It's foraging weekend!!!

[BrewDan]

Jealous, endless supplies of elderberries here, but can't really find any blackberries

 

[Moley]

It's the other way around for me, I don't think I've ever seen so many blackberries, I must have picked, washed and frozen somewhere between 30-40lbs of the things. I said I wasn't getting any more.

Elderberries are on the turn but weren't quite ready last weekend and I've only done 2lbs so far. I'll check them again today.

I stopped on my way home from work on Friday to check one of my damson patches, right colour but still a bit too firm, they still need another week, but the blackberries were dripping from the brambles so I picked yet another 2 litres of those.

 

[BrewDan]

I'm going to take a look again today to see what I can find, if I still have no luck with blackberries I will pick some more elderberries, and sloes (if they are ready).

Sounds like there may be a bit of a contest here, see who can pick the most blackberries, and turn them into endless supplies of wine, pies and jams

 

[Moley]

We went to check one of my damson patches a fortnight ago, there were tons of them but they were nowhere near ready. We went again a week ago and I thought they still needed a bit longer, but somebody (or several somebodies) had already pillaged them. I didn't mind, this particular crop is near to a canal lock and must be known to many boaters, dog walkers and cyclists. Even so, I picked what I guessed was about 15 lbs and left them in the bucket to see if they would ripen any more. They did. After washing and sorting I did end up with exactly 15 lbs.

There are two more crops near to my place of employment, and I do claim exclusive rights to those. I visited one last Friday on my way home and picked 6 lbs (there are still plenty more). I've just paid a lunchtime visit to the other and although we only get a 30 minute lunch break and they are a brisk 5 min walk each way, I guess I've just picked another 10 lbs and will easily do the same again tomorrow.

I'm still only up to about 12 lbs of elderberries, but started a 30 litre mixed batch on Saturday using 9 lbs each of blackberries, elderberries and damsons.

 

[graysalchemy]

I managed 10lb of damsons yesterday, however the majority of them were splitting on the tree. Anyway they are in the freezer and hopefully i will make 3 gallons of Elderberry port with the boys at the weekend and the rest will go into Damson Gin.

 

[calumscott]

I'm going out to hit the bramble bushes again this week.

There are sloes everywhere too - I keep seeing them driving to work and I've *never* seen sloes before without really looking for them.

Crazy year.

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

Sounds much better than my idea of harvesting the millions of rose-hips that have appeared in my locality (despite my never having noticed any actual roses!) One look inside a rosehip convinced me that this is not a fruit worth harvesting since it is all seed! But I do recall a lot of elderflowers a few months ago so I think I will go back and see if there are now elderberries in those places.

Rosehips are well worth harvesting for their flavour. With the exception of marmalade (which I've not yet been masochistic enough to try making) none of my recipes using them actually involves eating the hips themselves. They're generally always used as the source of flavour then discarded.


Rosehip syrup:

Blitz 1kg of rosehips in the blender until roughly chopped.

Bring 2L of water to the boil in a large pan, and add the hips. Turn off the heat, and leave to steep uncovered for 15 minutes, then strain through muslin, reserving both liquor and hips. Repeat twice, first with 1L then with 0.5L.

Bring the liquor to the boil and reduce to 1.5L. Add 1.5kg sugar, bring back to the boil, then bottle. Good on pancakes or icecream, or as a cordial or mixer for cocktails.


Rosehip liqueur:

Three-quarters-fill a 1L clip-top jar with chopped rosehips. Add 100g sugar, and fill to the brim with vodka &/or white rum. Leave to steep for three months, then strain through muslin and bottle. If you prefer you can deseed the hips, in which case you'll only need to one-third fill the jar, however it is a lot of work.


Spiced rosehip jelly:

Cook 4Lbs blitzed rosehips with 2Lbs cooking or crab apples, 2 crushed 6" cinnamon sticks and 3 whole cloves, in just enough water to cover, until the apple is mushy. Strain overnight, then measure the juice. Add 1Lb sugar for every pint of juice. Boil rapidly until setting point is reached, then bottle. (For rosehip and whitethorn jelly, replace the apples with haws and leave out the spices.)


Rosehip marmalade (for the masochists)

Cook 1Lb desert apples, 1Lb quartered sweet oranges and 2Lbs blitzed rosehips in just enough water to cover, until the apple is mushy. Strain overnight, then measure and add 1Lb sugar per pint of juice.

Deseed and slice 2Lbs rosehips and add to the juice. Boil rapidly until setting point is reached, then bottle.

 

[Moley]

That'll do for the damsons this year, I've just filled another big bag, have already used 9 lbs in a mixed red wine and must have at least another 25 lbs for sorting or already frozen.

Far more than I need for wine, I might make some jam as well.

A good crop of rosehips eyeballed for tomorrow :thumb:

 

[wurge]

I am seriously struggling to find any Damsons, I have 2kg of Bullace and a seemingly endless supply of sloes, so they will just have to do for this year! The sloes are getting there ripeness wise, I might go this weekend for the 5Gal wine batch!

 

[Moley]

Now I don't know where to find any sloes, fancy a swap?

