Notes for foraging course attendees:
Sloe Gin
Fill your jar 2/3 with frozen sloes and a few rosehips, shake to bruise Fill to top with Vodka Leave min 2 months, maximum 2 years Remove sloes and rosehips ... used sloes make a great 'sloe port' by infusing in cheap port or red wine (plus a bit of sugar) Add golden caster sugar to taste ... 300-ish grams Add a wedge of lemon and 2 tsp junipers and leave for about 2 weeks Strain off juniper and lemon, top up with Vodka and you are done! Don't be afraid to experiment with whiskey or other spirits. |
Starter
Here's a great starter recipe, remember to use a couple of bramble leaves rather than leaving the starter mix uncovered. I find it takes 10-14 days not a week as Barney says in his recipe. Sourdough 350g Starter 350g water 500g Bread flour Mix and leave overnight Stir dough, adding 20g salt and put in casserole or similar Bake with lid on for 1hr at 140C Take lid off and back at 250C for 15-20 minutes until starting to char nicely! Remove loaf from casserole, turn the oven off then leave loaf in oven for 30min to dry out |
Is foraging dangerous?
Follow this link to a podcast episode on dangerous courgettes and foraging, it is a fun listen from one of my favourite podcasts and an insight into what we perceive as dangerous food ... who knew a courgette can kill ? Click here for 'The demon Zucchini' |
Straws:
The first known straws were made by the Sumerians, and were used for drinking beer, probably to avoid the solid byproducts of fermentation that sink to the bottom.The oldest drinking straw in existence, found in a Sumerian tomb dated 3,000 BCE, was a gold tube inlaid with the precious blue stone lapis lazuli. ref: Wikipedia |
Natural Wines: vinepair.com/articles/wild-ferment-natural-wine/
Wine - 10% sugar gives approx 5% alcohol or a pound bag to a gallon Ferments - 2-3% salt by weight, keep covered by liguid to avoid spoiling Sourdough - science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/sourdough.htm Yarrow beer - www.selfsufficientish.com/main/2008/11/yarrow-ale-a-true-ale/ www.storey.com/article/homebrew-with-herbs-honey-lemon-yarrow-summer-beer/ Inedible seaweed - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmarestia |
Wonderful nettles
Books I recommend:
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My books ...
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