Sloe poke

Bottling sloe gin is normally done in the winter - preferably in time to enjoy the fruits of your not-labour at Christmas. But better late than never - I've been periodically looking at, gently agitating and thinking of these beautiful jewel-coloured jars since October when I picked the fruit and had my first go at liqueurs.

Tonight I had a first go at bottling two of the three and I learned the following:

• Logically, to the initial alcohol you have added sugar and fruitness, both of which increase the volume - I have been astonished at how much gin came out of the jar, given how much went in. Note to self - get more bottles than you think you need.
• Bottling fruit liqueurs is best not started at 10PM on a weeknight. It takes time for the drip-drip-drip slow separation of alcohol from fruit (as though they are only parting reluctantly, having had such a great roadtrip together these crazy months from clear, transparent liquid through faintly pink to deep amethyst.)
• Straining the fruit is easier if you can support the fruit and go away and leave it - standing holding the muslin full of fruit with your nose full of the smell is both tantalising and boring.
• In view of both of the above points, it is better to bottle one liqueur at a time and not attempt two or three at the same time.

However, don't let this put you off. Standing at 11.30PM watching a slightly mesmeric process still beats the leather pants off watching Strictly Come Dancing, so I'm still pretty pleased with my evening's work. And ultimately, this will be a rich harvest for a pleasant autumn walk and a couple of brief kitchen sessions. You could genuinely spend more time designing a label for your gin than actually making it. Though I will invest in some more bottles and consider how to construct a means to hang the bag overnight in the future. (As well as design some proper labels).

I can't wait for the tasting. In the meantime, I think I need to find a better place than under the kitchen sink so I can frequently look on and admire this store cupboard staple!

Blast from the past: Crab apple jelly

Well, I have finally managed to establish a connection between my laptop and my camera, which means (a) no need to buy a new camer and (b) I can finally share pictures of long-ago-mentioned craftiness.

You may recall this entry on my attempt to make crab abble jelly. It eventually turned into crab apple glue, but I had so much fun trying! Finally, I can bring you the pictures! The best bits of the whole process were (1) the lovely appley smell, which I cannot obviously convey by internet, and (2) the amazingly warm colours. Feast your eyes:








I particularly love the colour in the last one. If only I had a crab apple tree now! But alas, my parents have moved and I live in a fourth floor apartment in the city centre - therefore trees, at least, are rather beyond my capabilities at this time. Oh, for an organsed forage!

Jam - or something related to it

So yesterday was jam-making day. Berries duly collected and debugged (the insects are different here than in the UK. Bigger and creepier. I don't really do bugs. Ugh!). Removing the berries from the stalks took so long and was so boring. For future reference: bring a friend for this process. Also, I was going for jam but given how difficult it was to get all the stalks out and how persistant the various insects were, I'd go for jelly if you've got the time and the muslin cloth. You see, how I learn all these things by trial and error? In another twenty years or so, I'll be an expert at jams and jellies of all sorts and running workshops for the local WI. (Can I insert an evil cackle here?)

Then came the stewing to draw out juices, the addition of cooked apple for pectin and sugar, and finally the boiling. This used to be my favourite part of jam-making when 'helping' my mum, and I still love the colours, smells, and the translucent sheen on the boiling fruit. My problem? I still don't really know what I'm doing. Maybe not enough apple/pectin, maybe not enough acid/cider vinegar, maybe not enough sugar. But not enough of something, because I boiled it for nearly an hour yesterday, finally gave up and potted it, and it still hasn't set. I did test it repeatedly, but no discernible progress was made. So I have four pots of elderberry and apple coulis, which may not last as I did not have the wax discs and cellophane covers favoured by my mother. I left a half-inch or so gap, tightened the lids and hoped that as the jam cooled, this would create a bit of a vacuum. Not sure if it worked, but hey.

Which brings me to my final concern. I'm not actually certain that they are elderberries. When one of my housemates asked where I got them, and I explained where the tree was, he looked at me with such horror and fear that I called my parents and googled frantically. I've looked at several hundred pictures of elderberries online, and they all look exactly like the fruit I picked. I'm as sure as someone who has never before visually identified an elder tree could possibly be. Watch this space - I want to check this out before I actually eat the jam/coulis/soup.

So now I have jelly with is overset and jam which is underset. A healthy balance, then. :D

Wibble Wobble, Wibble Wobble, Jelly on a Plate...

Yesterday, I went exploring. I was hunting for my nearest Brico (chain of DIY and gardening stores), which is allegedly 15 minutes' walk away but of course I got lost, ended up walking 2 communes too far, and eventually arrived an hour later. I did find it however, and on my way spotted a number of berries which looked suspiciously edible. Research on the web when I got home suggested to me that they are elderberries. There's loads of them by the side of the road, and no one else seems to want them, so...

Of course, my first thought is jam/jellies. I have often dreamed of the traditional Edwardian housekeeper's office, with its shelves of jellies, jams, chutneys and cheeses all lined up... I'm the kind of person who would put little gingham circles over the lids and tie them with raffia or ribbon, just to make them look pretty. However, my first step into the world of fruit-preservation was not an out-and-out success.

About 3-4 weeks ago, I turned my hand to making crab apple jelly. It was the first time anyone has touched the crab apple tree in my parents' garden, and they moved in 15 years ago (picture of the tree above, taken Spring 2008). The poor overlooked apples needed some attention, thought I. An unused jelly bag was excavated from my mother's kitchen, and I carefully collected, chopped, simmered and strained the fruit. It smelt delicious and the juice came out this beautiful shade of pink. (Pictures will follow when I get the link between camera and computer up and running again). Sadly, I simmered the juice and sugar for too long and the jelly went way past the setting point. It's crab apple glue, rather than crab apple jelly. Tastes nice, but a challenge to spread on your toast. However, with the elderberries I am limited by the fact that I only have one empty jar on this side of the Sleeve, and that's probably just as well. (Although I have also found a recipe for elderberry and apple jam online, and am toying with that idea too. Saves me the trouble of using an old pillowcase as a jelly-bag!)

So, as I can only make one jar's worth, I plan to eat some with porridge and with my now-traditional Sunday morning drop scones, and maybe make a smoothie/milkshake thing. I would welcome any suggestions of other uses to put them to. My options are rather limited by the fact that my Belgian bank has seen fit to freeze my account this week (naturally the week my rent is due), leaving me to rely on my emergency fund (traveller's cheques) until they start talking sense again. I see from the Barefoot Gypsy Blog that you can dry them. This sounds like a fantastic idea, although I'm wondering whether you just lay them out on kitchen towel in a cool, dark place, or if it's more complicated than that. Any ideas?

This is of course assuming they are elderberries and not deadly nightshade or something...