Elderflower Cordial, is there any other kind?

So last night we continued a bit of elderflower harvesting from the local hedges. We love our elder cordial in this wee hoose. We take only enough flowers to leave the tree and other folks happy and take them carefully. If in doubt of identification, don't collect flowers, that's just silly, LOTS of things look like elder. Be careful! Happy to ID via a photograph (If I can) on the Wellybook Facebook page if you need! But there's a great 'How to ID an Elderflower' link here thanks to Gemma Garner for such an informative post.

Elderflower Cordial

Syrup

2lb sugar

1 pint water to a handful of lemon (in my case frozen sliced lemons unused at xmas and bagged up for a later use).

Heat up and make a syrup, then cool. 

35g of citric acid (add when mix is cold) 

10-20 elder flower heads (shake to remove bugs!). To each lot of syrup (cold syrup or they're rank and go brown) 

You just need to steep for 24-48 hours and then sieve, put into a sterilised vessel. 

If you don't have citric acid you can increase lemons, but it can be added afterwards (up to a year)

Multiple batches or large batches seem to work well. Old lemonade bottles can be used to store and you can strain after storage into a nice glass bottle if you've a mind.

Its so easy and we're still using last years (2013 batch) up, so we must be doing something right. We also had this as the toast in our forest wedding and as a non-alcoholic option for our party. Its fabulous. Yes we COULD make wine, but we prefer the cordial, I think its much nicer and such a 'summer' fix in the cold months.

Enjoy. 

Various supermarkets have sugar at 68p/kilo, so given the price of the cordial in the shops, this recipe WILL endeavour to save you a fortune. But be prepared for it to be one of the only cordials the family favours.

A more haiversome version of this recipe and on collecting flowers is here. 

You've been warned, its haivertastic with bells on. Happy cordial making people!

On catching feral rhubarb

Contraband rhubarb

So, I'm minding my business early on Saturday morning as I find myself in need of an extra stick or two of rhubarb for work. I'm sure you often find yourself in a similar rhubarb-less situation early on weekend work days too, so you'll be aware of the issue. No? Really? OK, just me then. Well bearing in mind I had an early ferry to catch, I had to improvise. I'd rung a local pal, who was all out of the pink stuff, so I had to get my thinking cap on.

Anyway picture the scene, you've a lot on and you've little time to do it before you catch a ferry to another island to present a wee workshop, rhubarb of course, what else at this time of year. So you have a brainwave as you pack the car about the patch of 'feral rhubarb' just outside of your village. You know the patch, the one that's just beyond the village by the side of the road at the end of an old abandoned garden, house long derelict. Perfect you think, accessible and on the way. This has all the makings of a cunning plan don't you think?

So, on a crisp clear Saturday morning and just before 9 am you head out car packed for your adventure to foreign lands enroute to rhubarb central. You know, minding your own business and hoping to be quick, efficient and to get to the next part of your day without much delay.

I amble along, radio on, toward the 'feral' rhubarb patch. Mindful that one stalk will do but two would be perfect. Stopping carefully just off the road in the old drive I nip out and pilfer forage for a stalk or two of the pinky-goodness that is early crop rhubarb. The skies are clear and the patch is forthcoming. I stand with my two stalks like an air traffic controller guiding a plane in. Very pleased I was with my foraging too.

The thing I didn't factor is this, its a busy island this land that I live in, so within moments of stopping and successfully foraging some sweet stalks a car slows and pulls in beside me. 

I panic. Whilst I know this patch well, the house abandoned, the rhubarb at the edge of the boundary, for all intensive purposes, wild (ish) and therefore game for a bit of a forage in my mind.

The lady gets out. In fear of 'the jail' or at least a good telling off for helping myself to her aunty/mother/grannie/grandads/2ndcousins rhubarb - I put the rhubarb gently behind my back (nothing to see here) - it lollops behind me like rabbits floppy lugs - bear in mind I'm not very tall and the rhubarb is ample, to say the least. At best I look like a lunatic with green floppy ears, at worst, I've a bad case of 'rhubarb lugs'.

'All OK?' she ventures - nodding towards the car, hazards blinking and screaming away like sirens. My comedic ears, potentially invisible, I hoped not!?

'Great, all good, just needed a couple of these' I smile, sheepishly pulling the rhubarb 'lugs' from behind me. 

'Grand patch that one, glad you're OK' she laughs, turns and heads back to her car. I thank her for her concern, my cheeks the colour of rhubarb myself, pink and shiny.

As I'm getting the 'stolen goods' foraged rhubarb stalks, into the back of the car, a second car slows - the window winding down - I mouth the words 'rhubarb' pointing to the patch, (now almost famous) -- they smile and drive on.

As the third car approaches, its slows and I smile, my best, 'yes I'm robbing a rhubarb patch'  'foraging rhubarb this early' smile. Hand back into boot - I hold out the stick waggling its contraband for all to see.

Two thumbs up and a huge smile from the cars passenger - they sped up and go past.

