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jeannie
Da Vinci
7819 Posts |
 Posted - 06/07/2010 : 08:28:19
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I've been eating them since early may from polytunnel and giving loads away - now the outside plants are in full flow and we're getting about 3-4lb or so every couple of days.given some away but any ideas for using/preserving? I could make jam but as with eating them fresh - which is yummy - there's only so much jam two people can eat, and i make marmalade, raspberry and blackberry jam already...
I remember mum freezing some but they seemed like tasteless mush when thawed - any ideas how to freeze without that. i know the high liquid/water content makes them collapse but wonder if there a recipe where it won't matter. I suppose lots of the trouble is we're not really sweet/dessert eating people though i love fresh fruit - its just i'm going to have loads more strawbs and the raspberries are just begging. last year we had loads of those and i made jam, gave them away, ate them fresh, made some fruit pies/crumbles but we didn't have more than a dozen outside strawb - this year i let the runners from inside and out grow so with polytunnel ones and outside there;s maybe 120-40 plants...i can't resist plants for free and food for free but now don't know what to do with it. |
www.jeanniezelos.com
http://www.affordablebritishart.co.uk/
all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
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jeannie
Da Vinci
7819 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2010 : 08:33:43
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btw if anyone wants any strawberry plants come autumn when the runners have set i'll happily send some on. the ideal is to replace plants every three years as they get less productive so runners are useful that way if you replace the old plants each year but only 1 bag of the polytunnel plants needs replacing and if i let the runners go as usual next year i'll be overgrown with strawberries!! all these started from just 12 plants  |
www.jeanniezelos.com
http://www.affordablebritishart.co.uk/
all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
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PeterW
Constable
United Kingdom
1893 Posts |
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Lorna S
Salvador Dali
United Kingdom
4107 Posts |
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AnnetteCox
Salvador Dali
3430 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2010 : 11:23:51
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Raspberry or strawberry-infused vodka.
Cocktails at Jeannie's in a couple of months everyone! |
Annette
If you can smile when things are going wrong....you've probably just thought of someone to blame it on.
http://www.CraftyChameleon.etsy.com |
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jeannie
Da Vinci
7819 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2010 : 11:47:43
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i used to make sloe gin - til it got too strong one xmas and made me really really hungover - haven't been able to face it since. i've just been looking online following peters wine suggestion and thought as i've also raspberries and my first ever few gooseberries, red, white and black currants maybe a rumtoph - but with brandy and of course some of the berries will be one of my fav - summer pudding never made it but had it when out so as i have al the berries seems worth a go.
and some strawberry ice cream sounds good, and a bit of frozen puree for winter porridge - remind me of summer.
i love getting food from garden, free(ish) food makes me feel good! we've had first few new potatoes with mint, broad beans, radishes, lettuce, my first peas are just showing and masses of flowers on the runner and dwarf beans - i love those so hope to have enough to freeze lots too. |
www.jeanniezelos.com
http://www.affordablebritishart.co.uk/
all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
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Valpolicella
Constable
1803 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2010 : 15:09:44
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| RUMTOPF |
If the shoe fits
buy them in all colours
www.ayoubart.co.uk |
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jeannie
Da Vinci
7819 Posts |
Posted - 19/07/2010 : 09:06:27
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well i've used brandy not rum- tesco cheap stuff - was only £7 a bottle..now its got sugar, raspberries, strawberries, cherries ( not from garden sadly - they failed this year ) red currants and blackcurrants in. and tastes yummy - i had to try a little its the most gorgeous blood red colour and i reckon by xmas it'll be pretty string - its already lost that raw brandy burn you get. i think if i can fnd another big jar i'm going to do one with just oranges, clementines etc - be like cointreau - i love that. |
www.jeanniezelos.com
http://www.affordablebritishart.co.uk/
all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
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Lorna S
Salvador Dali
United Kingdom
4107 Posts |
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Valpolicella
Constable
1803 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2010 : 07:40:00
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IF it lasts till Christmas 
I put pears, peaches, nectarines, pineapple chunks in mine too.....as it gets pretty close to the top I sometimes pop in some sultanas, there's always room for a handful or two of those.
In fact, you're already at the stage where one Rumptoft just isn't enough.  And the liquor just gets better and better. 
When I was in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, (a huge fruit growing area), pretty much every household would serve their preserved summer fruits this way through out the winter.  |
If the shoe fits
buy them in all colours
www.ayoubart.co.uk |
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jeannie
Da Vinci
7819 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2010 : 08:46:05
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"In fact, you're already at the stage where one Rumptoft just isn't enough. " there's a real risk it won't last too long!
yep sue - i'm thinking of variations i can do - i love Cointreau hence the oranges idea - and i can't believe such cheap raw tasting brandy can mellow so quickly with just fruits and sugar!
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www.jeanniezelos.com
http://www.affordablebritishart.co.uk/
all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
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strawberries, ripe ripe strawberries...
