A big part of what I wanted to achieve and sustain when we moved here was to start to incorporate living off the land into our lives. Steven has been busy pressing apples for cider and I'll update on that shortly, however the other day I finally got round to getting the Elderberry wine ready. By ready I mean sat in a demi John fermenting. So after gathering the elderberries last week, I weighed 2 kilo and gave them a bit of a press with a masher then popped them in a sterilised bucket with some water as per Hugh FW's recipe and left them a few days. Then I made a sugar syrup and added orange and lemon juice and zest, yeast and got it all ready for the demi John. So now it is busy fermenting away making us the most glorious (I'm keeping positive) wine. Apparently if you can, you should wait 5 years. Can't see that happening. We'll make it each year and then there will be a continuous supply. Having said that I rarely drink lately, so it'll probably come out at Christmas etc. Not this one though! Happy Friday everyone.
ohhh. we are using a merlot kit, so not so self sufficient! lol
ReplyDeleteMerlot is one of my favourites, when I do have one!
Delete5 years that would never happen in this house. Its looking good though.
ReplyDeleteHaha I think I might have to go hide and forget about them once I have racked it off. Thank you
Deleteyour wine is looking good, the colour is fab shame I dont drink, Martin was making his Sloe Gin last night
ReplyDeleteThanks dawn. I'm not drinking at the moment and I really don't miss it. I will have the odd glass here and there like this and the sloe gin which is exactly what we're going to do soon as we waited as per your advice 😉
DeleteThat looks fantastic, well done Tracey. I think there was a good amount of elderberries near us this yeasr but wine is not something I even got round to thinking about.
DeleteThere's always something we won't get to do. Just look at everything you have done x
Deleteno elderberries round here this year due to not enough rain. I only got te one picking of blackberries too. however I have located some sloes and plenty of crab apples and also some rowan berries and rosehips.We have not done well for puffballs either. However oh has located some ordinary mushrooms so hopefully I shall get some of these put up as well. Elderberry wine is looking good. my mum always used to make it as did my nan. hopefully they will be on the list next year. I do have some pontack sauce that I made about four years ago. you are supposed to keep that for seven. its meant to give a hidden depth of flavour to stews and casseroles etc. I have some house orange and lemon on the go at the moment as well as some elderflower - from a kit. Each season brings something different. Enjoy pattypanxx
ReplyDeleteYou're so right. Each season seems to have something different. We haven't picked the sloes yet. Love the fave ypur mam and nan used to make it x
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