The veg plot was postponed as today went by in a flash. This morning I had more jobs to get done than I realised but I enjoyed the day and to top it off Steven stumbled across what I think is wild plum tree (aka bullace if I remember rightly?). I was so excited when he showed me it. It's half way along our lane (apx 1/2 a mile away) and on top of that, next to it is another apple tree. Huge lovely looking cooking apples!
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| Wild Plum? |
I follow Pam Corbin (Pam the Jam from River Cottage's TV programmes) on twitter and told her we had rhubarb, gooseberries, plums and windfall apples and she said rhubarb and plum would be nice and then suggested I make pectin with the windfall apples. Well I never knew you could do that, so that's taken it to another level in the preserving department. I'll look up how to do that over the next day or 2.
Today I spent sorting the fields out, the daily task or removing the horses manure. Then I took a look in our woods. Its a small collection of trees, mostly Black Poplar I'm told, which is where we're planning on keeping the pigs next year if and when we get some. We spent quite a bit of time with the horses this morning and both kids rode and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've just got in at 6:45pm after being at a kids party with my son. He had a lovely time and I bought a bottle of red on the way home, so win-win.
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| Smallest paddock view to woods |
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| Field muck goes on floor of woods. This area will eventually be for the pigs. |
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| View through the woods. |
Hi Tracy lovely finds - well jealous certainly looks like Bullace. For the apples there is a link to making pectin and using it on my blog http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/pectin-stock.html
ReplyDeleteThere's all sorts on there going back years. Also lots of fruit recipes - just in the search bar type in the ingredient like apple and it should bring up a list of all the posts in relation to that. Preserving is addictive the more I do the more I want to do. In the River Cottage Preserves book there is a recipe for plum and russet mincemeat now that is well worth the making. The Souper paste is also well worth making - might be a way for you to use up any excess root veggies etc. Its one I use on a regular basis - in fact I use this book quite a lot. your land looks lovely and I would say that it is ideal for a couple of friends. Take care and I am glad you are enjoying your break. pattypan x
Thank you so much for the link, I'm going to look at it now. I don't have Pam Corbin's book yet, it's on the list of hopefuls for my birthday in December.....if you're reading Steven darling :D.
DeleteI pick up a lovely book off Amazon, Grandpappys Recipes For Hard Times, it has pectin in it along with how to make lots of other store cupboard staples, your paddock with the woods looks great, we have a small wooded area we are going to use for pigs :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike. The paddock area is fo the small ponies to have a few hours a day on and the woods is he pigs. I'm hoping they turn it over enough to plant fruit trees, bushes etc etc in there but then they'd need moving as I assume they would eat them!
DeleteGoing to look for the book you recommend too, love the title already!!!
I had a recipe last year that called for crap apples to provide the pectin. unfortunately when I got to the nearby tree they were rotton.
DeleteHome grown pork absolutely the best. yum
ReplyDeletepp