Saturday 3 September 2011

Foraging in Norfolk - A photographic diary

We have just enjoyed the last bank holiday of summer 2011 and we certainly made the most of our long weekend holidaying at Diglea Caravan Park. We spent a lovely morning at Norfolk Lavender and also relaxed amongst the birds at the Snettisham Nature Reserve. The most exciting birds we spotted were a pair of barn owls hunting on the grassland and we also saw a pair of Little Egrets near the saltings. The pace of life somehow seems slower in Norfolk and at this time of year there is plenty to forage.

The pictures below show the highlights of our long weekend. Also ... scroll down for a great recipe for Wild Apple Jelly ...

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Outside our retro caravan - the weather was bright but breezy!

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We found these amazingly sweet 'eaters' on wasteland near the sea

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A small lizard sited on brambles at the nature reserve

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Trying samphire foraged from the coast - not too sure about this one!

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There must be something about the Norfolk air which grows pears so big! We managed to find a few wild pears ready for picking.


Wild Apple Jelly

During our stay in Norfolk we came across an intriguing tree covered with small red, pear shaped apples. These were edible although a little sharp for eating raw, but certainly more tasty than crab apples. We brought a large bag home and couldn't wait to make some jelly. The juice stewed from the apples was a hot pink and the sweet jelly is great on toast.

What to look out for:
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Small red fruits covered the tree

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Nature's bounty

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The small wild apple next to a larger foraged 'eater'


Ingredients:

Apples - for this batch we collected 3 pounds of fruit which makes 7 jars
Sugar - 3lbs

Method:

1. Wash fruit, removing stalks and cut the apples into small chunks
2. Place apples into preserving pan or large saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the fruit. I used 2 1/2 pints of water.

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3. Stew the apples over a low heat until soft and pulpy.
4. Pour mixture into a jelly bag, suspended above a large bowl. Allow to drain for several hours or overnight. For a clear jelly do not squeeze the bag. To maximise our yield we decided to squeeze the bag anyway!
5. Measure the juice and pour into preserving pan or large saucepan.
6. Add sugar to the pan - for each pint of juice add a pound of sugar
7. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until sugar is fully disolved (if this step is not completed the jam will contain sugar crystals).

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8. Once the sugar has disolved, turn up the heat to bring the mixture to a rapid rolling boil.

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9. Regularly test for the setting point. Pour a teaspoon onto a cold plate and place in the fridge for 1-2 minutes. Push your finger onto the mixture, if the surface clearly wrinkles the jelly is ready to bottle.
10. Use a funnel to pour the mixture into warmed clean jars. If you are making several jars which you wish to store, it is important to use waxed circles and transparent covers to seal the jars.
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The finished product!

1 comment:

  1. great pictures, I will look out for a tree like this so I can try your jelly recipe.

    ReplyDelete