I walked up the lane in the first week of September to see the changes in the view over the village since last time in early August
A Hawthorn tree absolutely loaded with Haws
And if you like infusing the fruit of the Blackthorn in Gin then this year you'll have no problem finding the sloe berries.
The sugar beet crop is still looking sad.
The trees are still green and hiding the church in the view from the top of the 'hill'
The wheat field has been harvested and the soil turned with a disc harrow or maybe shallow ploughed.
Along with a good crop of Hawthorn Haws and Blackthorn Sloes, the Rose-Hips of the wild Dog-Rose are also huge and plentiful.
I would really like to have a go at making Rosehip Syrup but the problems with the tiny hairs and seeds inside and the warnings on all recipes.............
Rosehips contain hairs which cause irritation so it is important to remove these.
.........tends to put me off!
Back Soon
Sue
With the exception of the sugar beet everything else looks wonderful and productive. You do have great views and lovely plant life in all directions.
ReplyDeleteLuckily it's a small village so has fields all around within a few minutes of everyone
DeleteThat's an interesting observation, because only this past Saturday my neighbour and I was saying how sparse the hips and haws are here.
ReplyDeleteDo you think they are producing lots of fruit and seeds as a reaction to the very dry weather here?
DeleteI wish I had the answer. We've had a long, dry summer here too, although not as hot as you've had there, I don't think. To be honest, the sparsity of the fruits here makes me somewhat concerned for the birds. Saying that my BlackBerry crop is second to none. They're big, sweet and juicy. And very plentiful.
DeleteWhat do Hawthorn Haws and Blackthorn Sloes taste like? We don't get either over here - as far as I'm aware! Blackberry picking (and comparing our scratches) is about as far as we get - oh and Elderberry blossom for syrup. That's delicious and makes wonderful Christmas gifts.
ReplyDeleteHawthorn Haws aren't edible as they are except by birds and sloes are one of those things that are so sharp they make your mouth curl up and dry up - so people use them to make Sloe Gin.
DeleteI made it once. Cut each hip in half and scooped out the seeds and hairs. Most time consuming. A Gernam friend laughed. He told me to mince them, cook in water until softened. Strain through a jelly gag. Strain that liquid through a coffee filter. Add sugar and make. Tasted great. He also recommended a cooking apple.
ReplyDeleteI bet it tastes delicious but getting the mincer full of tiny hairs would worry me too!
DeleteWonder if they could be blitzed in a kitchen processor - I have a mini one and might give it a go..
DeleteYesterday I picked several kilos of bullace. They are plentiful and sweet (it is relative). Last year I made some bullace gin. I bottled it last night and very nice it was - so some more bullace I’ll go to this year’s gin, the rest frozen for morning porridge, some jam and some chutney.
I decided a long time ago that it wasn't worth the effort, and I would leave these cheerful berries for the local wildlife! I know the children were sent to gather hips in WW2 because the Syrup is allegedly full of vitamin C. But is that true, or were they just trying to engage young people with The War Effort
ReplyDeleteI've got half a post in drafts all about Rose-Hips......... !
DeleteHopefully the heavy rain we have seen in the past few weeks, will allow any crops being planted now a good start, farmers have had a hard summer season this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm still watering things outside as there has been no rain again for several days. I'm not sure that farmers here have sown anything yet - still very dry and dusty on the fields
DeleteWhen we lived way out in the countryside you could sometimes find wild blackberries to harvest. Around the city everything gets sprayed so there is little to find, let alone harvest.
ReplyDeleteJust have to avoid dog walking areas here!!
DeleteI have never made Rosehip Syrup, the thought of filtering out all those tiny irritant hairs and the washing up of all the things used afterwards has always put me off, although using a coffee filter sounds like a good idea if you have them. Seemingly the hairs were the main ingredient of itching powder many years ago, no doubt a by-product of all the jars of Rosehip Syrup the chemists sold to our mothers.
ReplyDeleteI'll stick to making Blackberry or Elderflower - and leave the Rose Hips for the birds
Deletewith berries and things so plentiful this year the birds must be very happy. So sad about the sugar beet crop.
ReplyDeleteCathy
The might be time for the sugar beet to grow if there's plenty of rain soon
DeleteThe only ‘wild’ things growing in my neighbourhood are dandelions……The Golfer chops their heads off quick smart….so I don’t get a chance to even think about doing anything with them😊
ReplyDeleteI made dandelion wine once ----never again!
DeleteI learned something today. Didn't know hawthorn trees and haws or what sloes were.
ReplyDeleteWe have miles and miles of hawthorn and blackthorn hedges in the countryside here
ReplyDeleteI was given rosehip syrup as a child mixed with a little hot water to help it down. Think this was after I was too old to bet my cod liver oil and orange juice free on the fledgling NHS. Catriona
ReplyDeleteYou really don't need to worry about the internal stones and hairs of rosehips when making syrup as long as you strain it through muslin before measing the liquid and adding sugar for the final syrup. I've been making it for years as it has the greatest concentration of Vitamin C in any fruit which is not denatured by cooking and it tastes great. Adding sloes and blackberries to the syrup will increase the vitamin C. I have lots of recipes on my blog, Tales of a Kitchen Herbwife. https://kitchenherbwife.blogspot.com/search?q=rosehip+syrup . I make lots of elderberry, haw and rosehip spiced cordial, which also doubles as an immune enhancer for children over the winter months and tastes great diluted with boiling water (for adults). I used this hedgerow cordial in my writer's and healers' Christmas party as a non-alcoholic version of mulled wine.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased to read this Sarah. I must have been channeling you yesterday when I made a batch of blackberry, elderberry, sloe and rose hip syrup. No recipe, I followed my instinct of a colander of mixed fruit, about 1.5 litres of water, a thumb of root ginger and a stick of cinnamon. Brought to boil, simmered with lid on for 30 mins, allowed to cool and then strained through an ordinary metal sieve with a fresh square of muslin. The strained liquor back into washed-out pan, I added probably 250g sugar and simmered until sugar had dissolved. Finally into sterilised bottles to use as a cough syrup or a tablespoon in a cup of hot water as a tonic. Delicious, give it a go Sue! And thank you Sarah H for all the inspiration, I miss your blog posts. Sarah in Sussex. PS all the fruit was picked from the hedges around my house and there is lots left for the birds and mammals.
DeleteIt's all a lotta work!
ReplyDelete