Soft Fruit

[British Red]

Todays harvest was 3Kg of gooseberries, 4Kg of strawberries and a few hundred grams of early raspberries. Tomorrow's job will be to preserve them. By Tuesday we will be picking again. This will continue for a couple of months of soft fruit, then a brief breather before we start again on hard fruit. I love growing our own, but its not for the faint hearted

 

[Woody girl]

Sure is a busy few months for fruit harvesting. Today I managed to find some delicious red cherries in my local supermarket reduced from £3 per 150g to 60p. Bargain! Sometimes it's worth foraging in the reduced section. This evening I pickled them in red wine and white wine vinegar with bay leaves and peppercorns and dark brown sugar. Very easy. Leave for two weeks or so and they are ready. Serve with cold meats and cheeses. Can't wait!

 

[British Red]

Sounds gorgeous

We have reached "peak dehydrator". The big Excalibur and the new economy model that we are testing out running side by side. 2 square metres of drying!

Sure is a busy few months for fruit harvesting. Today I managed to find some delicious red cherries in my local supermarket reduced from £3 per 150g to 60p. Bargain! Sometimes it's worth foraging in the reduced section. This evening I pickled them in red wine and white vinegar with bay leaves and peppercorns and dark brown sugar. Very easy. Leave for two weeks or so and they are ready. Serve with cold meats and cheeses. Can't wait!

 

[Woody girl]

I've got a very cheap £30 circular dryer which means fruit leather has to spend most of its time dehydrating in the oven though it's finished off in the dryer. I have been thinking of getting a squarer shape. What model is your economy one?

 

[Janne]

Does your dentist smile when you step through the door to the surgery?

 

[Woody girl]

Does your dentist smile when you step through the door to the surgery?

Why?

 

[Janne]

Daily, slow, enjoyment of fruit leather....
Lots of decay..

 

[Woody girl]

Who says I eat it daily? I don't make vast quantities and it's often shared with some kids I know. I use honey if it needs sweetening. All good stuff and natural. Better for you than sugar laden sweets.
Only 2 fillings in 60+ years and the last one was in 1981. Bite you any day!

 

[santaman2000]

British Red, I’d be interested to know if you make any wines with some of your fruit as well?

 

[Robson Valley]

As long as the fruit has fermentable sugars, with the yeast of your choice, go to it.
You might need to add yeast nutrients and tannin and boost the sugar to see a specific gravity of 1.095.

 

[British Red]

British Red, I’d be interested to know if you make any wines with some of your fruit as well?

We do indeed! Would you like a video on the process? Strawberry wine perhaps?

 

[British Red]

I've got a very cheap £30 circular dryer which means fruit leather has to spend most of its time dehydrating in the oven though it's finished off in the dryer. I have been thinking of getting a squarer shape. What model is your economy one?

We are trying an Andrew James model

https://www.andrewjamesworldwide.com/rectangular-food-dehydrator-p181

Use code AJTREAT10 for 10% off

 

[santaman2000]

We do indeed! Would you like a video on the process? Strawberry wine perhaps?

Yes please! Strawberry wine would be a fantastic subject!

 

[British Red]

No problems. I've been videoing vinegar making today from our own cider

 

[Tony]

I'm late to the chat but those strawberries look lovely!

 

[bobnewboy]

We are trying an Andrew James model

https://www.andrewjamesworldwide.com/rectangular-food-dehydrator-p181

Use code AJTREAT10 for 10% off

Just used the code to get one ourselves . It still works fine! Thanks BR.

Cheers, Bob

 

[nitrambur]

I managed to get a Stockli dehydrator at a great price and the missus insists on using the oven on low instead, drives me up the wall

 

[Robson Valley]

I like my dried Roma tomato slices packed in herbed olive oil for 6 months. Those are a supper comfort.
I have had dried strawberries = there's nothing finer as a winter treat.
I want to smoke and dry a big batch of mussels, like the Haida First Nation do for preservation.

 

[Woody girl]

Blackberries are at last out here. Despite the council having a blitz on brambles here I have discovered some amazing new spots to forage. Blackberry fruit leather.. more jam... cordial, crumbles, and some for the freezer. Maybe even some wine if I can get to the brew shop for some yeast. Busy busy time. My freezer is almost full with garden produce and I'm pickling beetroot and onions today. Blackberry chutney and runner bean chutney is cooling outside. I love harvest time.