This popped through the front door this afternoon while I was at work, just sitting down with a glass of something under the reading lamp have a quick flick through.
This is the third River Cottage Handbook I’ve bought and once again worth every penny!
I don’t do much fermentation since the great Ginger Beer explosion
Ah! glass bottles and too much sugar?
The blackberries really haven’t plumped up this year, still we’ll salvage what we can, more crumble later and I’d better get into gear and pick some for that blackberry whiskey.
I picked some today - I thought it was now or never 
They certainly wouldn’t win any wards for being pretty that’s for sure 
Anyone got any clues as to what type they are?
They may not be pretty but I’ll bet they’ll work wonders in a crumble .
Don’t forget the cinnamon and nutmeg!
I don’t eat pastries/sweets unfortunately Chillboot… I’ll eat them as they are later - I will report back on taste
i finished the last of mine today , I stewed them in the Microwave with the Blackberries and also some Blueberries altogether , sprinkled sugar on and they were lovely
,
It would never have crossed my mind to stew blackberries in a microwave, I’m just about to give it a go, probably with a generous helping of Mackie’s ice cream 
Haha! Stewed fruit always reminds me of Rhubarb for some reason.
Disgusting - just to clarify 
Yeah, I never got into the rhubarb thing either.
I remember a youth leader in our rather evangelical church came up with a rather rude riddle concerning rhubarb, quite unseemly all things considered 
Yes and No!
The great Ginger Beer Explosion of 2018 was probably caused by age. I originally made the ginger beer to show my then teenage son how to do it - from making the ginger beer plant to producing the Ginger Beer. He was not the slightest bit interested so the ginger beer sat beside the washing machine for several years.
One night I was woken by an almighty “BANG”
It even took a chunk out of the window and bits of glass ricocheted out of the laundry into the hallway, there was bits of glass everywhere.
I wrapped each of the remaining bottles in a towel and carefully released the pressure by prising open the top.
Grief!
Glass grenades.
My Auntie used to make ginger beer in stone bottles it was delicious .
I have made “proper” ginger beer too (I presume by "proper’ you mean alcoholic) in the days when I made my own beer - hence the reason I still have many dozen crown cap bottles in the shed, as well as all the equipment just in case.
As a kid everybody and his dog had ginger beer plants which were ginger, sugar and yeast to which sugar and ginger were added daily, after one week the resultant was diluted, bottled and the plant divided into two - in theory your output doubled weekly but in practice every Monday at school you tried to swap a plant for something else. As far as I know it is not alcoholic and you never hear of kids doing it now.
I don t think it’s was alcoholic only the children drank it.
A rather disappointing blackberry season.
The haws are starting to turn, I’m anticipating making some spicy haw ketchup all ready for Christmas.
I’m still in two minds wether or not to go for a mouli?
The decent models aren’t exactly cheap but probably worth every penny in the long run.
Need some advice about Rosehips. I went for a walk earlier, and discovered thousands of Rosehip berries! Now given that these are beside a fairly busy road, would they be safe to pluck and make things with them? Also they look ripe (in that they are shiny and reddish orange) but are they? What should I look for. I could fill about 7 buckets with them.
Ive been thinking of making Rose Hip Syrup too , ive been on youtube on how to make them…
This might sound silly, but what’s the taste like? I mean…are they sweet, sour or do they taste anything at all? Also, are they safe if taken from a roadside? I suppose a good wash would be sufficient 
