late summer - The Bridge Cottage

Plums: Picking, Cooking & Preserving Late Summer’s Bounty

August 30, 2022/2 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen/by Sue Reed

Plums

Plums always remind me of a good friend who, when wincing on a hospital bed after a vasectomy gone wrong was bought a pair of plums in a brown paper bag by his visiting mate.

A pair of plums

Enough! Sorry. Are your plums dripping this year? Last year we had four, whereas this year we have four thousand, or thereabouts. It’s a great year for plums!

It’s been a great year for plums!

The tree is so overladen, that one of the boughs has snapped and we have made a mental note that we must do better with the pruning next Spring. I’ll make sure I put a post over in The Bridge Cottage Garden section in plenty of time next Spring with photos when we do ours.

Pruning Plums

Plum trees should be pruned in Spring or early summer to avoid the frost getting in through open wounds and causing silver leaf damage. It’s the usual pruning advice – take any growth that is crossing or growing inwards and cut back other branches by a third. You are aiming for a goblet shape. However, here’s a link from the good peeps at the RHS who will be far more expert at this than us.

Pruning Plum Trees from the RHS.

Picking Plums

Tim’s Plum Grabber

Watch out for wasps! Tim’s made a handy grabber using a recycled milk carton with ‘monster’ teeth cut in and stuck it on a pole. Heath Robinson would be proud. Who was Heath Robinson you ask? It’s a saying, isn’t it, and a quick look down the Google tube and The History Press tells me, ‘ William Heath Robinson remains one of Britain’s best-loved illustrators and has embedded himself into English vernacular, inspiring the phrase ‘it’s all a bit Heath Robinson’ to describe any precarious or unnecessarily complex contraption.’ But it worked! I also made it a reel on Instagram – how cool am I?

Cooking and Preserving Plums

Nanny’s Shop

So, what to do with all these plums? This year we’ve had so many, that we’ve simply halved and stoned several bagfuls and popped them straight in the freezer to be dealt with later. We’ve popped a table out front, and my granddaughter is very excited to be helping with ‘Nanny’s Shop’. Takes me right back to my childhood when I’d help my grandmother sell her spare garden produce and bedding out plants. ,

Plum Jam

There’s jam of course, and plum jam is a favourite, spread on crumpets or hot buttered toast, taking me back to my mother’s Victoria plum jam of my childhood. I’ve made a double batch using 4kg plums and 4kg sugar. I followed the Good Food Recipe. However, I see from Pam Corbin’s new book of Preserves that there is a lower sugar version with her plum spread. I’ve been a fan of Pam Corbin’s original book of Preserves for years, and love this new edition, with lots of lower sugar and up-to-date recipes.

Plum Compote or Stewed Plums

Plum compote is a must, or what my mum would call stewed plums in a more down-to-earth manner. We have homemade yoghurt right through the year with cooked fruit and I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, you’ll be so glad you went to the effort of cooking and freezing bags of fruit in February when the winds are whistling through the cracks in the door and the snow is piling high outside. We like to add star anise and or cinnamon to our cooked fruit but be careful to pick out the star anise before you munch. I think it has a taste of the dentist about it if you crunch a piece.

Plums can be baked whole in the oven, making it very easy to plop out the stone. Or you can halve them, remove the stones and cook in a pan. It’s up to you, but I do like the flavour gained from roasting.

Picking, Cooking & Preserving, Late Summer’s Plums

Plum chutney is a lovely alternative to mango chutney with curry and we have two recipes we use. This year, we’ve made Mrs Portly’s Plum and Ginger Chutney. Linda Duffin aka Mrs Portly’s Kitchen is a wonderful source of inspiration for seasonal recipes and eating. Do check her out – she’s on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Nigel Slater is another favourite chef in this house, and his plum chutney and Chinese Plum Sauce are both delicious. Our daughter particularly likes the plum sauce – great in a stir fry. Nigel Slater – Plum Recipes

The Bridge Cottage Way Amaretto and Plum Crumble

I asked a question over on Twitter this week from the domestic goddess that is Nigella Lawson (if I ever met her, I would have a total fan girl moment) after I was experimenting with plums and a bottle of Amaretto. I asked if she would put meringue or crumble atop of cooked plums? ‘I’m old school’ she replied and went for crumble. Another follower suggested a frangipane, and that’s this afternoon’s job – to make a plum frangipane cake. If you follow me on social media, I’ll share the result.

