Wednesday 23 September 2015

Starting edible homemade Christmas gifts

The sloes have been picked. I then froze them and rather than prick each one with a pin, I followed the advice of a friendly walker by, who apparently makes sloe gin every year, to bash the heck out of the semi defrosted sloes whilst in their freezer bag, before adding to the gin and sugar mix.
The colour started out like this:


Within a week, it had developed into this:


Only two months to go and it will be decanted and labelled to be given as gifts (well some of it anyway!)

I also made orange and cognac marmelade today. I had been going to use Cointreau, but must have used it in a pudding or something, so cognac it was. 

I will keep the green lidded one and smaller jar behind it for us.

I now have orange and lemon marmelades, plum jam, strawberry jam, green tomato chutney and summer squash chutney and of course the developing sloe gin.  I'm still aiming to make loganberry jam and blackberry jam and a few bottles of Arancello. Closer to the time, I will make flavoured chocolate truffles and maybe some biscuits, peanut brittle or honeycomb to be bagged up in pretty clear plastic bags, tied with ribbon. I'm also going to try my hand at Apple butter and orange curd, but it will be a miracle if any of that makes it out of the door! Oh, I also have some ornamental quinces, so will make membrillo too.....oh so much to make and it all involves standing up which is playing havoc with the plantar fasciitis of course! Hey ho :( 

This is my little store cupboard on the shelf above the fridge. Only two jars of quince jam left over from last year! 


Does anyone have any other edible gift ideas? 

16 comments:

  1. I do like edible gifts you have done a great start, we havent started slow gin yet this year but no doubt in the next few weeks it will get under way, I am going up the top field some point this week so might pick some to get in the freezer ready :-)

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    1. I'm off out to pick some more with a friend today. I happened across a whole load on a dog walk last week so she'd like to give sloe gin a try too! I know you're supposed to wait until the first frost, but I think bashing them with a rolling pin seems to have released a lot of their juices! It would no doubt release a lot of my juices if it happened to me ! :)

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  2. I make Sloe Brandy, it beats Cherry Brandy hands down.

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    1. I agree - I'm not a great fan of cherry flavour. I only really like to eat them fresh. Perhaps if takes me back to 1970s Black Forest Gateau?!

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  3. Home made chocolate muffins are a good gift, or put the dry ingredients (flour, drinking chocolate, sugar and chocolate chips) into a pretty jar with the recipe written on a nice card and attached with ribbon. You could do this with any biscuit or cake recipe x

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    1. Yes I like that idea. I'd thought of doing decorated mugs with hot chocolate ingredients in there, mini marshmallows etc, but hadn't thought about cake or cookie ones....Good idea, thanks :)

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  4. I am going to start making more preserves and jams, what books do you use?

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    1. I tend to google recipes and trawl through until I find one I like. Of course the simplest is equal parts sugar to fruit, which works well for the soft berries.
      It's one of the reasons why I spend too long on my iPad! Always researching new ideas! I might need to get off the iPad and actually make something! :)

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  5. We used to do flavoured gin but now find vodka or brandy a better base. Think our tastes have changed over the years.

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    1. You might like the Arancello recipe then - orange flavoured vodka. It's absolutely divine straight from the freezer. And that from someone who doesn't really drink spirits! There's a recipe for it somewhere on my blog if you'd like to search it? I also made limoncello last year, but we still have a bottle and I preferred the orange version. I guess you could do Clementino too??

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  6. Where do you get your jars from? I am back out this afternoon looking for more blackberries and perhaps some sloes.I saw some two weeks ago but my friend said it was too early to pick them ;0( Your pantry of jams and marmalade looks amazing.

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    1. I have always kept the Bonne Maman jars. I make my own jam, but have a thing for their apricot compote! My Mum also had loads of jars, so I brought all those back when I cleared her house. I also ask friends to put any Bonne Mamman jars to one side for me. You can buy them on Amazon, but of course that almost defeats the object of making your own jam in terms of frugality at least. I know you can use any jar, but those ones seem to epitomise home made jam for me! Strangely though, I decant my chutneys into any old jar!

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    2. Yes it is a bit early to pick them, but I was worried they'd be picked by someone else once I'd spotted them. I have of course now spotted more in a different and secluded spot. I think freezing them helps to break down their skins, as does beating the heck out of them. I think ideally you wait until after a first frost which breaks down their skins naturally.

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  7. You seem very well prepared. They all sound delicious. I should really get hold of some jars and get some done myself. X

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    1. It's very satisfying and they tastes so much nicer than any bought ones :)

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  8. I'm going to make up some little bags with spices for mulled wine to go with a bottle of red wine ( we get given some every year and we don't drink - apart from beer - so handy for presents!)
    Jams and chutney made for hampers too.

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