were a month or two away.

Dave

[jenny_haddow]

Further investigation of medlars revealed this interesting site. It's worth clicking on recipes and having a look at the pies amongst other things. I do covet the pie mould!
http://www.historicfood.com/medlar%20cheese%20recipe.htm

[vinner]

The fall tomatoes are just now setting fruit, and the lime trees are making for many key lime tartlets for gatherings right not. For some reason, the lemons are also ripening (early) so preserving some for tagines and making much limoncello. The grapefruit and oranges, the tangerines are all on track. The apples, alas, have gone to the birds.

[jenny_haddow]

I could trade you some tomatoes, but limes? That would be nice. What kind of birds do you have that eat apples? I grow lemons, but it's indoors in the winter and outdoors in the summer, but they keep going, and fruit all year round.

[pokerpete]

I have the best blackberry thicket in front of my house, the freezer is full and the kilner jars stand resplendant full of blackberry jelly (cant stand the pips). In an nearby lane I have had an abundance of golden bullaces, and sloes are there ready lurking, just waiting for the gin!! Spotted a medlar tree too, need to look up recipes for those.

Cheers

Jen

All yummy stuff Jenny. But wherever you are don't pick your sloes until you've had a hard frost.

[jenny_haddow]

Pete, I had a couple of carrier bags full last year in late October, the gin should go down a treat for this New Year!

[vinner]

Jen:

Houston is in the sub tropics, so citrus is easy. The apples are a bit more of a chore, as we need 300 hours per year below 40 degrees F to set fruit. Birds? We have what we call Grackjles here, big black birds that are fruit lovers...

[Rik vonTrense]

If you can leave the sloes until late october and harvest them just before the birds start to eat them they make the most fantastic wine imaginable
as close to Port as you will get.

I usually clip the branches off and the kids pick them on a blanket and this helps to thin out the blackthorn thickets. All you need is a couple of buckets of fruit and you can make ten gallons from those.

A very fruity wine with such a deep colour it warms your heart just to look at it.


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