The Preserver's Year

Justamum

ampersand wrote: »

Rhubarb and strawberry jam, rhubarb and ginger jam, rhubarb and raspberry jam - all delicious.
Rhubarb is a wonderful partner for so much other fruit. A few pots of jam, made with whatever's around or rtc punnets of plums/ peaches/nectarines will reward you every time.
Next thing for DH - grow some:-)

He still hates strawberries, but the children and I don't mind - more for us :rotfl:

We are hoping to move soon, and the garden has rhubarb.

Valli

This year there are masses of blackberries around and they seem to be huge!

So I'm making bramble jelly...batch two underway as I type!

Plum (and damson jam) tip. Count the fruit in - and the stones out.

moments_of_sanity

Valli wrote: »

This year there are masses of blackberries around and they seem to be huge!

So I'm making bramble jelly...batch two underway as I type!

Plum (and damson jam) tip. Count the fruit in - and the stones out.

My DD and I picked 3 kilos at the weekend, they are in the woods but on a footpath, it looked like no one had picked any. We must have left another 25 kilos worth:eek:

I have frozen them at the minute as I only have castor sugar and no pectin so until I get some pennies they will have to stay there. As soon as I am able I will be making blackberry jam

ampersand

moments_of_sanity - are there no rough apples/windfalls around there, esp as you speak of woods?

Plenty around here - just a rough chop then strain after boiling should make loads of pectin-y juice for you.

homesteadchick

ampersand wrote: »

moments_of_sanity - are there no rough apples/windfalls around there, esp as you speak of woods?

Plenty around here - just a rough chop then strain after boiling should make loads of pectin-y juice for you.

What a useful tip! Thank you.

homesteadchick

Elderberries are ripening here as well.

Great for jam, or syrop. It's great stuff for winter sniffles.

plumduff55

Hi, hope someone can give me some advice about rhubarb.

Is it too late to pick rhubarb now for jam making? Also, I have heard that you should leave a quarter unpicked to encourage good growth next year. Is this true or can I pick it all?

Many thanks

kippers

homesteadchick wrote: »

I make rosehip syrup. And the time is now. ;-)
You want them red but still firm. Once they feel squishy they're yuck.



Very very high in Vit.C

Have you got a recipe for rosehip syrup please?

sKiTz-0

I made some rosehip syrup last year and still have some left as I haven't used it much. I think I like it best as a cordial. I did make some elderberry wine which should be ready for December, and the elderberry cordial was good too and gets better with age. I can't remember which rosehip syrup recipe I used, but a search on Google should find loads. I think it was from River Cottage, but not sure if I got it off the website or from one of the books. I've had plenty of blackberries and plums so far this year, but don't think I'll bother with rosehips considering how little I used the syrup

The problem I have this year is, the trees where I got most of my elderberries last year have been chopped down and I'm struggling to find anywhere that has enough to make another batch of wine and cordial

Justamum

plumduff55 wrote: »

Hi, hope someone can give me some advice about rhubarb.

Is it too late to pick rhubarb now for jam making? Also, I have heard that you should leave a quarter unpicked to encourage good growth next year. Is this true or can I pick it all?

Many thanks

I notice nobody had replied to you.

I found a couple of links which might be useful (I'm going to bookmark them for when I grow some myself)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingrhubarb1.shtml
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/how-to-grow-rhubarb