Sunday 1 September 2013

Fruits of the Harvest

I was at Sharkham at 6 this morning, picking Blackberries. Its amazing how many people are around then, walking dogs, or just walking. Also there was a very professional  looking photographer taking pictures of the sunrise.
Anyhow I got 5 lbs of berries in an hour, there were so many, I had picked 6lb a week ago but it was as if I hadn't been, this year has been exceptional for berries of all sorts.


I made some Bramble jelly, its very easy to do in the oven, here is the recipe:-

Wash 1kg of berries and mix with 1kg of sugar. I added 6g of dried pectin powder just to make sure that it set. This I put in a shallow casserole and covered with foil.


Bake for 40 minutes at 200 degrees, then remove the foil and mash/stir well.
Return to the oven for 10 minutes, then stir and give it 10minutes more.
Strain through a metal sieve and bottle the juice in sterilised jars.


The fruit pulp is great with yogurt or on cereals.
Next job was to rescue my tomatoes,which had grown so much they had pulled the stakes over. I cut the foliage back to give the fruit more light, and picked quite a few.


considering Yvonne had picked on Friday, that was a result, I do like the taste of them if picked smaller, and the smell of tomatoes on your hands!

In all the rush of bread making for everyone else, I have to remember to make one for us as well. As the oven was on for the Bramble Jelly, I made a soft wholemeal loaf, for the next few days.





When we walked the dogs yesterday, there was a wheelbarrow full of bramley apples parked outside a house with a big sign saying 'help yourself'. They had even put bags for people to use.
Yvonne made a crumble topping, using Plain Flour, Oats, Seeds, Butter, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar. Oh yes and Golden Syrup. I simmered Apples, Pears and Blackberries, and made some custard.




We will assemble it and bake for 40 minutes so it's ready after our Roast Lamb tonight.

I checked out my apple trees, I never cease to be amazed by the weight of fruit that a small, thin branch can take.





Won't be long now.

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