Now, you've got to love a place where if you're stopped by a wee nook at the side of the road, for less than the time it takes you to wrestle two rhubarb stalks from a giant abandoned patch, folks take the time to stop to check you're OK.

'Twas only when I got into the car, seeing myself branded to the hilt in my 'work' clobber that I realised that my upandcoming workshop wasn't just being advertised on the radio this fine morning. I did a fine personal appearance and bit of local advertising, (rhubarb leaf lugs and all), myself.

You'll likely see me on news at ten before the weeks out. Ach well, its not as if you can buy the stuff here in the shops, so when caught short. even for work, the only option is a wee forage after all. Does that sound like a viable defence? Or more like a 'crime of passion' - it was rather tasty after all.

Fantastic Foraging Book - The Thrifty Forager by Alys Fowler

 

Hello, how are you all? I'm utterly giddy and happy - a whole day yesterday with NO wind (or relatively little wind), its Orkney lets not get carried away! What a beautiful day does for the spirits. Anyways - having been mulling this all week - I'm popping a wee recommend on here, for a book I'd heard about and a lovely pal put in the post for me (thank you, you know who you are!), I'll point out right now, I've no arm up my back nor am I being paid for this peedie recommend - honest injun, its just a darn fine book for foodies, gardeners or those starting out or obsessed by food or flower and all you potential/experienced or would be 'food foragers'.

You'll be surprised to hear (or maybe you won't be) that I'm new to foraging - like many I've 'brambled' and scrumped for apples with muddy knees. But, its only been lately I've been more inspired to have a go myself and do a bit of 'Orkney foraging' - my elderflower cordial was my first foray into foraging here - what a success that was which lead to the 'Joy of Jam' - which had local Orkney foraged fruit in it. I'm a convert.

Alys Fowler - now I've read her for a while, having no TV signal here anymore I can't say that I've watched many of her programmes. Those that I've seen I've liked, well done her - she also writes for the Guardian - which I do enjoy. However, for years my dyslexic brain changed her name from Fowler to Flowers and I was thoroughly jealous of her surname. I still very fondly laugh at my own mistake and for years have talked about Ms Flowers in context of her work. Whoops! And, am I of course utterly jealous of a woman who's extremely talented, gorgeously red haired and gardens in my own type of style and have done for years and is very successful - of course I am, I'm a botanical fiend, I'm bound to be jealous (in a nice way)!  But I do admire her work greatly - anyone wanting a Scottish, auburn-ish haired, older, plumper version of her I'm happy to buy a frock or two and get out there with my wellies on! If you need ME get in touch - I'll happily write for any of you, I'm canny to bide my time and I already have rather fine wellies who are very photogenic I'll await your email (!) - and I'm stubborn and happy to wait a peedie while for you to give me my fabulous break, until you do I'll keep a-foraging! I'll pop back into my elder tree now..........

Anyway - back to the book, I looked at it with a purely Scottish and my very pragmatic 'Orkney' botanical head on, lets be fair a lot of the UK written books on plants are written in the context of the more southern climes of the UK - their relevance to Scotland, never mind Orkney, has to be taken with a large pinch of salt, but that's a whole other discussion. This book, is a great read, its entertaining - its funny and its informative. The start of the book contains a great 'confession' to her husband about the looseness of the term 'spinach' in their household - green leafy vegetables in Alys homestead appear to be a very 'wild, green and foraged' - which is brilliance. Who's not told the tiniest of fibs to their family like that? In this household pasta sauces contain a variety of wonderful ingredients from your regular vegetables (tomato, onion etc), to rhubarb (!), courgettes and mushrooms (which my family tell me they hate) and even a few dandelions too (sorry guys). We've all got a trick or two like that up our sleeve haven't we? 

Home made pasta sauce, made with love and a bit of artistic licence and rhubarb!

Back to Alys, her 'how to forage' handy hint page is also fun, with sensible tips - and a good kit list, where to go, where to avoid, what to take and how to collect in a thoughtful manner - anyone who describes foraging as a 'mission', is fabulous in my book. Page 24 is a great set of her own 'rules' for a good sustainable forage, (ask permission, only eat what you know, be respectful and not greedy, or hoard your knowledge of good and be productive). Know your own patch is another good one, if like us you're in a region where some of the more common UK species are rare, be sensible and don't gobble them up and think of others, and that means our wildlife too - they can't pop to the shop for another apple if we pick them all can they? (As Linnew would say, act like your mother would expect you to!)

There's also a few case studies which are very informative too, all very diverse from Norway to America. I love the one about Todmorden 'Incredible, Edible, Todmorden' - what a fab idea - I may even propose something here - there's a new 'community garden' society getting going in my local town and if we had a 'scrumptious stromness' with walks and areas to forage in, how utterly brilliant would that be? They are thinking along those lines anyway - I think I'll show them this book and maybe we'll achieve it?

