Well hello and welcome to the world of Susie Cottonsocks. I
have longed to write a blog for a while now and it just seemed the right time
to try. I hope you find it interesting.
You can certainly feel the change in the seasons now, and this has prompted me to start thinking of Christmas (I know it is early) but this year I intend to
do a homespun Christmas, probably along with a lot of people it is down to lack
of cash. I have a great interest in crafting,
make do and mend, anything vintage and upcycling. Having watched programmes like Superscrimpers,
Kirsty Allsop making crafts, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall foraging, it has wetted my
appetite to make things for Christmas this year.
So the Christmas preparations were kicked off yesterday when Anne
from the Ladies Club I run said ”I have brought you some crab apples” oh lovely
I thought. There was only 24lbs of them!
So on this morning’s walk with Millie, I managed to forage some plums, sloes and elderberries from the walkways near my home.
I have also picked the last of my brambles (blackberries to anyone not from the north east) from my garden and set to work. The weather has been superb for apples, elderberries and bramble this year, anyway I digress, apples and brambles go in one pan.
Apples, sloes, plums and elderberries in another and the smell is divine. The contents of which are now draining through a jelly bag and the process will be completed tomorrow. Jams, chutney and jellies make a great Christmas gift and since it is only costing the price of sugar so cheap. If anyone has never used elderberries before make sure you don’t cook the green ones as they contain a small amount of cyanide and could make someone ill.
So on this morning’s walk with Millie, I managed to forage some plums, sloes and elderberries from the walkways near my home.
I have also picked the last of my brambles (blackberries to anyone not from the north east) from my garden and set to work. The weather has been superb for apples, elderberries and bramble this year, anyway I digress, apples and brambles go in one pan.
Apples, sloes, plums and elderberries in another and the smell is divine. The contents of which are now draining through a jelly bag and the process will be completed tomorrow. Jams, chutney and jellies make a great Christmas gift and since it is only costing the price of sugar so cheap. If anyone has never used elderberries before make sure you don’t cook the green ones as they contain a small amount of cyanide and could make someone ill.
Some of the apples have been put to use in making
cider. I found the recipe in one of my
favourite books, The forgotten skills of Cooking by Darian Allen.
I’m quite excited as I have never made it before and it will be a great stocking filler come Christmas. I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out and for the cost of cinnamon stick and sugar it will be made for pennies. Oh I am loving this already!
I’m quite excited as I have never made it before and it will be a great stocking filler come Christmas. I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out and for the cost of cinnamon stick and sugar it will be made for pennies. Oh I am loving this already!
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