Autumn Foraging

[Radiating Dendrite]

Sure does! I got given 1a bag full of Damsons at the weekend so instead of sloe gin I'm doing damson gin this year! I've also started 2 gallons of damson wine which is scrummy but always turns out too sweet, great to drink ice cold with some cheese though. I've still got about 3 lbs of damsons left though, any ideas?

Can you do crumble with damsons?

Maybe freeze them for the winter?

[Snowangel-MK]

I've still got about 3 lbs of damsons left though, any ideas?

Not tried it myself, but this sounds nice..... http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/chutney/spiced-damson-chutney.html

[Aceman]

think next year will try for home made cider, will purchase the press ready for following autumn. anyone got any tips - i know internet is full of it but any members who can recommend a decent press and also what apples to use!

[Alan Robinson]

think next year will try for home made cider, will purchase the press ready for following autumn. anyone got any tips - i know internet is full of it but any members who can recommend a decent press and also what apples to use!

I have an excellent Vigo press. http://www.vigopresses.co.uk/store/index.php?cPath=63&osCsid=651839fd6fd9d5b99491e1ded432bcac

You might try art-of-brewing.co.uk, they have a slightly cheaper press than mine.

Whatever you choose, you'll need a pulpmaster too and a decent mains-powered electric drill.

You can use any apples for cider, but as with wine, some experts place great value on particular varieties. Not me, I just go for it with any apples.

Be careful with hygiene though, otherwise you'll end up with lovely apple vinegar..........the kind I make for pickling.

[Aceman]

I have an excellent Vigo press. http://www.vigopress...491e1ded432bcac

You might try art-of-brewing.co.uk, they have a slightly cheaper press than mine.

Whatever you choose, you'll need a pulpmaster too and a decent mains-powered electric drill.

You can use any apples for cider, but as with wine, some experts place great value on particular varieties. Not me, I just go for it with any apples.

Be careful with hygiene though, otherwise you'll end up with lovely apple vinegar..........the kind I make for pickling.

thanks Alan, very useful site. Might try ebay for the press but the crusher looks good as its cheap and only requires a drill!

[Coast]

That's it! The 2011 harvest is complete and Chez Coast had 8lbs of Sloes at the end of yesterday afternoon. Got a very strange look from the lad at the checkout this afternoon when I picked up 8 litres of gin, but I've had my pricker in hand for the last 2 hours and now have a cellar (well garage) of 8 litres of finest Sussex Sloe Gin on the go. Still have 2 litres from last year so that should just about take me through until this years is ready.

I did notice it took a little longer to pick them this season and they were a lot earlier. I don't think it was a lack of fruit, I just think more people had sussed my secret stash before I got there - was it some of you lot????!!!!!

Now to encourage Miss Shoreline to make a crumble out of all the blackberries and apples I have picked this season

[Snowkissed]

I am making Blackberry Brandy for the first time ever this year. Apparently you make it in the same way as you do Sloe Gin. A friend of mine is also making Raspberry Gin. Roll on Winter Solstice !

[Snowangel-MK]

I am making Blackberry Brandy for the first time ever this year. Apparently you make it in the same way as you do Sloe Gin. A friend of mine is also making Raspberry Gin. Roll on Winter Solstice !

I was thinking of making Blackberry Whisky as Mr D had a part bottle of 'fire water' in the cupboard and neither of us drink it but as I really want the Blackberries to go with all the apples we have for pies and crumbles during the winter I decided to use some more Blackthorn Berries (there are so many on the hedgerows round here) with demerara sugar as an experiment, I was thinking of using honey to sweeten it more if needed. Has anyone ever tired making Sloe Whisky ? I wondered if the fruit would be suitable to use up in stuffing or truffles after and possibly use a bit of the whisky liqueur in my mincemeat for the home-made mince pies or Christmas cake. As it's not clear like the Gin it has gone a wonderful colour already even though it was only started yesterday !

I can't wait for the bottling and labelling, and better still the drinking

[Coast]

I wondered if the fruit would be suitable to use up in stuffing or truffles after and possibly use a bit of the whisky liqueur in my mincemeat for the home-made mince pies or Christmas cake.

