My hips ache and my knees ache. That’s what you get when you go dancing for an hour. We are very well-behaved ladies – our individual dance square is marked off on the floor with masking tape and at the end of the session Maureen makes sure we don’t mingle and linger. All the windows in the village hall are left open while we dance, I’m not sure how acceptable this will be in the middle of winter. I’m just chuffed that I have finally mastered the steps to Dire Straits’ Walk of Life.
It’s been a fairly mild and sunny morning but the skies are starting to darken and I think some stormy weather might be coming our way. We still have a few apples left on the trees. On Wednesday Paul and I spent a couple of hours chopping and de-pipping a whole load of apples for our wine. We filled a big 30 litre fermentation bucket with chopped fruit and then poured boiling water over. It will now be left for a few days to allow the apple juice to leach out. The apples are then removed and we add sultanas, yeast etc and a cup of tea. Eventually we should end up with a beautiful white wine resembling a Cabernet Sauvignan. That’s what the recipe promises anyway!
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| apple production line |
Now I do believe you can make rosehip wine…
Surely, if you are using apples you will end up with cider. "Cider With Susie" by Laurie Lee.
ReplyDeleteCider with Susie has a certain ring to it. Cider has a different sugar and alcohol content.
DeleteWe have a few orchards left around here and the farm opposite makes, and sells at the farm gate, apple juice and cider but not wine.
ReplyDeleteI can remember drinking cider as a hard up student in the early 70's - 10 pence a glass!
DeleteLike Rachel I have apple juice but not wind - wish I lived near enoug to share a bottle of yours with you.
ReplyDeleteI would love to share a bottle of wine with you Pat x
DeleteYour wine making is impressive. You will have a good selection for the upcoming winter months. Also that is some fancy footwork you have mastered. After viewing the dancing on Youtube, I applaud your skill.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite tricky when you have two left feet, I have to concentrate very hard.
DeleteI propose that each English village has a communal Cider press, where everyone can take their excess Apples. It should be placed beside the communal bread oven.
ReplyDeleteI think there are places throughout the UK where you can take your own apples for pressing. A village one would be more convenient though!
DeleteThose rosehips look cheerful. We will be interested to read about the results if you do try wine from them. My grandmother used to make rosehip syrup which she assured us was a good source of vitamin C. I suspect the quantity of sugar in olved cancelled out any other good it was doing. Try getting yourself some arnica oil rub for those aching muscles. I swear by it.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I remember that rosehip syrup very well. I think we shall just stick with the plum and apple wine this year.
DeleteMy mother used to give me rosehip syrup too! Yes, I think you can make rosehip wine - I'm sure in times gone villagers made wine from many things that grew in the hedgerows, and we turn our noses up at these days.
ReplyDeleteWell done for mastering your dance steps - I'd just fall over my feet!
We were going to do elderberry but the summer has been dry in this area and the berries were too small and shrivelled this year.
DeleteI loved my Mum's rosehip syrup - she stored the bottles on a high shelf in the pantry, but I timed my raids carefully - while she hung the washing out, I could grab a stool, pinch a spoonful or two of rosehip syrup and sometimes a big, sticky spoonful of MALT.. Yummy!
ReplyDeletePantry raids were always fun.
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