Hi from Bristol

[Bristolbelle]

Hello everyone, Stumbled across this site whilst looking for any information on forraging. Glad I found you. What a brill forum. I took my 2 children out fruit picking in the school hols, and came back with a car boot full of goodies. I then decided to look and see what we could find nearer home. We managed to find blackberrys, elderberrys, sloes, apples, pears, rose hips and haws. (dont quite know what to do with the haws though ). My husbands just started to make his first batch of elderberry wine. My 10 yr old daughter is helping me make jam and my 13 yr old son, who is normally glued to his ps3, went sloe picking wih me the other day and really enjoyed it. Ive had a go at making sloe gin for the first time. Dont know what its going to be like? The rose hip syrup was a hit with my son. Caught him in the kitchen nearly downing the lot I have just made some yogurt, and i'm planning to make something out of th 3kg of victoria plums we picked, and are now in the freezer.

[bonniethomas06]

Hi Bristolbelle, you are in good company, there are loads of southwesters on here!

I am in Chippenham, just down the road, but just left a job in Queen Square in Bris. Missing it loads!

Looking forward to hearing about your exploits.

[spider8]

Hello and welcome Bristolbelle from a long way-away (but not as far as some!)

[Milims]

Hi there and welcome

[Thomzo]

Hi from just along the road in Swindon. I lived in Bristol fo 13 years and miss it lots but have a fab garden here.

Sounds like you had a great time foraging.

Zoe

[Bristolbelle]

My OH has made me an apple/ pear picker out of a downpipe, So watch out apples, we are coming for you on saturday.
The first batch of yougert didnt go to plan. I used a bog standard yog from Tes~o and then realised it didnt say live cultures , Came out very watery. Made another with Yeo Va~~y organic natural and its a bit thicker. I use a yogurt flask that I had from easy yo. This batch is now in the flask and cuddeling a sleeping bag, so fingers crossed this will work better.
New things I tried this week
1 Yogurt making
2 Ginger Beer Happly fizzing next to the boiler in the kitchen.
3 Plum and Blackberry Jam
4 Sloe Gin
5 Rosehip Syrup

To do at the weekend
Forrage for new rugby boot for son ( I hate shoe shopping)
Rosehip and Apple picking doing a test run with the apple picker.
Going montaineering into the attic for my long lost kilner jars, hopefully to be reunited with lots of goodies for the winter.
Photos to follow ( if i can work out how to post them)

What new things have you tried this week?

TTFN from Cloudy and drizzly Bristol. xx

[Millymollymandy]

Hi and welcome!

[Sky]

Welcome

[happyhippy]

Hi and Welcome! Sounds like you've been very busy!And learning alot as well! I live just outside Bath so not too far away.

[MuddyWitch]

Welcome to ISH

MW

[Bristolbelle]

I found a use for the plums we picked in september... Plum chutney yum. Made a small batch to try it out and it worked really well. That recipie is going into the christmas hamper . September has been busy for me. I've been making bread although the french loaf came out as hard as a brick. I could always use it as a door stop Jam, Jelly and chutney making. Made a wormery (Pics on other list). Atempting to make a patchwork quilt for my daughters bed for christmas. Hubbies had a go at wine making and so far he has made 6 bottles of house red from a kit. And they are bottled, should be ready to drink by christmas. Picked Elderberrys and made 8 bottles of wine and 3 bottles of cordial. Cordial's nearly all gone, Son loves it. And the Elderberry wine should be ready to drink around march time. 2 demijohns with blackberrys are sat in the kitchen by the boiler doing ther thing! Made a raised bed for veggies. And over the weekend We started converting my childrens playhouse into a Chicken coop.http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 14&t=24380