sustainable living - The Bridge Cottage

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.

Nasturtium – 4 Delicious Ways to Use This Edible Flower

August 11, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen/by Sue Reed

Nasturtium: 4 Delicious Ways to Use This Edible Flower

Nasturtium

Do you grow nasturtium in your garden? It’s a quick-growing, easy plant, that will grow well in containers and hanging baskets as well as in the veggie patch or flower borders. It will creep and climb and loves a trellis or wall to cover with its colourful trumpet-shapes flowers and saucer-like leaves. Head down to the Bridge Cottage garden to read more about:

Growing Nasturtiums

In this post, we’ve come inside to the kitchen, and are going to look at three ways to use nasturtium as a free, nutritious food source. Nasturtiums, using both leaves and petals, are high in vitamin C, and will improve the immune system. They will help to treat sore throats, coughs and cold, and fight a bacterial or fungal infection. Studies have shown that the leaves have antibiotic properties and are most effective prior to flowering.

Nasturtium is used in traditional medicine, for a wide range of illnesses and is said to help with hair loss. I’d better do and make Tim a nasturtium cap for his lack of hair then! Maybe not, I’m rather fond of his bald head.

Come on in, let’s go into the kitchen:

Nasturtium in salad

Nasturtium in Salads

Nasturtium leaves have a mildly peppery taste and will add flavour and colour to your salads, used with the flowers. Choose young leaves, and open flowers, wash any creepy crawlies away or leave on a piece of paper, and the bugs will crawl off to find pastures new. Add to salad leaves such as rocket, lettuce, young spinach or beetroot leaves, and add fresh herbs for an interesting salad

If you are making salads, don’t forget about the floral vinegars we made back in the late spring. You might have some in the cupboard to use for salad dressing.

Nasturtium Pesto

Ingredients for nasturtium pesto

Nasturtium pesto favourite discovery this year and is inspired by the Garden Pesto by Pam Corbin from the wonderful book of Preserves in the River Cottage series. Being still in partial lockdown, I didn’t have all the ingredients to hand that Pam suggests but made a delicious pesto with these ingredients. We had a chicken, roasted in the outside oven, and a dollop of delicious nasturtium pesto was the perfect accompaniment.

Nasturtium pesto

Makes 2x 225 jars

50g nasturtium leaves

Handful of mint leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

6 or so nasturtium pods

50 g pine nuts (I used cashews)

75g mature, hard cheese (I used a Northumberland equivalent of parmesan)

Juice ½ lemon (50ml)

150ml hemp, rapeseed or olive oil, plus extra to seal

Petals from 2 calendula (marigold) flowers

Salt to taste

Bung all the ingredients apart from the calendula petals & salt in a food processor and whizz until soft and well mixed. Remove and fold in the petals and salt.
Place in small, sterilised jars and pour a little oil over the surface to exclude any air and seal.

Either store in the fridge and use within four weeks or put into portions in small bags or an ice cube tray and freeze for use later in the year. You’ll be glad you did in January!

Nasturtium Seeds

Poor Man’s Capers

Again, I’ve used the recipe from Pam’s book – do get yourself a copy, it’s stuffed full of amazing recipes for preserves.

Makes 2 x 115g jars

15g salt

100g Nasturtium seed pods

A few peppercorns (optional)

Fresh herbs (eg dill or tarragon)

200ml white wine vinegar

Make a light brine by dissolving the salt in 300ml water. Put nasturtium seeds in a bowl and cover with cold brine. Leave for 24 hours.

Drain the seed pods and dry well. Pack them into small, sterilised jars (see p 29) with, if you like, a few peppercorns and some herbs. Leave room for 1cm vinegar at the top. Cover the seeds with vinegar and cover with vinegar proof lids. Store in a cool, dark place before eating and use within a year.

I’m making some of these for Christmas stocking fillers!

Pam recommends using these to make a tartare sauce, by mixing 100g mayonnaise with 2-3 finely chopped spring onions or the white part of a leek, I tbsp chopped nasturtium capers, I heaped tbsp finely chopped parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with white fish, fish and chips, hot or cold salmon or trout, or a salad of freshly cooked baby beetroot with young broad beans and rocket or other leaves.

