Its my favourite time of year at the moment, the fruits of plants all coming to their best, the range of colour outside as we approach Samhain, the nights in under a blanket with a stew, still just about light on the way to and from work, I do just love autumn. But one thing i do get even more excited about. Rosehip Syrup. I have been making this for a few years now, is excellent on pancakes with ice cream, or as a Kir or as a remedy. Just a wonderful forgotten gem. Anyway as i said before i am in a new area but that is the other wonderful thing about rosehips... They're everywhere and so good for you. This article by Gail Butler has some interesting information. I've always used the Ministry of food WWII recipe (another one for Marguerite and co!), although i normally allow it to steep a bit before straining and then adding more water to the pot and reboiling the hips.
These babies were made 9th Oct and are going into my Christmas hamper for Mum/aunts. 256ml bottles, I'm also going to make one for my aunt that is allergic to sugar. My thoughts are to use a tablespoon of honey for sweetness and gelatin for consistency. Although if anyone has any idea, Please please do comment. The liquid from the hips for this last batch is being frozen as i am doing variants on all the stuff I'm making for everyone else and will probably do hers in one go. i made a half volume recipe and created just over a pint, i shall make some more in the next few days once i get a chance to go foraging again. Hopefully soon.
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Next up Bread. Firstly the sourdough starter. Made Sunday night. I've been using a book lent to me by my OH mum, Sourdoughs of Antiquity by Ed Wood. Although the explanation for the actual producing of a culture is limited the book has so much more on things such as flours, gluten and protein levels and some fascinating experiments, such as attempting to recreate the Ancient Egyptian bread process. Anyway it recommends 1 cup flour to 175ml water. to start it, feed after 2-3 days when you see some activity then keep feeding until you get the desired activity. Real in-depth as you can see! This resulted in a very thick batter. Although i stuck with it on the basis it may well thin as the yeast and cultures get doing their thing and start munching. It seemed to be progressing nicely. I've seen bubbles and increase in volume, although i would say only by 1/2 certainly not doubled also every 12hrs its producing a bit of a hooch on top.
From what I've read, this is normal. But slightly disconcerting on a new starter given from what i understand this shows signs of the yeast getting tired and old???? Its only 3 days old! well i fed it last night, and came back to hooch this morning. My book also mentions nothing about halving and resting and feeding cycle for a starter, but i think I've just about got it sorted. I am going to halve her tonight, feed her and repeat for the next 3 evenings with about a tablespoon of flour in the mornings just so the little blighters don't get hungry. Also i say her a lot, as much as it seems starters are generally considered, including by me, male, this one does appear to be female, just on the fact i keep referring to her in the feminine context. As yet unnamed, mainly because i am soft and will get upset if she dies. I mean i will be anyway but I'm a sentimental fool, what can i say. I shall trudge on and hope for the best. However yesterday i was a little agitated and decided kneading bread would help, so i used Kate's Quick bread recipe.
Like i said i was feeling a little agitated so i stuck my timer on and just pummelled that bad boy. Probably helped. There were 2 olive, rosemary and sea salt breads, but one got demolished before photographs. Ooopsy. We very rarely eat 'chorleywood bread' for toast etc, OH's mother is a professional master baker (or something like that) and works for a sourdough company (almost ironically they live in chorleywood), so he grew up with good bread, she did give me a sachet about 6 weeks ago to make my starter from, but that to me seemed to be cheating. An up and running starter that is ready to use in 24hrs from dried? Sourdoughs are supposed to taste different around the world, and country, i want mine to be an Exeter sourdough. Ok so how each person uses, feeds, and stores a sourdough will give it variation, and also the local atmosphere to a certain extent, but i figure it part of the process. If my starter fails i will learn from it and learn more about the actual requirements of my sourdough, nurture it, feed it, watch it grow, learn to live with it as part of the family, I feel like i would miss out on a lot that no amount of reading can possibly replace. Anyway, yes back to the point, this bread, I thought it was a failure when it came out of the oven, as i could bash it on the sideboard and not so much as a crack. I thought i had made building blocks. OH convinced me if he had learnt one thing its that the proof is in the cutting, so i cut it, The crust was quite solid but what was inside excellent, i have made bread a few times in my life, probably a dozen or so, but that was by far my greatest success to date, an absolute treat. airy, light, good (if a little dry and solid) crust, but unlike on previous attempts in the distant past, it hadn't gone more than a mm before becoming light and fluffy, So in future maybe the water bowl/spray may be a bonus but there will be plenty mo0re i am sure. My only issue, If you look at the larger loaf, when i scored it it wilted and never really came back from it, with wrinkly edges, not that it matters, but would be nice to sort out if only for aesthetics.Oh and for once the photograph i promised!!!! Here is the blanket. In all its vast glory, I have 2 more blocks and 3 borders to go and i am done!!!! Whoop whoop!!! That white border on the left of the image, that measures 2m as it sits. I am so happy with it. Cannot wait to finish. I have 184 rows left, at an average of 10 minutes per row!!!
Well i am going to go as the sun just came out and i wanna go foraging. So TTFN and speak to you all soon.
