Oh Yes.... you heard it right!
Hiya folks! I hope you're all keeping well? It's been all go here at Casa Wollaston, juggling lots of different projects at the moment... I gotta say though I absolutely LOVE being busy busy busy...
It keeps me way from the shops!
So, while I'm developing some more ideas and getting some stuff customised, I thought rather than leave it for ages, I'd do a little piece about some other things I love to make...... starting off with some delicious home made drinks!
I did a lot of different home made liqueurs last year, using some stuff I grew on the allotment and some shop bought stuff, and I intend to have a go again this year. I thought you might like to give it a go!
I tell you what started me thinking about it..... the Damson tree at the bottom of our garden exploded into blossom and I started to get really excited at the prospect of all those beautiful Damsons we can expect later in the summer.
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| Beautiful Spring Blossom! |
Now I've seen all the little bees busily pollenating the blossom and I gave the tree a much needed prune last year, cutting away all the dead branches and letting some much needed light through, so I'm expecting a bumper crop this year! Soft fruit such as Damsons, Plums, Raspberries, Black currants etc make absolutely delicious home made drinks. Blackberries can be picked wild in August so you don't even need to spend any money on it and by Christmas, you could have a drinks cabinet bursting with home made goodies! (If you can stay away from them that long!)
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| Raspberries on the allotment |
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| Just a few of the Damsons from last year's crop |
So...where to start? The first one I had a go at was Limoncello... a firm favourite in our house for that after dinner digestive when you're having a special meal. It's extremely easy and the good thing about it is you don't have to wait for all the fruit to come into season as Lemons are available all year round!
What you'll need:
5 Ripe Lemons (Good quality for a better taste if you can)
1 Litre (1 3/4 Pints) Vodka (try and get over 40% volume as then you can keep it in the freezer)
750g ( 1lb 10oz) Sugar
700ml ( 1 1/4 Pints) Boiling Water
Stage 1:
1. Pare the rind carefully, avoiding the pith. Divide the rind between 2, 1 litre kilner jars
2. Pour the vodka over the lemon rind in the two jars, seal and give them a turn to mix.
3. Leave for 1 week, shaking the jars from time to time.
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| Stage 1: Lemon rind soaking in jar |
Stage 2:
4. After a week, place the sugar in a large heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over it, stir well to dissolve.
5. While the sugar syrup is still hot, add the vodka and lemon rind mix to it. Stir, cover with cling film and leave for 1 week.
Stage 3:
Strain and divide between clean bottles/ jars. Add a few strips of rind from a new lemon to decorate. Seal and keep forever! (Or as long as you can keep your hands off it!)
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| Make great Christmas Pressies! |
Wild Damson Gin Recipe:
- 1lb/454gm of washed wild damsons (or shop bought is fine!)
- 6 ozs/168gm of white granulated sugar
- 75cl bottle of medium quality gin
- Sterilised 1 litre (at least) Le Parfait jar or wide necked bottle with stopper/cork
Method:
Wash damsons well and discard any bad or bruised fruit. Prick fruit several times with a fork and place damsons in either a large Kilner/Le Parfait jar or a wide necked 1 litre bottle.
- Using a funnel, add the sugar and top up with gin to the rim.
- Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved and then store in a cool, dark place until you can resist it no longer (leave for at least three months, we usually let it mature for at least 6 months). If you are planning to drink this after 3 months, have a nip after a month, and top up with sugar to taste.
- Some people strain the grog (through muslin/jelly bag) after 3 months and bottle it, leaving it mature for six months. Don’t leave the straining process any longer than a year; leaving the fruit in too long can spoil the liqueur. If you manage to make more than one bottle, tuck one away for a year and watch the flavour mature. This is a simply gorgeous drink .. a real winner at any Christmas party!
Once you have strained your fruit and bottled your drinks, don't be tempted to discard the soaked fruit... I bottled my Gin around Christmas time and the juicy Damsons were chopped up, put into a pan with a little sugar and stewed. As I'm not a massive fan of mince pies, I used the stewed fruit to make some little alternatives, just using a ready made shortcrust pastry and a dollop of the fruit mixture. Served with home made custard and a shot glass of the Damson Gin ...Oh boy ...delicious is not the word!
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| A shot of pure heaven! |
You can freestyle too here, I used the glut of raspberries from the allotment and added them to both Vodka and Gin using the same technique, I bought own brand varieties - no need to spend a fortune as the fruit will add a touch of class for you. We ended up with all kinds of different flavours and I gotta say, that's me hooked now. I'm going to make a lot more this year after this successful start and I'll be experimenting with some new recipes too. There are loads of websites out there where you can buy beautiful presentation bottles, these drinks make beautiful Christmas gifts. I guarantee, you'll be more than a welcome houseguest too if you get a reputation for turning up armed with a bottle of home made loveliness for your hosts!
I hope you like my post and I would love to hear from you if you have a go at making your own drinks, these kinds of liqueurs cost a packet in the shops to buy but theres no need to go spending loads of money on them when you could make your own! It's all part of the whole Make it yourself vibe. I gave some away as Christmas Pressies and they really went down a treat.
I'll be back very soon with more home-made loveliness.
Bye for now!
Leona X
..........hic!
P.S.
P.S.
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