Can I say the C word yet?

[Peaches_von_Purr]

Christmas.

There. Said it. Sorry.

I'm feeling all nesty and want to make some chutneys, perhaps fruit boozey type things in the next few weeks. I'm aware that for some things I might already be pushing it to have them at their best for Christmas. Any favourite recipes out there that will be great by Christmas if made in October?

My only restriction is that I need to stick to ingredients that are fairly cheap.

Thanks

J x

[spotteddick]

Bit late, Tezza has had a thread up and running for a week now and someone has been beating there gums about it on CB for weeks

[Peaches_von_Purr]

Ha ha! Thanks - will go and look for it!

J x

[Peaches_von_Purr]

Ah! I see. All very festive and jolly - but I'm really after the recipes for now, the glitter later!

J x

[Sloe-Gin]

I'm running a course next Wednesday at the WElsh food Centre. They're doing Fruity chutney, Fig salami and Oranges in Brandy (just google for receipes)

[karadekoolaid]

CHRISTMAS?



NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[suffolk]

[Marmalade]

There's an enormous amount of stuff growing in the hedgerows at the minute including rose hips, hawthorn berries, elderberries, blackberries, along with sloes, damsons, bullaces and crab apples and all free for the picking. All of them can be used for jam or jellies either on their own or mixed in just about any combination with one another and/or with apples (especially windfalls if you get them, or find the occasional 'wild' apple tree). Certainly elderberries can be turned into wine, the sloes, bullaces and damsons can be used for sloe etc., gin or you can steep fruits in the alcohol of your choice (brandy, vodka, gin) to make a homemade liqueur, or you can use the steeped fruit as a dessert with some of the liquid poured over them and, if you don't want to use alcohol, there's the option of things like homemade rose hip or elderberry cordial or syrup.

Supermarkets will soon be full of Christmas cake ingredients so you can make jars of mincemeat and just about any vegetable can be turned into a chutney, you can also pickle onions, shallots, red cabbage, walnuts or make jars of mixed pickles.