Socially distanced cup of tea

Do you have any other suggestions for using nasturtium flowers and or leaves? I’ve just seen a recipe for Wild Hot Sauce over on Pinterest, and this is my fourth suggestion. I haven’t yet made it, but my friend, Ceri from Oakwood Soaperie, who came for a socially distanced cup of tea today in the Bridge Cottage Garden recommends it. I’ll make a Bridge Cottage version with our Ring of Fire Chillies and post this when it’s been tried and tested bu our youngest son John, who is the hot sauce expert. …….more about chillies coming up later.

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 below. This will go out 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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July 2020 Blog – Summer at Bridge Cottage

August 6, 2020/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Sue Reed

July 2020 in The Bridge Cottage Garden

Welcome to the July 2020 blog, where we look back at life in the Bridge Cottage garden and kitchen over the past month, and our attempts to live a more sustainable life in this summer month.

It’s been a wet and cold July up here in Northumberland, and we’ve been wondering where summer went to. I think we had it back in May! I hear the south is basking in hot sunshine, but as I write this, it’s grey and windy, and two of our sunflowers have just blown down. Never mind, we have sunshine to look forward to this weekend, and the garden is in full bloom, with dahlias and lilies coming into their own, and tall sunflowers reaching for the sky, turning their faces to look for the sun.

Hexham Fresh Food Bank Donation

We are very grateful for our garden during these difficult Covid-19 times. Growing your own food has never been so important, and we’re delighted to hear of many of you planting out allotments and veg plots for the first time. We’ve continued to support our local Food Bank, dropping off donations for the Hexham Fresh Food Bank Group. This is a great scheme; food poverty being a tragic part of life for so many in our communities

The lockdown was eased after a fashion, but we still kept ourselves very much to ourselves. Having kept out of the supermarkets during the lockdown, we found our shopping habits continued in this vein, and with so much ready in the garden, we have been eating very simply indeed. In Hexham, we have some great independent shops, which have seen us buying cheese, butter, olives & cream for our local Deli at Number 4, and rice, pasta, coffee and other basics from the new Refill Shop on Market Street. We have a fabulous Farmer’s Market in Hexham town centre too.

July saw us engage with Plastic Free July, and whilst we’ve always been keen to reduce our use of plastic (one of the reasons we steer clear of supermarkets where possible), this month we really looked at the plastic in our home and made a few more changes to our habits.

Plastic Free July – Who Gives a Crap

Toilet rolls are an ongoing debate with many, and discussions took place over on our Facebook and Instagram accounts about where the bamboo is sourced, that so much of ethical toilet roll is made from, where it is made, and how it is shipped. We bought a box of ‘Who Gives a Crap’ and very much like that their rolls are made from recycled paper, and that this past year they donated 3.2 million pounds to help provide sanitation in communities where it is lacking.

Plastic-Free-July

Refill shops are a great way of saving plastic, and we’ve made the switch to solid shampoo bars, and refills for washing-up liquid and other household cleaning products. We’ve also now got a pile of reusable wipes in the bathroom for when our granddaughter has her nappy changes or if we need a freshen up, made by cutting up an old towel. A handy bag hangs on the loo roll holder, and they are washed, ready to be used again.

There are so many other ways single-use plastic can be reduced – our local Eco Home shop, Matthais Winter, will take toothpaste tubes for recycling, and has a huge range of products. We recently needed new clothes pegs and found some wooden ones there.

Spinach and Eggs

The garden is now being bountiful, with so many wonderful veggies and fruit. We’ve eaten some glorious meals using spinach and kale and discovered Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipe for Spouffle in his book, Veg. The Bridge Cottage chickens are laying well, so spinach quiches and omelettes are regulars on the table. Courgettes are coming thick and fast, and the red onions and shallot lifted, thanks to our little helper, the Lady of Shallot.

The Lady of Shallot

Nasturtium Pesto Ingredients

Pam Corbin in her book, Preserves, gives a wonderful nasturtium pesto recipe, which we had with roast chicken, cooked in our outdoor wood-fired oven.

Redcurrant and Almond Cake

July is the month for soft fruit, and we’ve picked pounds of raspberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants. I discovered a great recipe for a redcurrant cake from Mrs Portly’s Kitchen, and an equally wonderful blackcurrant cheesecake from Gill Meller’s fabulous book Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower. We have enjoyed some warm days, and homemade ice-cream – so much better than shop-bought!

Many have been jam and jelly making in earnest – I’ve made a batch of redcurrant jelly, but apart from that have been too busy gardening or writing content for this new website, so all the soft fruit picked has gone into the freezer. Tim will soon be making raspberry and blackcurrant vinegar, and I’ll make up batched of summer fruit compote to have with our homemade yoghurt in the mornings, or on porridge. You’ll find a recipe for Raspberry Jam over in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen.

