Foraging Challenge

jumblejack

The Richard mabey book has my favourite recipes in for foraged foods.

Fantastic!

tattycath

jumblejack wrote: »

The Richard mabey book has my favourite recipes in for foraged foods.

Fantastic!

I'm looking forward to receiving my copy when it arrives.

marmiterulesok

I picked some elderflowers to try and make a cordial.I had the elderflowers steeped in water for 48 hours.After 24 hours,it looked fine,but yesterday it definitely smelt off,so I had to put it out.They looked fresh when I picked them,but in the water,some of the fine stems turned black.
I might try again though.

jumblejack

Woke with a bang this morning at 4am...

http://m.pinterest.com/pin/425168021042193659/

Gigervamp

Glad nobody got hurt.

I always use plastic fizzy drink bottles for that very reason. Even those can explode, as I found when one blew up. I had the bottles stored in a pine blanket box and the force of the explosion ripped one of the planks off!

After that, I made sure to let some of the gas out each day. They needed doing for 2-3 weeks after bottling.

jumblejack

Gigervamp wrote: »

Glad nobody got hurt.

I always use plastic fizzy drink bottles for that very reason. Even those can explode, as I found when one blew up. I had the bottles stored in a pine blanket box and the force of the explosion ripped one of the planks off!

After that, I made sure to let some of the gas out each day. They needed doing for 2-3 weeks after bottling.

I'm so so glad no one got their face ripped off.
Everywhere is covered n dripping with champagne or sprinkled with glass.

Massive clean up job.

This was with aYEAR OLD champagne though that we found and re bottles a week ago.

That's why I didn't bother to burp the bottles.

It is a lesson learnt that will never be forgotten.

I cringe to think what could have happened

:eek:

[Deleted User]

JUMBLEJACK I always keep my bottles outside in the shed just in case, I've had them go pop in the past and really don't want that mess to clear indoors ever again. I keep the whole lot covered with a heavy old blanket in the shed, it means that if I do get an explosion, the glass is contained and yes, there is still the mess to contend with but not in every possible crack and crevice in there. The main reason though is that no one can get hurt if they are stored outside and it happens, glad none of you were hurt, Cheers Lyn xxx.

[Deleted User]

MARMITE the elderflowers only need a 24 hour soak when you're making cordial, if you leave them longer they start to rot which is probably why they smelled 'off'. Try again and only do a 24 hour soak with the lemon rind in the water too. Then strain it all and add the lemon juice and sugar to the elderfolwer water and you should be fine, Good Luck with it, Cheers Lyn xxx.

agreenmess

Thanks for the replies, will defantly leave quite alot of flowers on the bushes anyway. Managed to find another one on my travels yesterday so I have 3 to hunt for at the weekend, looking forward to making some cordial!

marmiterulesok

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

MARMITE the elderflowers only need a 24 hour soak when you're making cordial, if you leave them longer they start to rot which is probably why they smelled 'off'. Try again and only do a 24 hour soak with the lemon rind in the water too. Then strain it all and add the lemon juice and sugar to the elderfolwer water and you should be fine, Good Luck with it, Cheers Lyn xxx.

My recipe said 24-48 hours,but I'll try it just with 24 hours.Thanks.