How slow is Sloe Gin really?

Last year, I was not organised enough to make my own Sloe Gin, not so this year! On Sunday, I went to the Alexandra Palace's Farmer's Market, I know it's a cheat to buy them. But to be honest I'm a city girl and only really comfortable foraging blackberries and the like. Maybe next year.

Making sloe gin is pretty quick to start and slow to finish but not laborious, think of the turtoise and the hare and you're on the right track. There's no cooking required, just patience as the sloes steep in the gin.

You will need:

-450g/1lb sloes
-225g/8oz caster sugar
-1 litre/1¾ pint gin
- A large sterilised jar or bottle
- A sterilised needle
- A funnel
- Measuring Scales

Preparation method:

-Prick the tough skin of the sloes all over with a clean needle and put in a large sterilised jar. (My advice use something that can hold atleast 2ltr with a wide neck, I didn't and may pay for that later. I used a 1 1/2ltr bottle and could only get half of the gin in the bottle so I will have to leave it alone for that first week, then transfer the whole mixture to something bigger).
-Pour the sugar in through the funnel and use the gin to wash it through the funnel spout, seal tightly and shake well.
-Store in a cool, dark cupboard and shake every other day for a week. Then shake once a week for at least two months.
-Strain the sloe gin through muslin into a sterilised bottle.

 I will be trying to update this post with photos after each shake.

 Top recipe tip to try as well:

You can make blackberry brandy in the same way, substituting blackberries for the sloes and brandy for the gin. Blackberries do not need pricking. If I have time in the next couple of weeks, I will try this tip.

TTFN

 MagpieSpirit

Plum Chilli Jam

Here's a great recipe that is good on scones, cheese, meat and toast, an all-round jam.

Ingredients :

• 1kg red plums
• 500g Preserving Sugar
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 2 Red chillies - mild kind
• 25g butter

Step 1. Half and stone the plums.

Step 2. Finely slice the chillies. I recommend de-seeding them at this point. Use a teaspoon to scrape the seeds out. Instead of slicing, I used my kitchen scissors.

Step 3. Cook gently until the plum skins are soft.

Step 4. Mix in the sugar, stirring the pan until it has dissolved.

Step 5. Add the chillies and then bring to the boil and boil until the mixture has reached setting point.

Step 6. Add the butter and stir into the pan.

Step 7. Pot into sterilised jars, seal.

At this point you can label or boil jam in jars which creates a firmer jam, then label.

Can be eaten immediately but I recommend leaving for 2 weeks before consuming. You can leave the jars in the fridge for up to 6 months if left unopened.

TTFN

MagpieSpirit

Rosemary Gardener's Soap

Rosemary Gardener's Soap is meant to cleanse and revitalize skin and makes upto 16 bars of soap.

Ingredients:
300ml (1/2 pint) Cheap olive oil
175ml (6 1/2 fl oz) coconut oil
120ml (4 fl oz) cooled, boiled or distilled water
60g (2 oz) caustic soda (lye crystals)
1 tbsp green clay
3 tsp spirulina powder or 4 crushed spirulina tablets
1 tbsp bran, oatmeal or rolled oats
30 drops rosemary essential oil

You will also need some equipment, it's not necessary to purchase a separate set of equipment for soap making, but if you're using cooking equipment, make sure you clean everything extremely well.

-Digital kitchen scale
-Stainless steel / Enamel pot
-2 x plastic spatulas
-Thermometer that register between 38-93 degrees C (100-200 degrees F)
-Spoons / bowls for weighing / measuring
-A good-sized container for mixing the NaOH solution (this should be reserved for you soap-making only).
-Hand blender (optional)
-Plastic or wooden mould
-A little oil and greaseproof paper for lining the mould
-Blanket or large towel
-Rubber gloves
-Apron (safer still to wear old / house clothes under the apron)
-Goggles
-Cloth for cleaning up spills
-Bottle of vinegar

Step 1. Mix the olive and coconut oils in a saucepan with a whisk over a low heat until the temperature reaches 60 oC (140 oF).

To make the lye mix, pour the water into a stainless steel or glass bowl placed in a sink in case the contents froth over when you add the caustic soda. wearing protective goggles, gloves, and an apron, add the soda to the water and mix with a wooden spoon until the crystals have dissolved. Leave to cool.

Step 2. Add the the cooled lye mix to the hot oils in the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. then beat with a metal whisk until the mixture reaches the consistency of thick custard so that a line is visible if drawn across the surface.