Summer Herbal Tea

We’re continuing to dry herbs for use over winter and make our own herbal teas. July is seeing me use calendula, borage, mint and lemon balm in a delicious tea. We’re also drinking a lot of cucumber water – with a bit of fizz from the soda stream. I had a friend over for a socially distanced cup of tea (how I’ve missed my friends during lockdown) and took this as an opportunity to make a batch of herby shortbread. This time I used calendula and borage, but have also had great success with calendula and thyme or lavender shortbread.

Seeds for Winter Veg

Now is also a great time to sow winter salad, bulb fennel, winter cabbages, all year round cauliflower, spinach, kale and sprouting broccoli, which will sprout in the early Spring. The long days are still here, and once onions are lifted, and potatoes dug, there will be space for these late summer sowings. I think we get so excited in Spring and can plant massive amounts of seeds, then successional sowing can sometimes go out of the window. I’m off this afternoon to pop some fennel seedlings in the ground, next to the squash. I wrote about companion planting this month. our vegetables are like us, they have friends they’d rather be with than others, That is one reason for all the nasturtiums, borage and calendulas in the garden, They make great companions for many plants.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are ripening nicely in the greenhouse, and in next month’s instalment, I’ll let you know how we make our own passata and ‘sun’ dried tomatoes. It’s a daily job to keep everything watered and fed. We’re so glad we took the time to make our own organic comfrey feed. We’ve been adding borage to the bin too, and this provides so many good nutrients. The tomatoes love it!

Make your own organic comfrey feed.

July 2020 Veg Plot

I think I’d better go now, I could waffle on forever! I hope this has given you a snapshot of life in July here in 2020, a year that will go down in history for many reasons. Will this be the year you started to grow your own food? I hope so!

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, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We, of course, will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Homemade Raspberry Jam from the Bridge Cottage Kitchen

August 5, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen/by Sue Reed

Before we go on, I may confess that this is not my own recipe for raspberry jam, but is taken from the excellent book ‘Preserves’ by Pam Corbin, and the second of the River Cottage Handbooks – a most excellent series of handy hardback for the kitchen.

growing raspberries

The recipe is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s, and it is low in sugar, and a great recipe to start with if you are new to jam making, as it does not require you to test for the setting point.

Hugh recommends picking a mix of ripe and not so ripe raspberries on a hot, dry day. This is easier said than done in Northumberland, and if this July is anything to go by, you’ll be reaching in the freezer for frozen raspberries. That too is fine, though if you are able to use freshly picked, so much the better.

As this recipe is low in sugar, quick to make, and makes a great topping on plain yoghurt or porridge for breakfast. Pair it up with clotted cream, on scones, but I’ll leave you to decide whether the jam should go on before the cream, or vice versa. Personally, I’m a jam first person. Pam Corbin writes that it is also excellent in trifles, cakes and stirred into creamy rice pudding. Tim would not thank you for rice pudding – it reminds him of school dinners.

Find out how to make your own yoghurt

Recipe for Raspberry Jam

Makes 6 x 340g jars

1.5 kg raspberries

750g sugar with added pectin

Pick over raspberries carefully to remove any stalks or leaves.

Put half fruit in a preserving pan and bash with a potato masher to crush it.

Add remaining fruit and sugar.

Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for exactly 5 minutes. If you prefer a firmer jam, cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir to disperse any scum.

Leave for 5-6 minutes to prevent all the little raspberry pips dashing to the top of the jar, but pour into clean, warmed, sterilised jars as soon as possible.

This will keep in the store cupboard for months, but once opened, keep in the fridge – hence the name!

This also works well with strawberries, although the blackbirds have beaten us to them again this year!

Head over to the Bridge Cottage Kitchen for the basics of Jam and Jelly Making.

Raspberry Jam

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, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We, of course, will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Homemade Summer Fruit Ice-Cream

August 5, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen/by Sue Reed

Homemade summer ice-cream

The taste of homemade summer ice-cream is amazing, and a firm favourite with our family. Making your own ice-cream is a great way to use your crops of soft fruit. There are no artificial additives, and you’ll be reducing your plastic consumption, and transport miles by making your own in a reusable tub.