I was told by a neighbour yesterday (who happened to turn up as I was pouring a glass of last years brew) that you take the sloes after the gin making process, spread them out on a baking tray and cover them in the warmed chocolate of your choice and let it go hard and cut it into liqueur 'bricks'. Sound nice, but I'm not sure what happens to the sloe stones?

[picog]

Our greengages and cooking plums have not long gone and made superb fruit fool. The damsons are now ready in most favoured spots on the trees. I've got about 25 trees and it's a fairly good crop this year. 4 years ago the trees were so laden the branches were splitting, We picked 210 Lbs (pounds) in weight and almost as many were left unreachable on the top branches of the trees. We sold most, but made a few gallon of damson gin and wine.

The nearby local village is known as the damson village and were grown for their dye as well as a fruit crop. An interesting article ( See Page 2) with recepies from a few years ago http://pattingham.co...ue%203%2007.pdf

There's loads of hazelnuts about this year as well. I'm looking forward to the fungi season. There's a nearby field where there are usually large field mushrooms and giant puffballs quite literally the size of footballs.

WARNING: Don't eat fungi that you cannot clearly and confidentally identify..

That's a great article. Did you know that there's a group in Shropshire who are trying to get the damson re-recognised as a culinary wonder! Here's a link to their site. They have a "damson day" coming up soon — details on the site of you are interested.

http://www.shropshireprunedamson.com

[Snowangel-MK]

I was told by a neighbour yesterday (who happened to turn up as I was pouring a glass of last years brew) that you take the sloes after the gin making process, spread them out on a baking tray and cover them in the warmed chocolate of your choice and let it go hard and cut it into liqueur 'bricks'. Sound nice, but I'm not sure what happens to the sloe stones?

You have to de stone them first

http://www.sloemotion.com/sloe-whisky-truffles.html

Think I'm going to give this a try and just adapt my rum truffle recipe !!

Visitors at the weekend gave us a huge box of plums, I'm freezing some but might try making some Plum Vodka as well, I'm told that's really nice

[kar999]

That's a great article. Did you know that there's a group in Shropshire who are trying to get the damson re-recognised as a culinary wonder! Here's a link to their site. They have a "damson day" coming up soon — details on the site of you are interested.

http://www.shropshireprunedamson.com

Thanks... I think its the now famous Ludlow food festival this weekend so they'd probably be there.

After all the winds I've got a purple lawn. I may wait for Katrina to blow the last off those I can't reach off before raking them up. Its a shame so many are wasted but everyone I know has filled their boots.

Roast pork with home made bramley apple for lunch followed by damsons and custard for pud. Maybe Stilton and damson cheese to follow with a tot of damson gin!

[Interitus]

Rich pickings this year!

People were foraging televisions, mobile phones, trainers and everything!

[Interitus]

Plenty of blackberries up Runcorn hills. Very quiet and isolated area, so you know they are fresh and reasonably good to eat!

Immediately downwind of Rocksavage power station, Ineos Chlor (formerly ICI) chemical works, Kemira fertiliser plant, Quinn glass works and last but not least Stanlow oil refinery

[kar999]

I remember people not picking vergeside blackberries because of the lead in petrol but those were the days when most fruit and veg we bought had probably had 2 or 3 sprays of DDT or equally strong pesticides during their growing cycle!!

[Snowangel-MK]

Personally, I only pick in rural areas, well above dog-pee-height, away from agricultural sites, and free from heavy traffic-fumes. Mine are already picked, washed and frozen all ready for some pies and crumbles during the winter months.

'Blackberry time' is usually between late August, and early October according to folklore legend after old Michaelmas Eve (October 10th) you should never pick or eat a blackberry because on that night the Devil would pee on them and the consequences would be dire !

[cyclonic happiness]

I wish there was something else that one could do with sloes, there are so many of them around these parts and I did try some 'sloe gin' last winter at christmas, it was ok, but the taste of it was somewhat 'almondesque' and I don't like almonds that much.

The fungus season here is going to be very poor due to the drought, but I have harvested some snt John's Wort for those depressing winter's nights.