Digressing again, back to the book - I like the way she writes very much and the second section of the book is the 'Plant Directory' - being a 'planty' person - I went here first of course - 'show me the plants' is my first call looking at any book. I wasn't sure what to expect or how relevant it would be here in Orkney, never mind Scotland - but its brilliant. she uses the simplest of methods to explain what to pick and when, a lovely seasonal calender. I like very much the way she describes the differences in leaf type, having learnt myself from various botanical boffins - I think they could take a 'leaf' (oh dear direly bad botanical joke, I do apologise) out of her book to explain the simple differences between leaves and how to recognise leaves and therefore the plants she describes.  Its incredibly visual - the language is NOT too bogged down in botanical language - its a great aid to those learning or refreshing their leaf lingo. This is followed by a few good pages for the inner chef inside of us all, preserving (jams, jellies, fruit cheeses, leathers and chutneys), wilting greens like our very lovely dandelion (excellent in pasta sauce...!) and a grand wee look at a chums recipe for 'stone soup' - BRILLIANT. 

Onwards to the plants - I was a bit apprehensive - but given Alys's pragmatic approach to gardening and food - and her ethical attitude and sensible head - its just absolutely grand (Orcadian speak for a great big tick and a few gold stars!). It contains 80 very useful, quite easy to find species (to us gardeners and botanists), or if you like 'ingredients' to you foodies/frugaleers out there. The range of plants she recommends is really good - I went through the book with both my Scottish and my 'Orcadian' head on. Its a book that would be pretty useful here - which means in short - its a great book for most folk in the UK, which is probably quite unusual, well done Alys! I have to be honest - there are a handful of species, here in Orkney that quite simply don't exist nor would they survive if in a garden. For example I've a Maiden hair tree (Gingo biloba) in my bathroom - its peedie, in a pot and I'm not expecting nuts from it anytime soon, nor do I expect to see any outdoors here, or a few other species, sorry Alys, but there are Hazels here (albeit a borderline type of plant here) so I'll go a foraging for them instead. Scotland will of course have most of these species, if not all of them. wild, go look if you can! 

The good lady explains the plants really well, its simple but not dumbed down, easy to read and proper language - I wasn't bored - which is a pretty good compliment - a few books like this tend to go one way or the other - they either make it too hard to understand or they make those of us inspired by plants bored by the lack of information. This book does what it says on the tin - it teaches you 'how to live off your local landscape. There is a great guide for 'where to expect to find it', a simple 'how to recognise' and a great explaination of 'what to eat' and if its relevant 'how to sow' (you see you can send a food loving gal 'a-foraging' but you can't take the inner gardener out of the girl!).

Finally the last two pages has a 'resources' section - which is quite informative. I like the way she's up to date and its informative and unbiased. I also love that shes recommending a book by Miles Iriving 'The Foragers Handbook' - its a great book, a really extensive guide Miles was after a very different look for that book, an innovative way to photograph the plants - which is fantastic - but she's right, you'd need another ID guide with it if you're not a botanist. Our department helped with this book, so I'm very fond of it and really chuffed he acknowledged us (at least I can claim, once in my life to have my name in print, if only on the acknowledgement page!), unfortuantely too far to get to the launch of it in London - but thoroughly lovely to be invited!

If you (or your loved one) are not really a 'gardener' and are a cook who wants to be more experimental with 'foraging' or local produce - the books very worth it from that perspective. Basically if you love to cook and eat you'll love this book. If you garden and want to explore more or diversify your skills, (or get your revenge by eating your weeds!) or if you're a foodie who likes a good amble around walking, it can be a really productive walk with these skills. As a bonus you'll get fit and feed your inner foodie for free - or simply if you're living frugally and want another 'frugal skill' to lower the food spends and up your resources - this book really is for you - of all of the great other foraging books out there - this is the ONE, I think, to have on your shelf or in your bag when you're out and about until you find your foragers feet. 

Well, to be fair, that's only my opinion, I'm short, red haired and known to wear an adundance of opinions as well as wellingtons. I have to tell you, I'm actually getting into 'frocks and skirts' inspired by a few folk, including Alys - instead of my rumpled haystack scarecrow look, I may embrace a bit of her style too, so when you meet me in a skirt - don't be too surprised, or fall over, or laugh - but don't despair - the wellies will definitely not be far away, if they're not on my feet.

If you've a food lover in the family, gardener or not - this is the book for them - or if you're a inspired to have a go - its worth borrowing it, before you buy it (priced at £16.99, but it can be found around and about for lower than that, about £10 - get snooping for a bargain!). Once you read it - I think you'll want to buy it. And if you want a chance to have one to drop into your stocking - I've a spare one to giveaway, you're NOT having my copy! But, drop me a wee comment and you'll all get put in a the plant pot and drawn out in a week (18th December)  - but its probably more relevant to you all in the UK, however I'm happy to mail it anywhere - waiting for you here on the trusty, 'vintage' scruffy Orkney chair which I utterly love, as much as this rather fine book!