We’ve pinched our daughter’s ice-cream maker and are hoping she won’t ask for it back. It’s a wonderful gadget, and once you get the hang of making your own ice-cream, using fresh fruit from the garden, there is no going back to the supermarket. There are plenty of recipes for ‘no-churn’ ice creams out there on the internet, so have a look down the Google tube if you don’t have an ice cream maker, or use this one from the people at Good Food, who suggest using condensed milk if you don’t have an ice-cream maker.

No Churn Vanilla Ice-Cream

The method we use here at Bridge Cottage is to make a basic vanilla ice-cream (see below), then pop it in the fridge overnight, along with a fruit purée, which can be strained through a sieve or not, depending on whether you want lumps or pips. In the morning, when both are chilly, take your ice-cream churn out of the freezer (I keep mine in there permanently, as it is so frustrating to go to make ice-cream and find the churning bowl is not frozen)

Vanilla Ice-Cream

284ml double cream

300ml whole milk

3 egg yolks

115g caster sugar

Bring the milk and cream just to the boil, then set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light in colour and fluffy.

Add a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk and cream to the egg mix to loosen, then pour it all back in the saucepan. Bring gently to the boil, stirring with a wooden spoon until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Take care not to over cook or your mixture will split.

If you are in a rush, cool rapidly by placing in a plastic jug, in a bowl of ice-cubes, but I prefer to put a plate over the top and pop it in the fridge overnight once cooled. You are then ready to add any flavourings or eat it just as it is. How about topping it with some Raspberry Fridge Jam?

Blackcurrant Swirl Ice-Cream

In the morning, or when you are ready to make your fruity ice-creams, churn the vanilla custard until thick, and then either pour in the fruit purée and let it all mix in, or swirl it once the vanilla ice cream is in the freezer container to make a ripple.

Freeze until solid, but the longest you leave it, you’ll find you may need to take it out of the freezer for ten mins before serving.

I’ll give specific recipes for three summer ice creams over on the recipes page:

Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice Cream

Raspberry Ice Cream

Blackcurrant Swirl Ice Cream

Homemade is definitely best, enjoy!

Raspberry Ice-Cream

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 section 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 is seasonal and on topic:

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 below. This will go our four times a year, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. 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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Make Your Own Jam and Jelly

July 29, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen/by Sue Reed

Soft Fruit for Making Jam and Jellies

Both my Nans made their own jam and jellies. Nanny Gwen would buy punnets of fruit from the greengrocer and make tiny batches of jam in paste pots. She would serve little homemade drop scones with a paste pot of raspberry jam on plates with doilies and serve tea from a delicate rose bloom bone china tea set. My other Nan, Nanny Dora, grew her own fruit, and a loganberry will always make me think of her. She was more of a Woolworth’s girl, with serviceable seventies pottery and thick, heavy scones with raspberry jam and a tin of sterilised cream. I can see the packet of ready-cut greaseproof paper circles, elastic bands and cellophane tops that she bought and kept in the pantry.

Nanny Dora

My own kids, now grown up and left home, love to come back and raid the homemade jam cupboard. I had a look in the store cupboard the other day and saw we have plenty of chutney left, but no jam whatsoever. It is July, the fruit bushes are dripping and the jam-making is beginning in earnest. this year, from 25 July to 2 August, it is National Preserving Awareness Week, encouraging those who make their own preserves to help those who are new to the game. How great that jam making and preserving is having a revival. My Nans would be very pleased.

Preserving is yet another way to lead a more sustainable lifestyle – recycling jars, using homegrown produce, and reducing the need for transportation and factory-produced food. You will also know exactly what has gone into your jars, with sugar and vinegar being the only preservatives; no colourings or nasty additives. Once you have mastered a few basic skills, preserving is relatively easy and the rewards numerous. A well-stocked pantry cupboard is a delight and will see you through the colder months with reminders of summer.

Jam and Jelly Making Equipment

preserving pan for jam making

Jam Pan – you will need a good, solid bottomed jam pan – a heavy-bottomed saucepan will work, but if you are looking to drop hints for Christmas presents, a jam pan is a great investment. It allows the ‘rolling boil’ and stops the bottom getting burnt. It will also have a handle and some come with a handy pouring dint at the top.

Jam Jars – collect these all year round – don’t throw any jars away. If you are going to be living a sustainable lifestyle, making preserves, drying herbs, making herbal teas, then jam jars are invaluable. Go to the effort of soaking and scrubbing off the labels (we use a wire scrubber and some washing up liquid), and store, lids off, in a cupboard or box til needed.

