I was never a fan of jelly and ice cream. I'm afraid that even when I was five I had standards and high expectations of jelly and ice cream that a children's party just could not match. I went off jelly after several wobbly strawberry attempts for many years. I tried it in trifle too (not for me) and it wasn't until I decided to make my own jelly that I appreciated just what a marvel it can be. Now I'm a grown up and I like jelly I've also Gin and Tonic Mini Jellies
I was never a fan of jelly and ice cream. I'm afraid that even when I was five I had standards and high expectations of jelly and ice cream that a children's party just could not match. I went off jelly after several wobbly strawberry attempts for many years. I tried it in trifle too (not for me) and it wasn't until I decided to make my own jelly that I appreciated just what a marvel it can be. Now I'm a grown up and I like jelly I've also 
Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while will know about my penchant for sloe gin. I'm not sure what it is about infusing your own alcohol that I like so much. Perhaps it's the romantic idea of foraging for food, connecting with the land and being able to puff out your chest in pride when you've picked a kilo of berries. It could be to do with the fact that I like gin. Either way, my second post about drinks looks at mixing up sloe gin 
September is the time of year to get out and investigate the hedgerows. It's also the time of year to make some Damson Gin. There are all sorts of fruits and berries waiting to be picked by eager hands: sloes, rosehips, blackberries, damsons and apples can all be found with a little searching and bravery. I say bravery because foraging is always fraught with a small amount of danger, for instance, a wasp can easily be inhaled if you become distracted 
Luscious sloe gin will inevitably result in spare berries when sloes and gin are separated. There is only so much sloe chocolate you can eat and extra sloe gin you can make. I was informed by a kind friend that sloe port was worth a try but receptacles were thin on the ground. Fortunately my Granny had given me a Rumtopf a while back which was perfect for transforming my gin soaked berries into deep red port.
This port takes around four months 
Some of you may know that I made my own sloe gin and hedgerow gin this year. It all started on a warm September afternoon with a kilo of sloes, some hedgerow berries, a sprinkling of sugar and a litre of fine gin. It's something I've never even attempted before but I thought how hard can it be?
Apart from autumn being the time for pumpkin soup, squash in all its forms and stews galore it is also the time for making sloe and hedgerow gin. There are some sloe purists who will not touch this lovely berry until a frost has been. Then there are those like me who pick them nice and early and speed nature up a bit. Either way if you've got sloes around it means it's time to make some sloe and hedgerow gin.
Whether you decide to make sloe 
