4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Guest]

We went to Eddisbury fruit farm today to get goosegogs but they'd all been picked!

 

However, we picked 3.5 kg of strawbs and 1.5 kg of raspberries. It was a lovely sunny day and we really enjoyed it! It was so exhausting though! The rows were sloped so it was okay going down but then coming back up the next one was tiring! Lots of fresh air, sun and exercise will surely have done the old ticker some good.

 

Lynda, it's a good job we didn't go picking before we came to see you, I'd have been alseep all afternoon!

 

Anyway, we then went to Asda and got loads of caster sugar, vodka and sherry.

 

Kate, I'm making the strawberry wine (with sherry) and the raspberry liquer (with vodka) from the book you very kindly sent me. I also got some ginger, yeast and lemon juice as I'm also going to make some ginger beer, also from that book!

 

When the fruit is finished with, to make the tipples, I'm going to make boozy summer fruits jam with it

 

I'll let you know how it turns out

[Mrs Frugal]

If you have any raspberries leftover, have you tried steeping them in brandy? Raspberry Brandy is d-e-e-e-e-e-licious !

[Guest]

I'm afraid I hate brandy bluuuuurrrrrgh! Sorry, ungrateful of me but I can't stand the stuff

[Lesley]

It's alright Poet - Kate will help you out.......

[Mrs Frugal]

I have such a reputation .

[missuscluck]

Good to see you made it to the fruit farm. You have had a busy few days! Im not surprised you are shattered, you get around dont you!

Sorry you didnt get your goosegogs.

What you did get sound great though.

[Guest]

I really am shattered now!

 

we decided, because we had so much fruit and too few kilner jars, to make the strawberry ratafia instead of the wine. I've just washed and destalked 5lbs of strawberries, then mashed them up with a 1lb of sugar! That has to steep overnight, then it goes in the jar with the vodka for a few days. Very decadent!

 

I'm done in now so Ian is starting off the raspberry liquer, then the rest of the fruit is going in the fridge til tomorrow, when I might make some jam with the strawbs and keep some back for strawberries and cream. The rest of the rasps can go in the freezer for now!!!!!

 

The fruit in the punnets is what we picked and the fruit in the glass bowl is from our garden.

 

http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/300608.5.jpg

 

this is the start of the strawberry ratafia and raspberry liquor, there's loads of fruit left too

 

http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/300608.17.jpg

[Guest]

just thought you'd like to see the next stage...the colours are so mouthwatering I think!

 

strawb ratafia on the left, rasp liquer on the right

 

[missuscluck]

Justine, what are the rasperrys stewing in?

The colours are fab!

[Karen & co.]

They look wonderful I'm hoping to go fruit picking this weekend, I might try Eddisbury or the one out near to Bridgemere Was Eddisbury busy Poet?

 

My rapsberry vodka is really lovely, it's darker than yours I wonder if it's because my raspberries are Autum fruiting very tasty all the same

 

Karen x

[Guest]

Justine, what are the rasperrys stewing in?

The colours are fab!

 

vodka.

 

5 days in vodka, a shake every day then strained, liquid mixed with sugar syrup and bottled and left for a few weeks.

 

[Guest]

..... Was Eddisbury busy Poet?

 

not really but we went on a Monday, the rasp bushes had been well picked over and all the gooseberries had gone. There was lots of strawbs and we managed to a decent lot of rasps but it was hard work and I think we got the last of the ripe ones. There were a lot of unripe ones though

 

My rapsberry vodka is really lovely, it's darker than yours I wonder if it's because my raspberries are Autum fruiting very tasty all the same

 

don't know, mine's only been stewing a cple of days so the colour will get darker yet, however the rasps we used were more pink than red so who knows?

 

[Karen & co.]

..... Was Eddisbury busy Poet?

 

not really but we went on a Monday, the rasp bushes had been well picked over and all the gooseberries had gone. There was lots of strawbs and we managed to a decent lot of rasps but it was hard work and I think we got the last of the ripe ones. There were a lot of unripe ones though

 

My rapsberry vodka is really lovely, it's darker than yours I wonder if it's because my raspberries are Autum fruiting very tasty all the same

 

don't know, mine's only been stewing a cple of days so the colour will get darker yet, however the rasps we used were more pink than red so who knows?

 

 

Thank you I hadn't hought about the age of the vodka I'm actually surprised there is any left, as I made it in September

 

Karen x

[missuscluck]

Can I have a blow by blow please for the rasperry vodka. I get the first bit but im not sure about the sugar syrup bit.

 

Thankyou