Jam Thermometer – not vital, but very useful. The setting point of jams is 104.5°C and this can be done using a cold plate and your finger (see below), but a thermometer will save you the hassle. We have one with a probe that is used to test the temperature of all sorts of cooking.

Wooden Spoon – use a long handled wooden spoon – this will become stained and jammy over time. I’m fine with that, but you may want to keep one just for preserves.

jelly bag

Jelly bag and stand, or (muslin and string!) – you can buy jelly bags and stands from Lakeland or other shops, but I use a piece of muslin or double cheesecloth, or a clean tea towel, and hand it from a cupboard handle, letting the jelly drip over-night.

Kitchen Scales

Jam Setting Point

As long as you have got your proportions right, your jam or jelly should set once it is sufficiently cooked. Here are two methods, one without a thermometer and one with:

Crinkle Test – when you start your jam making, pop a small plate or saucer in the fridge and leave it there to chill. Once you think setting point is reached, pop a teaspoon in the plate. Give it a few seconds, then gently push your finger over the jam. If setting point has been reached, a skin will have formed which crinkles when you push your finger over.

Temperature Test – place a preserving thermometer or probe thermometer into the jam when it has reached a rolling boil. When it reads 104.5°C it is done. Pectin rich fruits will set a degree or two, lower.

fruit picking for jam making

That’s all you need, so let’s get fruit picking and jam making. I’ll start with an easy one, Raspberry Fridge Jam.

Preserves by Pam Corbin and River Cottage

One recommendation I do have is to get yourself a copy of Pam Corbin’s excellent book from The River Cottage Series, ‘Preserves’. It has lots of great recipes, some traditional and some fantastic ideas, such as making fruit leather for sweeties, or nasturtium pesto – who knew, this was a thing? Tim’s favourite is Pontak Sauce, made from elderberries, which takes seven years to fully mature.

I’m off out to pick some raspberries and will get recipes up on the website as and when I make them.

Happy jam and jelly making!

Homemade Jam and Jelly

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 section 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 is seasonal and on topic:

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, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We, of course, will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Thanks for reading. Best wishes, Tim and Sue Reed

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

July 23, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Garden, Outdoors, Sustainable Living/by Sue Reed

We all now know that we should be reducing our plastic waste, and recycling plastic in the garden is one way of doing this. When I wrote about this back in 2011, on the old Bridge Cottage Way Blogspot site, we were just learning about the tragic byproduct of the plastics industry that is the phenomenon known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This vast expanse in the North Pacific Ocean, in fact, twice the size of France, had become the largest landfill in the world and was made up of plastic. Every year it kills millions of seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals.

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

David Attenborough brought the nation’s attention to the dreadful sea of plastic in our oceans in his programme, Blue Planet, and this brought the issue of plastic waste to the mainstream. We’ve been trying to reduce our plastic consumption here at Bridge Cottage for decades. There are many ways to reduce plastic consumption around the home, and I’ll write later about our experiences with Plastic Free July 2020, but for the time being, let’s concentrate on ways to reduce plastic in the garden, and specifically here with planting.

If you visit any garden centre, you will see rows and rows of plastic plant pots, and plastic seed trays, and folk with armfuls of these, eager to start the new planting season. But ask yourself, is all this new plastic really necessary?

Before we carry on, let’s address the debate on the issues of growing food in recycled plastic. Can we still call ourselves organic gardeners if we grow food in plastic? Is plastic safe to grow food in? What about all those chemicals it leaches into the soil?

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

I’m talking about Bisphenol A (BPA). All plastics leach chemicals. Some plastics are harmful and can leach toxins into the soil, especially when heated or exposed to sunlight or prolonged periods of time. BPA is not found in food-grade plastic, and therefore these containers are deemed safe to use as the chemicals they leach have low toxicity levels and the amounts leached are very small.

You can check to see if your recycled container is safe to use by looking for the symbol on it – there will be a triangle with a stamp on, and numbers 1,2,4 & 5 – (see diagram) are safe to use.

Food Grade Plastic Labelling

Tetra packs used for plant-based milk and fruit juices can make great planters. Crops such as runner beans and sweet corn that have long roots love a chopped off Tetra pack. Toilet roll inner tubes whilst not plastic, are also a great recycling hack for growing sweet peas. Just pop the whole kits and kaboodle into the soil when it’s time for planting. The tube will biodegrade and the root remains undisturbed. No plastic needed there, my dear!