So, here’s my plum crumble recipe. It’s a favourite and any leftovers can be had for breakfast with yoghurt. My question to you would be, custard, cream or ice cream? My father would just say, yes, please!

The Bridge Cottage Way Amaretto Plum Crumble.

Half kg ripe plums

1 tbsp soft brown sugar

4 tbsp Amaretto liqueur (optional – 1 tsp cinnamon would be an alternative)

150 g plain flour

75g butter

2 tbsp soft brown sugar

Preheat oven to 180 deg/160 deg fan/ gas mark 4

Wash then halve plums, removing stones. Toss in a bowl with Amaretto and sugar, then place in an oven proof dish in the oven while you prepare the top.

Rub the flour and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs using your fingers, and then stir in the sugar.

Gently spread over the plums and bake for a further 15-20 mins or until golden brown on the top.

Serve with natural yoghurt, cream, ice cream or custard!

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or on our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other sections of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what we have been doing here at Bridge Cottage as the months go by:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the mailing list here. This will go our four times a year, with the seasons in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. We, of course, will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Rosebay Willowherb Tea. Late Summer Foraging.

August 27, 2020/0 Comments/in Foraging for Free Food/by Sue Reed

Rosebay Willowherb growing in Northumberland

Rosebay Willowherb is known as Fireweed in North America, after its tendency to spring up as an early pioneer on burnt land. In second World War Britain, it sprang up on bomb sites in London, and elsewhere, rising like the Phoenix from the ashes. In Clydebank in Scotland, it grew the bombed Singer Sewing machine site and was nicknamed Singerweed. Here in Northumberland it grows rampant along the roadsides and we even have a large patch alongside the burn in the Bridge Cottage garden.

Foraging for Rosebay Willowherb

You may need to go further afield, and if you do, always remember to forage responsibly. Take only as much as you need, leaving plenty behind for wildlife, and do not go where you are not supposed to go.

I’ve mentioned my youngest son before, a lad full of surprises. Imagine my delight when I got a What’s App message from him, with photos of leaves he’d picked and a link to how to make Ivan Chai, or fermented Rosebay Willowherb tea. I’d heard that the leaves of the Rosebay Willowherb made a great green tea but had not heard of Ivan Chai.

A spot of research later, and I discovered this tea is a traditional drink and domestic medicine in northern and Eastern Europe. In Russia, its fermented leaves are known as Koporye or Ivan tea, while in Alaska, the flowers are a valuable source of nectar for honey and are made into jellies and syrups. I already had some dried leaves but thought this fermentation process sounded interesting yet simple.

Consulting my book about hedgerow herbal remedies* I read that Rosebay Willowherb can be made into a syrup which is excellent for treating childhood diarrhoea or irritable bowel symptoms (see recipe below), and infusions of the leaves have also been used for heavy periods. Modern research into Rosebay Willowherb has focused on its role in treating BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), inhibiting prostate cancer cell growth in animals and by inference, in humans.

To make Rosebay Willowherb tea:

Either dry the leaves and petals naturally (see post on drying herbs) or make your own fermented Rosebay Willow Herb tea, aka Ivan tea:

Rolling Rosebay Willowherb leaves to make Ivan Tea

Ivan Tea or Fermented Rosebay Willowherb Tea

Pick the leaves from the Rosebay Willowherb plant, near the top.
Leave to go limo overnight
Roll into balls (you can roll a few leaves together)
Put in a sealed container in a warm place for 24 hours. You can add rose petals for flavour
Dry in a cool dry place, or in an oven on the lowest setting til thoroughly dried out. (I like to keep the oven door open slightly to let the moisture out
Store in an airtight container once cool
Drink and enjoy!

Rosebay Willowherb Tea. Ivan Tea

If you’d like to see a video of how it’s made, I’ll get one made, but in the short term, here’s someone to show you how:
YouTube video: Full process of making Ivan tea

picking rosebay willowherb

Rosebay Willowherb Syrup*

20 flower heads

500ml water

100g sugar

Juice of a lemon

Bring flower heads and water to the boil and simmer until the colour leaves the blossoms, in about 5-10 minutes. Strain the juice and return to the pot.