That stuff grows in abundance around here and is lot more potenet than the health food shop brands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John's_wort

[Turnedoutniceagain]

'Blackberry time' is usually between late August, and early October according to folklore legend after old Michaelmas Eve (October 10th) you should never pick or eat a blackberry because on that night the Devil would pee on them and the consequences would be dire !

I heard it was Witches !!! Must be true, someone told me down the Pub......

I wish there was something else that one could do with sloes, there are so many of them around these parts and I did try some 'sloe gin' last winter at christmas, it was ok, but the taste of it was somewhat 'almondesque' and I don't like almonds that much.

I can't say I've ever thought of Sloe Gin as "almondesque". I had a few kilos of gin-soaked sloes left over after the blending process a few years ago. I stuffed a brace of pheasants with them - superb !!!

[Aceman]

Well, cider press arrived, apples pressed and juice now fermenting . First real experience of foraging albeit for only one of the many types of fruit, nut berry etc which are available.

Anyone know how long apples tend to be around for, hoping to get 4 gallons worth of juice done by end of this weekend?

Any suggestions for any readily available foragable(is that a word?!) fruit.

cheers

[Alan Robinson]

Well, cider press arrived, apples pressed and juice now fermenting . First real experience of foraging albeit for only one of the many types of fruit, nut berry etc which are available.

Anyone know how long apples tend to be around for, hoping to get 4 gallons worth of juice done by end of this weekend?

Any suggestions for any readily available foragable(is that a word?!) fruit.

cheers

4 gallons? That'll take you all day!

What fruit press did you get?

It seems to me that you are the sort that could get into winemaking. There are literally hundreds of different recipes based on local produce; plums, cherries, pears, apples, parsnips, various flowers, the possibilities are almost endless. All you'll need is patience. It takes about 18 months for the wines to mature. I have done it, but I'm not so patient, so I stick to brewing ale.

Perhaps you can get from Amazon a copy of First Steps in Winemaking by C J J Berry. Excellent book, fully explained and hundreds of recipes using local produce.

PS.......keep the little black flies out of your cider, or else you'll get vinegar instead!

Edited October 19, 2011 by Alan Robinson

[Aceman]

4 gallons? That'll take you all day!

What fruit press did you get?

It seems to me that you are the sort that could get into winemaking. There are literally hundreds of different recipes based on local produce; plums, cherries, pears, apples, parsnips, various flowers, the possibilities are almost endless. All you'll need is patience. It takes about 18 months for the wines to mature. I have done it, but I'm not so patient, so I stick to brewing ale.

Perhaps you can get from Amazon a copy of First Steps in Winemaking by C J J Berry. Excellent book, fully explained and hundreds of recipes using local produce.

PS.......keep the little black flies out of your cider, or else you'll get vinegar instead!

i've earmarked this saturday as press day! i bought this little beauty http://www.wineworks.co.uk/product/5-litre-ferrari-aluminium-spindle-press/

wine making sounds like something i'd like to pursue and that book looks like what i should invest in (crimbo pressie!).

cheers for the advice!

[Alan Robinson]

i've earmarked this saturday as press day! i bought this little beauty http://www.wineworks...-spindle-press/

wine making sounds like something i'd like to pursue and that book looks like what i should invest in (crimbo pressie!).

cheers for the advice!

cheers for the advice

[cyclonic happiness]

Not strictly foraging, but we've had a nice crop of medlars this year....anyone got any recipes or anything?

I may just give them to a friend I know who makes jams and preserves, she's amazing at it!!

[Aceman]

What an interesting fruit never heard of them before, apparently they have to be bletted (half rotten) before they're edible - according to BBC.

Theres a recipe on there for a Walnut Bakewell tart with roasted medlars.

also, http://www.rhs.org.u...es/Medlar-jelly for roasted meat.

Also, what do they taste like?

Edited November 2, 2011 by Aceman

[Alan Robinson]

What an interesting fruit never heard of them before, apparently they have to be bletted (half rotten) before they're edible - according to BBC.

Theres a recipe on there for a Walnut Bakewell tart with roasted medlars.

also, http://www.rhs.org.u...es/Medlar-jelly for roasted meat.

Also, what do they taste like?

Again, CJJ Berry, First Steps in Winemaking, page 195. Your good health Sir.