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

Plastic containers that have fruit such as grapes in even have plastic lids that can be used as mini propagator. Larger containers such as sweet or biscuit boxes are great for sowing lots of big seeds in. I used this ‘Celebrations’ tin for broad bean seeds one year.

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

Don’t forget to wash the containers well before use, and put some holes in the bottom for drainage, taking care not to put holes in yourself!

I add a double layer of newspaper to any clear containers to stop the light getting through to the roots. The paper can be planted in the garden as it soon rots down.

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

Once you’ve sown your seeds, you’ll need to label them, and a plastic lid, yoghurt or crème fraiche pot comes in very handy here too – just cut it into strips and write on with permanent marker pen or wax crayon.

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

Don’t forget, once you have planted your seedlings in the garden, wash and dry the containers and store away in the shed for next year.

Going completely plastic-free is very hard, and I guess a step too far for many, ourselves included, but here is one way our plastic kitchen waste can be recycled.

By recycling your food-grade plastic pots to sow your seeds in or make plant labels, you are doing your bit to help the environment. You will also save money and space in your recycling bin!

Remember the ‘Buyerachy of Needs’ which encourages in the first instance, to use what we have?

Sustainable Living. The Buyerachy of Needs by Sarah Lazarovic

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or one 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 section 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 is seasonal and on topic:

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, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We of course will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Make Your Own Herbal Tea

July 17, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen/by Sue Reed

Drinking Moroccan Mint Tea with Berber Men

Nettle Herbal Tea

Making your own herbal tea is easy, especially if you are growing herbs in the garden. As far as sustainable living goes, making your own herbal tea from herbs in the garden cuts down on packaging and transport, not to mention manufacturing output. It also tastes delicious and will save you money.

If you’ve ever been to Morocco, then you’ll know all about mint tea. Tradition has it, that the higher the height that your host pours the tea from, so making bubbles in the cup, then the more honoured you are, as a guest. We’ve travelled extensively in Morocco, the first time being on our honeymoon. We were invited to stay with a Berber family and participate in a wedding. It was an experience we’ve never forget. The warmth and hospitality of the family were wonderful. Here I am, drinking mint tea with the men of the community. We brought a rooted sprig of mint home with us from Marrakesh and it’s been growing in our garden ever since.

Mint

Mint (Mentha spicata) is probably one of the oldest culinary herbs to be used in the Mediterranean region and is mentioned in all the early writings of physicians and naturalists. It was used in medicine as well as for food because of its value as a digestive. Care should be taken when planting it, as it has long underground runners and will soon take over a patch if it is not planted in a bucket or bag.

There are lots of different varieties of mint, and one of my favourites is Chocolate Mint (Mentha piperita) which smells of After Eight mints, although mores the pity, does not taste of them.

To make mint herbal tea Moroccan style, warm your pot and then add a large handful of freshly picked mint, some sugar to taste (the Moroccans like lots of sugar) a couple of teaspoons of green gunpowder tea if you have it, if not, green tea. And top with boiling water. Pour from a height into mint tea glasses of cups if you haven’t got them. Moroccans traditionally pour the first cup back into the pot.

Fennel Seeds

In October, the fennel seeds are ready to harvest on our vigorous fennel plant, and they can be dried to make a delicious tea. Herb fennel is a totally different plant to the Florence bulb fennel. Simply gather seeds and use fresh or dried. Store in a clean jar once dried to give fennel tea all year round. Fennel seeds have awesome health benefits, and I drink it to reduce water retention. Also great for digestion, constipation and IBS. Fennel seeds are rich in vitamin A, so good for eyesight too. Simply take a tsp of dried fennel seeds, give a rough crush with a pestle and mortar to release the flavour, then pour on boiling water and steep for five minutes, before straining and pouring.

Purple Sage

Another of my favourite herbs for adding to tea, is Sage, (Salvia officinalis) and I often combine mint and sage together as it makes a delicious tea. As with mint, just make an infusion by add pouring boiling water over a few leaves and leaving to brew.

Sage has many health benefits, and is good for coughs and colds, oral health (making a good mouthwash) and digestion. It is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic.

Sage is also a valuable herb for menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, digestive problems and memory loss.

thyme

I love to grow Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and it can be seen here growing well in my greenhouse even though it’s November.