Stir in the green clay, spirulina, bran/oatmeal/rolled oats, ans essential oil.

Step 3. Pour or spoon the mix into your moulds. Cover with a cloth and leave for 24 hours. While still soft remove the soap from your mould wearing plastic gloves, and cut into bars using a knife. Arrange on trays and leave to dry out fully and harden this process is called curing and will take atleast 4 weeks. An alternative to plastic or wooden moulds, try using juice or milk cartons, pour or spoon the mixture into the cartons. Wrap the cartons in a large towel and set somewhere warm for 24 hours like the airing cupboard. The cartons will feel warm and will get hot as the mixture neutralizes and turns into soap.  To unmold your soap, peel off the cartons and cut soap into sections for hand soap. Place each bar on a wire rack in a cool, dark place to cure for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, soap can be buffed with a cotton cloth and wrapped for gifts.

I'm always looking out for new soap recipes, so if you have any suggestions for lye solution based soaps please send them to me to try.

Is it ever to early the plan for Christmas?

Not if it's going to be a Homemade Christmas and with less than 25 weekends to the best day of the year.

The plan for this year so far are to make soaps, flavoured oils, flavoured vodka, sloe gin, sweet and savory jams as they all require time to mature, to give as gifts. Look out for recipes, links and tutorials as I gear up for the festivities.

TTFN,

MagpieSpirit

A Long Weekend Craft Bonanza - The Workshop - Day 1 part 3

The Workshop

Run  by Make, do and Mend, our instructor Joe was fabulous with just enough information to inform and inspire but not so much that you would feel lectured, even the safety bit was handled with humour.

What I liked most was the really solid fast paced introduction to Lino Printing.

I definitely plan to try and join the longer worker when it next runs in February 2012.

A long Weekend Craft Bonanza - Day 2 Part 2

As it's the season, we visited the Frost Fair at Hatfield House, Hatfield.

You enter the fair through a little wooden trellis arch, where a foam machine above drops/blows faux snow onto you. An attempt I'm sure to get you into the festive spirit. So from the foam machine you find yourself in a marquee portico, through that we emerged into the first marquee proper. The shopping temptress appeared instantly in the form of Linden Lady and their handmade English chocolates, fudges and other things naughty but nice's. Another highlight hidden  amongst the silverware, toys, books, furniture and much, much more to purchase was a Sarsaparilla stall, Yes! Sarsaparilla!! complete with vendor dressed like he was about the serve Calamity Jane in one of those white aprons that buttoned to his waistcoat and a bowler hat atop his head.

Just so you know sarsaparilla is tasty hot or cold, I prefer it hot personally. Apparently it's a natural source of iron, an anti-inflammatory and cleansing. The Taste of Yesterday, I wish I had bought more than just those glasses to drink as I wondered the fair and more for over the Christmas period.

How many days to Christmas?

For the last few years, as part of my preparation for Christmas, I have been making advent wreathes. In the past, I have used a chaser plate (red, silver or gold), either a block or ring of Oasis wet foam, 4 candles (3 either white or purple and 1 red) and freshly cut foliage from the garden. This year the snow wrecked the Hydragea's so I'm trying Phsyalims with ivy. Construction time 25 minutes. If I keep the Oasis watered the ivy should easily last to Christmas day.

On Christmas day, I had planned to change all the candles to white candles and spray the ivy silver, but having discussed the Christmas menu's and table with my mother this evening I will be using gold spray instead.

A recipe for the smell of Christmas

I don't know Christmas is like for the rest of the population but in my home Christmas has always had a smell. Of fresh pine, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and citrus which is hard to create without the fresh pine tree in the house and the baking of my mothers black rum fruit cake.

This year we are doing without both, the pets behaviour last year means that there is to be no tree. Lack of time means no cake! So...

I tried, like the alchemists of old created a simple recipe.

Fill one small saucepan with water and put on the stove top.
Place two small nutmeg pods and 1tsp. of cloves in a mortar and pestle and bash.
Sprinkle the contents of the pestle into the saucepan.
Add a 1/4 of a stick of cinnamon to the saucepan.
Take two limes or lemons or oranges, slice one up and put into the saucepan, with the other cut in half and squeeze the juice into the saucepan.
Bring the entire measure to the boil.

At this point you have two options, allow to boil continuously adding more water as necessary.
or turn off the fire and relight periodically.

The mixture needs to be changed when it turns chocolate brown or after about 2 to 3 days.

And all cheaper an a Glade candle.