Add the sugar and lemon juice and boil for 5 mins, allow to cool then bottle and label.

It will keep in the fridge for a few months.

This is a pleasant remedy for childhood diarrhoea and can be used for any case of intestinal irritation and loose bowels.

Give a tablespoon for adults, and a dessert spoon for children every few hours.

*Taken from Hedgerow Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal

I hope you have found this first post on foraging useful. Watch out for more coming up as we go into autumn, and our hedgerows become abundant with brambles and other fruit.

Please forage responsibly – here is a guide to Foraging Guidelines from the Woodland Trust.

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or on our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other sections of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what we have been doing here at Bridge Cottage as the months go by:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the mailing list here. This will go our four times a year, with the seasons in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. We, of course, will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Late Summer Sowing for Autumn & Winter Veg

August 25, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Garden/by Sue Reed

Autumn at Bridge Cottage

It is late Summer here, and Autumn is knocking on the garden gate. I have noticed the conker tree on the corner of the lane by the nature reserve is starting to change colour. The nights are drawing in, and last night we noticed it getting dark around nine. However, it is not time to give up sowing seeds! There is still plenty of warmth in the air and light in the skies to get some late summer seed sowing done.

July and August are the times to sow seeds for winter veg that can be harvested around Christmas, or overwintered when it will spring into life again once the warmer weather comes. If, along with the tardiness of this post, setting seeds away feels too late, then opt for buying plugs of seedlings. Good choices for sowing now are broccoli, both calabrese and purple or white sprouting, all the brassicas, ie cabbages, kale, cauliflower, sprouts, kohlrabi and oriental salads like mizuna, and rocket. Spinach and chard will get a good bit of growing done now, and then continue in Spring giving several early pickings in the new year.

Bridge Cottage Greenhouse

If you have a greenhouse, then as soon as early crops and tomatoes have finished, get some spinach and chard in the ground. Lettuces and radishes are quick to grow, and pak choi, mizuna and rocket will love the cooler temperatures and not be so inclined to bolt. We are experimenting this year with growing a late summer sowing of French beans. I have made a note, however, in my garden journal, to set the seed away earlier next year. If we are too late, then all we will have lost are a few seeds. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. There is also time to sow some more soft herbs in the greenhouse, such as parsley and coriander. Plant your parsley out once the seedlings are bit enough to handle, and it will overwinter well, giving an abundance of vitamin C rich herbage in Spring.

Lifting onions in August

We have just lifted our onions, and space there will be for my patiently waiting red cabbage, kohlrabi, Tuscan and red kale. ‘all year round’ cauliflower and sprouting broccoli. the slugs are doing their darndest to munch their way through them, and so a generous handful of wool pellets has been deployed.

Wool slug pellets on brassica plants

The brassicas are also waiting patiently for us to build another structure for netting. There is nothing more soul-destroying than nursing your seedlings, keeping slugs and rabbits off them, only to find the cabbage whites have had a party on them, and caterpillars are making lace from the leaves. Net all brassicas as soon as they are planted and be aware that the cabbage white butterflies will still lay their eggs on the leaves if they so much as touch the outside. We have found out the hard way this year, which goes to show that there is always something new to learn. How my friend Julia, who is new to gardening, escaped with this unscathed and un-netted broccoli, I do not know how she has managed this. It is beautiful though, and I’m thrilled to hear of so many who have started growing their own veg this year, during the coronavirus pandemic. We will need our homegrown food more than ever in the years to come.

Why Bother? Gardening and Growing Food

Did you read the article I shared on our social media pages this week? It was about community initiatives to grow food and support food banks and those in the community for whom fresh food is beyond their budget. We’re hoping at Hexham Fresh Food Bank to keep supplying our local food bank, West Northumberland Food Bank, with homegrown produce through the winter months. The challenge is on, so I’d better go and get some late summer sowing and planting done.

Guardian article: How coronavirus has led to a UK boom in community food growing

Thanks for reading, and happy gardening.

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or on our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other sections of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what we have been doing here at Bridge Cottage as the months go by:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the mailing list here. This will go our four times a year, with the seasons in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. We, of course, will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

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