Edible Xmas gifts that can be made well in advance.....

Anglea

Hi all

SML, I told my mum your pickle recipe and it turns out she's used all her cucumbers up, but I might try it with courgettes.

alfieroux - welcome to the thread You've been very busy with all your interesting makes, that was a funny story about your child.

I've been given loads of apples and greengages, all at a very inconvenient week as I'm busy with other things, so I'm open freezing most of the Ggs and will hope the apples last as I don't have time to cook them apart from everyday use.

mum2one

alfieroux wrote: »

Can I join in too!:j
Have today made Raspberry Gin and Blackberry Vodka, all to go into the little wine bottles advised further up the thread (thanks for that tip!) as well as left overs to go back into the bottles that the booze came out of - for keeping rather than for presents though!

Also blackberry and apple jam - four pots but will make another batch up soon.

Finally am in the middle of making sweetcorn and chilli relish - smells delish! All to be potted up for Chrismas.

My five year old has been helping and told my mum down the phone that she didn't like Vodka and wasn't going to try it again :embarasse Oops

Alfie

They sound lovely, can I be cheeky and ask how you did the alcohloic ones.
Thats children for you, when we went to Tunisia last yr, she was 6 1/2, but as just the 2 of us, she was booked in as an adult, and the hotel gave her an adults all -inclusive band - she went up to the bar, asked could she have a brandy and coke, as she has an adult wrist band.......

Her other stunt...... I'd taught her a few arabic words, hello, thank you, bye, just the basics as politeness, she heard someone saying F...off but in Arabic, she asked if we knew what it was, (I was sat with the rep), the rep said its go away, but not politely...... then she says to the waiter I can speak arabic, I'm bursting with pride...... she then repeats what she'd heard...... wished the ground could have opened. xx

Anglea

mum2one, your DD is a right laugh.

alfieroux

My sweetcorn relish has come out tasting REALLY salty - any ideas on how to remedy this? I'd be grateful for any direction on this. I had jarred them up but kept some by in a little dish for tasting. It is a bit of a let down really.

Mum2One - I used two punnets of fruit (raspberries or blackberries etc) to 225g granulated sugar. Gently heated until the sugar was dissolved and the fruit had juiced a bit. Put the fruit into a jug and added a 70cl bottle of value vodka or gin, covered with clingfilm. I will stir every day for a week or so, then bottle and leave somewhere cold (I use the garage) till Christmas. Maybe shaking them up if I wander passed them. I may add more sugar later if after tasting I think it could do with it - all a bit hit and miss with me!

Love the arabic too!:rotfl:

Alfie

cdsmiler

Hello all,

Been lurking, but decided to post now!

Angela - how did you manage to eat nettles?!

Planning on making raspberry jam this year - it went down really well last year. However, last year we went to a PYO farm and they had gorgeous raspberries. This year it's reduced fruit from ASDA. Not had a chance to go this year, but fingers crossed I can make a little for close family for gifts! Also planning on making Sweet Red Onion Chutney, Sweet Chili Jam and Tomato Relish/Chutney with the excess tomatoes my parents will hopefully have grown! lol

Fancy the sweetcorn & chili relish - Alfie would you mind sharing the recipe? Weird it's come out salty - did you need to add salt to the recipe?

Regarding making jam from frozen fruit, that's what I did last year! Works perfectly.

Anyone have a recipe for lime vodka?? It's a long shot... lol

Clare x

SmlSave

Welcome Alfieroux :j Perhaps your sweetcorn relish will mellow in time, how long does it say to leave it?

Isn't it exciting that people are joining us

I'm sure your apples will last Angela, you can store them in a dry cool place seperated with newspaper if you have lots. Even if they go wrinkly you can just peel them with a knife and use the flesh. How about makign some apple vodka


Apple and Cinnamon Vodka

4 cinnamon sticks or you could use vanilla or ginger or sugar
6 large apples
1 750ml bottle of vodka of choice
Slice the apples and toss them into your infusion jar with the cinnamon sticks. Add the bottle of vodka, and let it infuse for a few days. This makes a great hot apple cider cocktail.

It's nice to hear stories about your little ones me and DH are trying for our own and its nice to hear how other people enjoy theirs (All I ever hear about my childhood is how horrible I was!:p)

SmlSave

Hi Clare

The only Lime vodka reciep I found was put lime zest in vodka and leave for a while! It may be an idea to follow the same recipe as Limoncello: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1087/limoncello

Happy lurking

mum2one

SmlSave wrote: »

Welcome Alfieroux :j Perhaps your sweetcorn relish will mellow in time, how long does it say to leave it?

Isn't it exciting that people are joining us

I'm sure your apples will last Angela, you can store them in a dry cool place seperated with newspaper if you have lots. Even if they go wrinkly you can just peel them with a knife and use the flesh. How about makign some apple vodka


Apple and Cinnamon Vodka

4 cinnamon sticks or you could use vanilla or ginger or sugar
6 large apples
1 750ml bottle of vodka of choice
Slice the apples and toss them into your infusion jar with the cinnamon sticks. Add the bottle of vodka, and let it infuse for a few days. This makes a great hot apple cider cocktail.

It's nice to hear stories about your little ones me and DH are trying for our own and its nice to hear how other people enjoy theirs (All I ever hear about my childhood is how horrible I was!:p)

That recipie sounds absolutely lovely........

I did a toffee vodka, came out perfectly, I used empty bottle topped it up with broken toffee, ( I used Bluebird toffees - they melted over 2 days, done it woth worthers as well, (trial so only did small bottles), but both drinks were lush...... the toffee vodka was sweet, but just like melted toffee.

Make the most of the practising!! I wouldn't be without dd, but you can guarentee they always say the wrong thing at the wrong time! XX

mum2one

alfieroux wrote: »

My sweetcorn relish has come out tasting REALLY salty - any ideas on how to remedy this? I'd be grateful for any direction on this. I had jarred them up but kept some by in a little dish for tasting. It is a bit of a let down really.

Mum2One - I used two punnets of fruit (raspberries or blackberries etc) to 225g granulated sugar. Gently heated until the sugar was dissolved and the fruit had juiced a bit. Put the fruit into a jug and added a 70cl bottle of value vodka or gin, covered with clingfilm. I will stir every day for a week or so, then bottle and leave somewhere cold (I use the garage) till Christmas. Maybe shaking them up if I wander passed them. I may add more sugar later if after tasting I think it could do with it - all a bit hit and miss with me!

Love the arabic too!:rotfl:

Alfie

Alfie - your an absolute gentleman - thank you, def have to get some raspberrys......

X

mum2one

re Lime Vodka, I'd try the zest in the vodka, and see whether it needs sweetening up. I use the bottles from Home Bargains, - there 20cl, called champers, (think its Perry), 89p each, the perry goes well into a jelly, that way if anything goes wrong its not a big bottle of vodka gone. xx