Tinka, Tayla and Gypsey - the Kune Kunes
Time for another 'Blast from the Past', this time it's today, the 8th December but it's fourteen years ago in 2010 ... what was I up to?
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Nothing gets wasted......
Yesterday it was time to strain the Damson Gin that has been soaking away for the past few weeks. The heady almost liqueur like smell was wonderful as I tipped the contents of the container through the sieve.
Looking at the soft fruits swollen with gin, I decided it would have been a crime of the most serious nature to just throw them away, so rummaging about in the store cupboard I unearthed a bag of Preserving Sugar and set too making some alcoholic jam.
Lining up the three bowls, the one containing the Damsons in the centre and one on the left for the stones and one on the right for the fruit I spent an intoxicating hour squeezing the fruits to extract the stones. My fingers turned purple and the two outer bowls filled slowly but surely, a lovely way to spend a bit of time with the frost laying heavy on the ground outdoors.
The fruit was put in a pan with the sugar and a squeeze of lemon and left to boil away for a good ten minutes and then I looked at the stones, how could I waste them, knowing that the Kune Kunes loved crunching them SO much. So they were mixed with a carton of yogurt and added to the the Kunes evening meal.
Three little piggies went to bed VERY happy last night...
...and we had very alcoholic jam on our toast for supper ....hic!!Well that worked a treat, and lovely to know that nothing was wasted, something I'll repeat for sure. Six jars of jam and four bottles of Damson Gin for Christmas (and happy piggies too!).
It also gave me the idea for our New Year Challenge......and you know how much I love a challenge!! The year 2011 is going to be our Waste not Want not Year.
A year of living frugally....but well.
It's been quite a while since I made any of this gorgeous tasting alcoholic jam.
Sue xx 🎄
I bet that smelled amazing! And my mouth is watering just thinking about the jam. Xx
ReplyDeleteOh it did, the whole farmhouse smelled of alcohol for long after we got used to it. Visitors commented on it for about a week. They must have thought we were alcoholics. 😄
DeleteI've got a couple of jars of 'potions ' - various dried fruits in wine or brandy- stashed ready to eat or drink over Christmas and into next year! Recipes from Nigel Slater.
ReplyDeleteOoh, sounds lovely. Sadly I have nothing homemade stashed away this year. 😔
DeleteIt’mochi day today for us. Dad got the gear out then he remembered I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and Paul has chronic arthritis in his shoulders so it’s him and the kids . Good job he still goes to the gym at 79! Will help boil it . It’s such a satisfying process to watch.
DeleteCan’t believe this was 2011 when you made the boozy jam! The jam looked so Christmas like when it was put into the jars and I guess the recipients enjoyed it too. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI know, doesn't time fly!! Everyone loved it. I made the jars look more Christmassy with red mop caps and little sprigs of green and added them to hampers. 🎄
DeleteWaste not, want not. I am thinking of jam making today (though couldn't top up with extra jam sugar as all of a sudden it's not on the shelves in Tesco and its place is given to Icing Sugar!) I have some fab Sloes in my freezer - too good for jam, so I'll make some Sloe Gin for next Christmas.
ReplyDeleteYou can always turn the drained sloes into jam when you open the alcohol up next year. 😀
DeleteYum boozy jam. I always make a couple of bottles of sloe gin, never sure what to do with the sloes once drained. Do you think they would be too bitter for jam? Worth a try I guess. Oh those piglets are wonderful. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth a try, the amount of sugar needed for jam should take away most of the bitterness. They were very cute weren't they, also very intelligent and mischievous, much more so than our big pigs. 🐷🐷🐷
DeleteOh those gorgeous piglets :) I imagine they slept like logs after their boozy supper! Another lovely 'blast from the past' post which I have really enjoyed. Thank you Sue.
ReplyDeleteAngie x
They definitely snored very loudly that night, we could hear them when we went over to close up the henhouses. 😄
Delete😂Little wonder!! 🤣
DeleteWonderful use of everything, and our blogs can give such lovely memories, x.
ReplyDeleteTrouble is, when you rear livestock with such care, compassion and love it makes what comes next very, very difficult.
Oh the Kune Kunes never went to meat, they were my pampered pets. I was vegetarian by this time ... luckily for them. 😄
DeleteI enjoyed reading this blog post from the past. I don't drink any alcohol, but, I'm sure the damson gin and the alcoholic jam tasted wonderful and I'm glad that the little piggies got a treat, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually like shorts like whisky and gin, but mixed with fruit and left to mature for longer than you think and they start tasting very nice. 😀
DeleteWow, bet the piggies slept really well - wonder if they had nice dreams? I used to make blackberry or raspberry gin, it always went down well, haven't done it for a few years though. I also made jam with the fruit, or had it as a very boozy topping for ice cream.
ReplyDeleteOh yes boozy fruit with ice cream is delicious isn't it. I did that with my blackberry whisky berries. 💖
DeleteWe made Xmas cake but a bit late l know. Still good
ReplyDeleteHomemade nearly always delicious no matter how late. ❤️
DeleteThere is no brandy In it as we none of us drink .
DeleteDoesn't boiling it evaporate away the alcohol, still leaves the lovely boozy taste though. It looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteThat was me, Carol Caldwell. i have a new computer and am finding a few teething problems.
DeleteYes, I guess most of the alcohol is gone by the time the jam is cooked, but it never tastes as though it has ... which is always a bonus. :-)
DeleteJust seeing if I have got my name back on my comment.
ReplyDeleteYay ... you have. Back to normal. :-)
DeleteWhat happened to the cute pigs? I know you did not eat them. They had a lot of photos at the time. Wishing you a happy Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThey were rehomed to a lady that wanted them to live in her orchard. Once again to be pets rather than sausages. ❤️
DeleteWonderful!
Delete❤️ xx
DeleteA blast from the past 👍 I bet sometimes you can't believe you are still blogging 😉 We are so fortunate that you still are 🙏
ReplyDeleteI am often amazed that I still have anything left to say!! One day someone will say 'yeah, yeah ... you told us all that before, bugger off'. 🤣🤣
DeleteHave you ever done a clothing or toiletries challenge? Like a use us all the lotions, potion, and body wash?
ReplyDelete