Foraging in '23 and beyond...

daivid

Katiehound said:

Question: What kind of liquid measure is a large glass of vodka? don't mind being generous but want enough!!
thanks to Goldfinches' link above......Online suggests 250 ml. thoughts please

About 200 to 250ml seems logical. The recipe says it makes 'about 1l' so with the 750ml of wine 250ml more of liquid is required there will be juice from the berries too I suppose but the net result would still be about a litre.

Katiehound

thriftwizard said:

  I'd agree with 250ml being a large glass. But would fall over if I drank that much strong liquor - I'm out of practice! Sticking to cider here...

ah, but this going into the blackberry liqueur. folk will only get a thimbleful! (Unless they Are given a small bottle.)
Just thinking- do I have miniature bottles left? doubtful.....but worth a look as they never get ditched

Floss

250ml of regular strength vodka is 5 double measures, or a large wine glass. 

Infused drinks such as sloe gin, your blackberry vodka etc are generally around 18-20% rather than the regular strength of 35/40%.

Katiehound

^^^ not bothered about the strength, as long as the resulting drink has a bit of a punch! I'll add 250 ml of vodka on Saturday. I doubt it's going to be that strong as it wine based. Bought duty free vodka specially for making home creations. 

I was given a slab of toffee with a hammer- my friend said it would pull his fillings out! so that is going to be toffee vodka but of course not foraged in the hedgerow!

goldfinches

@Katiehound - for my latest batch I added 200ml. Generally what I do is add 150ml and then taste it and keep adding until it tastes right to me IYSWIM. You only need a very small sip to taste.
@Rosa_Damascena - yes, surprisingly 100g of sugar is very palatable. I took a jar to cookery class this week for others to taste and the tutor made exactly the same comment and then was very surprised by the flavour so give it a go. 
@MoonChild91 - some suggestions for you here Where the wild things are: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipes for hedgerow berries | Food | The Guardian and Sloe vodka recipe | BBC Good Food and Five Ways to Use Leftover Sloe Berries | Sipsmith Gin and How to make Sloe Jelly (not Sloe Gin!) - YouTube and How to make Sloe Cordial - Farmersgirl Kitchen.

Laurasiamos

I was visiting family in Gloucestershire on the weekend and managed to get a good bag of elderberries. They're really difficult to come across here in South Wales for some reason. I've popped them in the freezer for now. Taking the kids down to the sand dunes today and will see if we can find any dewberries left. We may have left it a bit late in the year. Fingers crossed. 

MoonChild91

goldfinches said:

@Katiehound - for my latest batch I added 200ml. Generally what I do is add 150ml and then taste it and keep adding until it tastes right to me IYSWIM. You only need a very small sip to taste.
@Rosa_Damascena - yes, surprisingly 100g of sugar is very palatable. I took a jar to cookery class this week for others to taste and the tutor made exactly the same comment and then was very surprised by the flavour so give it a go. 
@MoonChild91 - some suggestions for you here Where the wild things are: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipes for hedgerow berries | Food | The Guardian and Sloe vodka recipe | BBC Good Food and Five Ways to Use Leftover Sloe Berries | Sipsmith Gin and How to make Sloe Jelly (not Sloe Gin!) - YouTube and How to make Sloe Cordial - Farmersgirl Kitchen.

Thank you so much! I might have another go at jam this year or attempt some cordial!

Katiehound

goldfinches said:

 You only need a very small sip to taste.
 

Spoil sport!!

thriftwizard

Yay! Loads of crabapples... I've brought back half a carrier bag to get us off to a good start, but there are tons left on the two trees. I couldn't resist gathering another bag of sloes, too. There was lots of beech mast lying about, but most of the little nuts were skinny & empty - worrying...

goldfinches

@Katiehound - ha ha! If I'd said you had to try a large glassful while soaking in a hot bath with violins playing in the background you'd never have believed me.

@thriftwizard - wow that's a fabulous tree, what a find. I'm going to see if I can pick up some windfalls this weekend too. Pity about the beech nuts and as you say, worrying.

@MoonChild91 - you're welcome. I checked on my nearest blackthorn this afternoon and it's ready to be picked so I shall be out harvesting with friends this weekend and look forward to hearing your verdicts on the jam or cordial.