Besides its many culinary uses, thyme herbal tea is a must in our house when the kids have sore throats. It gets its medicinal use from the component thymol, which is a powerful antiseptic.

Make a tea using a large handful of fresh thyme, and add a good teaspoon of honey to the cup. this can also be bottled and given cold to sip if preferred.

Borage

Throughout history, thyme has always been associated with strength and happiness. In the Middle Ages, it was a symbol of courage, and high-ranking ladies embroidered sprigs of thyme on to the clothes of knights going off to fight in the Crusades. Another herb for courage is borage – Brage for bravery as the saying goes.

Rose and Raspberry Leaves

Rose is a herb I’ve been experimenting with of late, and this can be added dried or fresh to teas, helping promote a sense of calm. Use pink or red rose petals for the best medicinal effect.

Lemon balm too, is a beautiful herb with a refreshing taste, that calms the nerves and reduces anxiety.

lemon balm herbal tea

Like its friend, mint, lemon balm needs to contained, as it loves to spread.

Lavender can also be used, and used to help promote sleep, although take care not to add too much or your tea can taste soapy.

Elderflower and mint tea

I’ve been making blends of tea for friends and family this summer – a blend of relaxing tea with lemon balm, mint, elderflowers, lavender and rose for a friend who has been having trouble sleeping.

My daughter is expecting our second grandchild in November, and I’ve made her a batch of raspberry leaf tea – a remedy used for centuries to tone the uterus and prepare the muscles for childbirth, though this should only be drunk in the later stages of pregnancy.

This is all well and good during the summer months, when herbs can be picked fresh from the garden, but it is prudent to dry herbs in the summer for use over winter.

Drying Herbs

Herbs can, of course, be grown in pots, and many will survive all year round if brought inside and placed on a sunny windowsill or in a conservatory.

The possibilities and blends are many, and I’ll leave you to experiment with making your own herbal tea.

herbal tea

I’m off the put the kettle on!

Read more about growing and using herbs in these posts:

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 section 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 is seasonal and on topic:

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 below. This will go out four times a year, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We of course will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Sign up to Quarterly Substack Newsletter

Make Your Own Solstice Salt

July 10, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen/by Sue Reed

Make you own herb salt

Herbs are in abundance in summer, and they can be used fresh, when full of flavour in cooking. However, winter will be here before we know it, and we like to preserve the taste of summer in herb salt. I discovered this easy method of making herb salt over on Instagram and now use in much of my cooking. I keep a jar next to the stove, and a pestle and mortar handy for grinding it.

Homegrown herbs

It’s just a simple matter of taking fresh herbs – you can see from this photo I have used rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano, and chopping it finely with a knife. I’ve added some pretty blue borage flowers here, and a chive flowerhead for colour.

Add this to rock salt, or salt flakes and leave to dry out in a bowl overnight. The next day, simply pop into a clean jam jar and label. You will have herb salt for use in your cooking throughout the year.

It’s a ten-minute job, why not give it a go?

Solstice Salt

I made this pot of herb salt at the Summer Solstice this year, hence the label!

Read about growing herbs and some suggestions for their uses in:

Growing Herbs

Make Your Own Herb & Floral Vinegars

July 4, 2020/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Sue Reed

Capture the flavour and scent of summer in a jar by making your own herb and floral vinegars.

This is so simple to do, and a few minute’s work will reward you with delicious vinegar you can use in cooking and to make salad dressings with wonderfully complex flavours.

Elderflower blossom

Pick your blooms on a sunny day so the flowers are open and dry and leave on a piece of white paper for a while for the creep-crawlies to crawl off and find somewhere else to inhabit.

It’s then just a simple job of popping the flower heads in a sterilised jar and topping up with either rice, white wine or cider vinegar.

After a couple of weeks of infusing, drain the liquid from the flowers and keep in a clean bottle. I do have friends who leave the flowers in, it’s up to you!

Chive Blossom Vinegar

We have made beautiful pink vinegar with chive blossoms and rice wine vinegar.

Elderflower vinegar can be made at the same time as elderflower cordial, and is a welcome treat for salads long after summer and it’s flowers have faded.

Sage Flower Vinegar

I spotted these pretty purple sage flowers and thought I’d give them a go. Why not experiment and see what you come up with? I’ve seen this work very well with deep pink rose petals.

A jar of homemade floral vinegar would make a beautiful gift for a friend or family member.

Find out about growing herbs and some suggestions for their uses in Growing Herbs.

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