Processing the Harvest

Love a crème brulee Joolzs..... Please can you show us when it's done?
Jenny

 

The very eggy ladyfinger disks turned out quite well. So very quick to make. Beat the yolks with some sugar, beat the whites with some of the sugar, sift the flour over the whites, pour in the yolks, fold together, put on baking paper, bake 400 F, 200 C 9 minutes. Tear the used paper in long strips (lift the disks before they stick firm to the paper) and use to wrap them. Freeze in a stack. (they will stick to each other without the paper)

The disks (I am making some blackberry syrup or jam depending) made:



And so I mashed a heaping cup of blueberries (from a friend) with some sugar, let sit, whipped the cream, and we had these. A simple and excellent dessert - (and first I put some blackberry syrup on the disks.) I prefer pavlova, which is the same effort, very little, but these are good. Both freeze perfectly and only need minutes to defrost.

 

Just 3 jars of Gooseberry jam today. 1lb 12oz gooseberries to 1lb sugar. Like it quite acidic - not too sweet

Jenny

 

Yummy Jenny

 

Nice sunny window Jenny. Do you boiling water bath can them? I always do - last night I went with the jam instead of syrup. I stirred it often and pressed the pulp I removed so the clarity is poor - Next batch I will not do that. I took out 1/2 the fruit pulp to lessen the seed amount - and my wife loves the pulp from syrup or jam making to flavor and fiber up her morning yogurt and granola.

here they are



I would use some of the gooseberry jam to make some American mustard based BBQ sauce for pork, sweet and sour is great. I wish I had gooseberry plants - they say they will not grow here, but some say they will - I must order some. Goosberry tarts with your jam would be great. I wish I could swap a bottle with you.

 

? Just put them in a large saucepan with 5 fl oz if water and stew gently until soft. Add the sugar , bring to a full rolling boil - stir all the time for 4 minutes. Test for a wrinkly skin on a chilled saucer. If wrinkled, pot up immediately, small disc of wax paper to prevent mould, screw on jar and leave. Tomorrow morning will tell if it's set well or not,
Jenny

 

I think he meant the jars Jen.

 

Off to the USA for a week tomorrow so Ive been tidying up a bit - picked a couple of days worth of gherkins for pickling:

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Im going to have a go at growing them next yr nick,they look yummy
Your melon seeds ive grown,now plant are now in the GH,fingers crossed
Have a great hol xx

 

I have a jostaberry,cross between gooseberry and blackcurrant,looks like its has a lot of fruit this yr,i read i can freeze the fruit but would it be as useful for a jam?? x

 

I can't see why not Joolz. Sounds a rather nice combination,
Jenny

 

Jenny, I did mean putting the filled jars, with lids on just finger tight, into a pot of boiling water with a rack on the bottom, deep enough to cover the top of the jars, for all the air to evacuate from the jars - it bubbles out from the internal pressure. 10 minutes and shelf life for years is guaranteed. (also gives a quick sterilizing of some bits)

Lovely look Oxford - I pickle lots of eggs and beets together, they go on our salads most time we have a proper salad (couple times a week). I imagine you do the boiling water bath to seal the jars - My cucumber plants are not fruiting or I would be making some pickled gherkins too (I am giving them the Epsom salt treatment though)

Those cake disks; fat free so one can go wild on the whipped heavy cream are excellent! They can go straight from the freezer to plate - it is fruit season now. Last night was the cakes spread with my berry jam/syrup (My wife told me to spread a lot more next time, I keep the fruit a bit tart) a big cut up and lightly sugared nectarine (a magnificent fruit for sugaring - just slice and T of sugar and it forms a good sauce from the sugar in about 1/2 to 1 hour and the peel is fine to eat, so easy) And then the heavy cream with a dash of vanilla and tiny touch of salt - this time whipped lightly for fun. Till it can just, barely, pour. That was a good experiment - the cream permeates it all. And I put 1/4 a sliced banana to the side of each - I liked that too, but kept separate because it is so strong.

Oh, yes......... fruit and cream on a base to hold the flavors:

separate 4 eggs. Put 1/3 cup sugar in a tiny dish, and 1/2 cup flour screened through a strainer (or not if you do not bother) in a bowl, vanilla.

Put yolks, less than half the sugar and dash vanilla in a bowl and beat till they are just thickening and very smooth - takes a minute only.

Put whites in bigger bowl and beat till soft peaks, add sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Sprinkle flour over, pour egg yolk mix to side and over, fold all together with spatula and put on two baking sheet pans covered with baking paper in 10 disks (If you do not have any baking paper in your kitchen you need some - it is vital for baking quickly and with no sticking and no mess). Put into hot oven (400F - 205C) 8 - 10 minutes - I decided I like them a bit browning rather than the whitish of proper ladyfingers. Let rest and scrape/lift from paper wile just warm. Stack with bits of the used paper between each, and on top and bottom when cool and put how many you need for a serving into bags and freeze. They need no thawing.

The bowls all rinse clean, as does everything, so easially - then bit of hot soap and water and it is all cleaned up well before the baking is done. If you are efficient 1/2 hour and done.


It is fresh fruit season - but in winter it will be the chocolate and lemon meringue pies, wonderful too. I do love a home made dessert - and it is so easy.

 

Today I have to do some quick work, then we will run off to the U-Pick blueberry farm about 5 miles North. $10 a US gallon. I have some frozen from friends but I think a couple gallons will be worth the $20. I love berries most of all the fruit - and blueberries freeze so very well. Just put in a bag, freeze, and every one remains single and separate - like a bag of purple beads, to be poured out as needed later.

I have my big mowing machine in the truck so will lug it along because I have a job tomorrow morning and loading/unloading is a little effort. - that thing has to be wrestled with to use, then it digs in and gets stuck easily and weighs 650 pounds so that is a pain. After an hour fighting it in the 90f / 32C heat with high humidity and hot sun you are wet enough with sweat that you may as well have been swimming - and have to drink 2l of water or 1l an hour bare minimum. Man, that thing chewing brush and grasses runs out mice, rats, and snakes when you start cutting the center of a patch.

 

Joolz - I think Jam would be excellent. But I think sugaring and then with some sliced apples, pears, peaches, apricots.... and on a pavlova, sponge, ladyfinger, any cake type thing - and with cream whipped - or any fake whipped cream, and they would be marvelous. I have not had fresh currents or gooseberries in many, many years - but I remember the flavor was good, and unique, and berry like; just needs steeping in sugar for the flavor to pop.

 

The easier option would be good for me as i never get enough time and peace with kids,daz,allotment and garden needs at this time of yr

I did try them last week..but i couldnt work out cup measures sorry they was a disaster!!
They turned out sad