My baby ate blackberries!

On Friday we took Orren to the allotment for a foraging session and gave him a blackberry to enjoy.  He examined it carefully the gently stroked it's shiny black bumps before squashing it into his little fist and slurping it from his hand.  He had juice all over his face, hand, arm and top, but a happy smile on his face!  I think he enjoyed it.

Jam making

I made jam for the first time last week, it was perhaps the most stressful thing I have ever done in the kitchen, all that heat and steam, testing and measuring, boiling and bubbling, sterilising and stirring!  But I am pleased with the results, 9 jars of delicious plum jam which should keep me going for oh say 9 weeks!! (I love jam!)
It was definitely worth doing and I have a general sense of smugness knowing that I have saved money on jam and jars having foraged for the plums, so they were free and re-used old jars, also free, and I am now self-sufficient for jam for a good few months I hope.
Gathering the plums was also a delight, I used my cherry picker (looks a bit like a finshing net with a claw on the end) the plums are smaller than the commercial kind, but jkust as sweet and tasty!  We gatheres small yellow ones from a group of bushes wild red ones, and purple ones that were over hanging onto a foot path from someone's garden (used thos for a plum cake).
I thought I would share the recipe with you, not many photos I am afraid, I was too stressed to take any!

6lbs (2.7kg) plums, de stoned,
61/2lbs (3kg) sugar,
1/2pint (0.3 litre) water,
1 packet of pectin (optional).

Wash and de-stone the plums and cut in half, crush the stones and place in a muslin bag, they have most of the pectin in them and this process saves straining them out after).  Simmer with the water until tender, test for pectin by putting a teaspoon of cooled fruit juice into a jar with 3 tsp of methylated spirit, shake and leave a minute, it the fruit juice has formed a lump then you have enough pectin, if not add commercial pectin.
Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Remove the stones and boil hard until setting point (222 degrees f or 105 degrees c), test for set by putting a little jam onto a saucer, if the surface wrinkles when you push it with your finger then it should set.  Pour the jam into sterilised jars and put the lid on tight.

 

As as if by magic:

Making Elderflower Cordial and Elderflower Champagne

Now is the time to get out and pick some elderflowers on a hot dry day if you want to make some elderflower cordial or elderflower champagne.  I made some a few days ago, already drinking the cordial and will have some lovely elderflower champagne in a couple of weeks. Don't forget to only pick elderflowers from trees that are away from roads.
Here are some simple recipes to follow:

Elderflower cordial (Adapted from a recipe in "The Selfsufficient-ish Bible by Andy and Dave Hamilton):

25 flower heads,
1.5kg (3lbs) sugar,
2 pints of water boiling water,
The juice of 2 1/2 lemons and the grated zest of 1 lemon,
1 cinnamon stick.

Place layers of flowers and sugar in a bowl or pan, pour over boiling water, add lemon juice and zest, ad cinnamon stick and leave overnight.
Next day, strain through a muslin and pour into sterilised bottles. Will keep for a few months in a cool place, once opened will last or about a week.

Elderflower Champagne (Adapted from a recipe in The new complete book of self-sufficiency by John Seymour):

15 flower heads,
1 1/2 lbs (0.7 kg) sugar,
4 litres of water,
Juice and zest of one lemon,
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar.

Put the flowers in a bowl and add lemon juice and zest, add the sugar, vinegar and 4 litres of water.  leave for 24 hours then strain through a muslin and poor into sterilised bottles.  Leave for two weeks, drink before it is 3 weeks old.

foraging finds

Found these beauties whilst on a stroll yesterday, I was so excited and surprised, they are called Puffball mushrooms and totally safe to eat so we had them fried with butter, garlic and bacon in a toasted sandwich, delish! (And we didn't die....bonus!)