Scroggs (Crab Apple) Jelly - one of 11 jars made. The darker colour due to an infusion of Bramble Jelly juice. Lack of clarity due to me squashing the crab apples before straining through the jelly bag. That's something you shouldn't do, so I don't know what made me do it this time! Ah well, it will still taste good.
Below: we are inundated with apples at this time of year. This is one box of about 10! That's just from one tree too, and some windfalls from the two at the top of the yard. I am giving away as many as I can before I disappear beneath the apple mountain!
This is just one of the windfall boxes, which will need using quickly!
At Sunday's car boot sale, I bought a dozen back numbers of Country Living magazine from a fellow dealer we know. It's a magazine I enjoy but the amount of advertising in it puts me off buying it brand new, so I just read it 2nd hand when I find it offered. In last year's Christmas issue were some lovely clay horses, white with red painting on them. I thought they were lovely but couldn't find the recommended cookie cutter, so I bought this one instead and will have a play with the clay (when I've been to the Range, which I hope stocks it). Obviously, this is a cookie cutter, so it will get used for that too.
As a follow-on from the cube pincushion I made the other day, I have made two more, using the method my patchwork teacher recommended, which was to use one long piece of material around the centre. Well, I did, but tbh, think my way gave a better shape so if I make any more, will have separate pieces of material for each side. Anyway, this turned out reasonably well and is stuffed with the coarse spinning wool, as are the others.
Today I have been spending my time on line following an auction which we thought of buying at - but the items we were interested on went too dearly. When I wasn't up here, I was outside carrying on with the autumn tidy up in the garden. I have just dug up one big clump of Oriental Borage - another of the culprits which have little in the way of flowers, but are large on leaves the rest of the summer . . .
I managed to fit in a short walk too. Short, because of getting back to the computer and also because a neighbour was trashing the bottom hedge - a really brutal job as it had about 4 years' growth on it so some of the branches being trashed were the size of my wrist. He is the neighbour who has no sympathy towards nature and just does any job the easiest way. So I had a walk around the overgrown field beside the river, a short loop of a walk. The river stretch was beautiful and so relaxing.
I am not sure what is happening tomorrow yet - I may have to miss my Patchwork class if there is a trip to the auction in the offing. We are waiting to hear from a neighbour who was going to go with us (if she can get a dog sitter).
I rather fancy some of that jelly! We have Siberian crab apples growing on our cricket ground
ReplyDeleteThere you are then, Siberian Crab Apple Jelly Simon!
ReplyDeleteSo Much jelly and it looks so pretty.
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip
This came from two bags of domestic crab apples from a friend's trees. So I shall give her some back as a thank you. Other jars will be gifts at Christmas.
DeleteI was brought another big box of apples by my FIL at the weekend, not sure what to do but will try and sell a few bags with the eggs. I have a subscription to Country Living and have done for about the last 8 years. The Christmas edition is my VERY fav and look forward to it all year, sad I know. I love all the ideas for decorations and cooking and still make things I found in the first xmas one I had. As far as advertising goes I say one for a boot taker offer er and got Jon to make one for a lot less than it would be to buy one. Jelly looks great. Does is have to be water bathed?
ReplyDeleteHi Lou. No it doesn't have to be water bathed (nor does jam). That's an American habit. I hope you can rehome some of the apples with the eggs, and turn the rest into goodies such as jam, scented jellies, chutneys, cakes or just plain cooked up and frozen for the winter months.
ReplyDeleteLike you I love the Christmas issue of Country Living best (I bought their special seperate Christmas magazine recently too). I hang on to all my Christmas magazines, but did chuck out the ones over 10 years old recently . . .
I agree with you about taking expensive ideas and making them cheaply at home.
BB, I so love everyone's opinions about water bathing! I don't want to waste the apples so will do something but I have bottled some in syrup, stewed and frozen some, used some in chutney but not jam so might make some jam and then could do a couple of apple cakes for the freezer. I don't freeze many of my cakes but find if i freeze chunks of brownie in boxes the tops are a bit tacky when they are defrosted. How do you freeze cakes? Loving this little chat.x
DeleteLou - the English way of making jams and jellies doesn't include water bathing. I do that if I am preserving bottled fruit, or if I were making a pasta sauce for jar storage.
ReplyDeleteI will put up some recipes for apple cakes that freeze well. Brownie tops go sticky if put in the fridge too, but are yummy all the same!
Thanks BB. Look forward to the apple cake recipes.x
ReplyDelete