tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post1155026395545878075..comments2024-03-27T13:44:47.825+01:00Comments on Chateau Moorhen..... goes south!: Elderflower cordial and strawberry conserveMillymollymandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-59560768047257304912012-06-26T08:21:40.568+02:002012-06-26T08:21:40.568+02:00That's a shame Rachel. Can you at least hack b...That's a shame Rachel. Can you at least hack back the brambles so that next year you can get to them? I have to keep both brambles and nettles at bay around my tree in the orchard - it's got so big now that last year I had to get the stepladders out to pick the flowers. This year there have been so many flowers it wasn't necessary as there were plenty low down as well and the trees are still flowering which is quite incredible!Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-28388761500014358712012-06-25T18:54:06.958+02:002012-06-25T18:54:06.958+02:00I'm so jealous! My elder tree has just come in...I'm so jealous! My elder tree has just come into flower, but I can't reach the flowers to harvest (the brambles and nettles underneath don't help). We're watching our strawberries ripening but never get to actually eat them because the slugs get there first :(Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-80712740228186205882012-06-12T07:10:56.483+02:002012-06-12T07:10:56.483+02:002 years - that's quite amazing! I wonder if it...2 years - that's quite amazing! I wonder if it is the citric acid which helps with the keeping then. I've had fruit cordial go off after just 2 weeks in the fridge but it had no citric acid in. <br /><br />Suggest you go round the neighbourhood/wherever you can find some elders in the autumn, collect some berries and fling them around your hedgerows. They come up like weeds when you do have them cos the birds eat the berries then poop them out all over the place!Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-39573412952204555672012-06-11T15:17:55.198+02:002012-06-11T15:17:55.198+02:00I'm not sure how long you can really keep it o...I'm not sure how long you can really keep it out of the freezer, but my friend gave me some of the elderflower cordial she made two years ago the other day (not frozen). We tried it rather gingerly but it a) did not make us remotely ill and b) was DELICIOUS!! We had it in tonic water which was surprisingly good. I daresay it would be even better with a slug of gin... Shame we've got no elder trees really.Chants Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03309727464738227832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-57879937430218920722012-06-11T13:52:24.890+02:002012-06-11T13:52:24.890+02:00Doug we've so many strawbs at the moment that ...Doug we've so many strawbs at the moment that the chickens get the squishy ones! I'm not sure that elder trees suffer like that (I know what you mean), it could well be due to the fact that last year it was really dry from Jan thru' to early June and perhaps that's why they didn't develop very well.<br /><br />Sarah - hello! Nice to see you here. Cross fingers your mouse hasn't managed to eat all of them!Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-45292982371876114962012-06-11T09:45:25.837+02:002012-06-11T09:45:25.837+02:00Saw a mouse run out from under the strawberry nett...Saw a mouse run out from under the strawberry netting yesterday - I fear for the worst. Still if I get any I will definitely be jamming - nothing nicer than strawberries in November.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13091251754467950290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-47372866550431702892012-06-11T08:06:52.319+02:002012-06-11T08:06:52.319+02:00Eat the good strawberries immediately! Jam the squ...Eat the good strawberries immediately! Jam the squishier ones!<br /><br />Perhaps Elder trees are like citrus (and some other fruit trees) that alternate crop volume (one season with a large crop followed by one season with a small crop). <br /><br />DougAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-38965739063743599812012-06-11T07:51:47.437+02:002012-06-11T07:51:47.437+02:00I buy the citric acid in Superdrug when I'm in...I buy the citric acid in Superdrug when I'm in England and nobody has ever questioned me about it! Sandra if you have the freezer space it's easy but just freeze in small amounts so you can defrost a bottle's worth at a time, which can then live in the fridge.Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-43627068204200414482012-06-10T20:28:20.948+02:002012-06-10T20:28:20.948+02:00yeh we freeze the cordial when we have the space, ...yeh we freeze the cordial when we have the space, and the rest of the time it lives in the fridge.<br /><br />citric acid can be bought online.. which makes a nonsense out of all the fuss chemists make over selling it!<br /><br />huge fan of elderflowers here :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-58003892135893350852012-06-10T20:25:07.378+02:002012-06-10T20:25:07.378+02:00Picked flowers from elder tree this week and could...Picked flowers from elder tree this week and couldn't find the citric acid so will have to go to the chemist tomorrow. Never frozen cordial - I might try that.BrittanyGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02394869612112242296noreply@blogger.com