My in-laws came to stay for the long weekend from Gwynedd and MiL said they had been unable to find blackberries, I nipped up our garden and picked a couple of pounds.

 

[Francois]

There's a little community orchard at the end of my road which I've done rather well out of this year... There's a bit of competition for stuff, but when you're up at six with a one year old anyway then it gives you a little bit of an advantage....

Made four gallons of greengage wine, 3 kilos of apple sauce, got 2kg of damsons in the freezer and a kilo or so of rowan berries that I'm deciding what to do with.... Someone beat me to the pears though which kinda scuppers my plans for an elderberry perry (which has been a winner in previous years) but I'm still going to grab whatever elder is going and probably lob them into my Christmas beer or something... Could be interesting.

All in all, a good year! Also, nice to see that I'm not the only one who walks about looking at stuff and thinking "I bet I could ferment that." :

 

[wurge]

Now I don't know where to find any sloes, fancy a swap?

My in-laws came to stay for the long weekend from Gwynedd and MiL said they had been unable to find blackberries, I nipped up our garden and picked a couple of pounds.

Do I!! How would we go about preserving these fruit on their journey? How many would you like, and do you have a preference to when they are picked? I know some traditionalists that wont even think sloe gin until the first frost...

 

[RobWalker]

We've hoarded up 5kg damsons (only used 1kg, the rest were unripe and went mouldy before ripening,) 1.5kg elderberries and 1.8kg blackberries so far. The blackberries have grown back massively since we first trod down some of the brambles a month ago, so much more are accessible now, should be up to 3kg by the time I'm done. I think I'll get another 5kg damsons on friday and make up some serious wine.

Sloes are just coming into season behind our house. We've got about 10 metres of sloe bushes and we're the only ones who can access them. Boosh!

Is anybody brewing an elderberry fruity red style wine? It's country wine, but I'd like to poke it in the direction of a shiraz/rioja as much as possible, any tips? Apart from don't bother, of course...

 

[graysalchemy]

Is anybody brewing an elderberry fruity red style wine? It's country wine, but I'd like to poke it in the direction of a shiraz/rioja as much as possible, any tips? Apart from don't bother, of course...

Yes buy yourself a Vintners reserve Shiraz or rioja Kit. :lol: :lol:

You aint going to make a Rioja or Shiraz from elderberries.

 

[RobWalker]

ah no, i understand that...i mean, poke it in that direction. by that i mean - silky, rounded, full bodied...yeah, i don't know much about wine.

 

[Moley]

Well I've just washed / sorted / de-stalked / drained / blotted dry and frozen the fruits of my last 2 lunch breaks, 13.5 lbs of damsons picked in around 35 minutes, so that's 9 used and about 25 in stock.

I had to reorganise the freezer to find space for them, and found I still have at least 6 lbs of last year's elderberries lurking in the depths.

Is anybody brewing an elderberry fruity red style wine? It's country wine, but I'd like to poke it in the direction of a shiraz/rioja as much as possible, any tips? Apart from don't bother, of course...

I've got a mixture going with 1.5 lbs each of blackberries, elderberries and damsons to the gallon. When I strain the bucket to my screw-topped fermenter I will top up with red grape juice instead of water.

Not a Shiraz/Rioja but certainly a silky, rounded, full bodied red.

A second mash off the fruit pulp will yield a lighter table wine.

 

[Wasabi]

Rosehips are well worth harvesting for their flavour. With the exception of marmalade (which I've not yet been masochistic enough to try making) none of my recipes using them actually involves eating the hips themselves. They're generally always used as the source of flavour then discarded.

Thanks for those recipes! Does the muslin strain out all those little hairs inside the hips? I was concerned at reports that they are an irritant.

 

[RobWalker]

Is anybody brewing an elderberry fruity red style wine? It's country wine, but I'd like to poke it in the direction of a shiraz/rioja as much as possible, any tips? Apart from don't bother, of course...

I've got a mixture going with 1.5 lbs each of blackberries, elderberries and damsons to the gallon. When I strain the bucket to my screw-topped fermenter I will top up with red grape juice instead of water.

Not a Shiraz/Rioja but certainly a silky, rounded, full bodied red.

A second mash off the fruit pulp will yield a lighter table wine.

Great, just what I was after. Damsons will be here within the hour. Thanks moley!

 

[Moley]

Rosehips are well worth harvesting for their flavour. With the exception of marmalade (which I've not yet been masochistic enough to try making) none of my recipes using them actually involves eating the hips themselves. They're generally always used as the source of flavour then discarded.

Yesterday I spotted what looked like an orange hedge, or rather a LOT of small, orange fruits.

Passing at a distance and at speed I was unable to identify the fruits, but determined to stop and investigate today.

I did. A ten minute slog through tall grass from the nearest convenient parking place and I've found the motherlode of rosehips.

Most of them won't be ready for at least another 2-3 weeks (what's the chance of a frost within that time?) but some were red and ripe, so I've picked just over 2 lbs / just under 1kg, and will try your syrup recipe later this evening.

 

[RobWalker]

how does one go about using rosehips easily? are there any tricks to remove the itchy stuff?