With food wastage coming to the fore, there is an increasing focus on using as much of our fruits and vegetables as possible so I decided to try making a cordial using feijoa skins. I kept unblemished feijoa skins where I had scooped out the flesh to eat, and just put them in a bag in the freezer until I had a big bag full. I also used some windfall apples to complete the focus. Usually I don't worry too much about using every part of my produce because more often than not I have a glut and … [Read more...]
Making Gin at Home
Making gin at home was never something I thought I could do without having a still. If you've been following my blog you will know that I love to try making different things and have tried my hand at making wine, cider, beer, ginger beer, limoncello and more. But as far as I knew spirits needed to be distilled so when I saw a Handcrafted Gin Kit at Mad Millie I had to give it a go. The recipe couldn't be simpler: Pour 1 litre of gin into a jar. Add the botanicals and leave to steep for 24 … [Read more...]
Raspberry Cordial Recipe
Looking for a wow factor for your festive drinks? Then this raspberry cordial recipe is for you. It couldn't be simpler to make and "it tastes just like you are drinking fresh raspberries"! Add some sparkling wine and you've got a fabulous new year's eve starter. Or just add some sparkling mineral water, a sprig of mint and an umbrella for a treat for those not drinking alcohol. This is perfect if you have raspberries growing in your garden but store-bought frozen raspberries work just as … [Read more...]
Making Apple Wine
Making Apple Wine wasn't as successful as my other efforts making feijoa wine and wine from white eating grapes. It has eventually turned out to be drinkable but a lot of hassle and heartache to get there and still not as I would have liked. I will share my experiences because there are lots of learnings for other budding wine makers. My previous efforts at making wine have been based on the generic recipe and instructions for making fruit wine on the very helpful makewine.co.nz website. And … [Read more...]
Almond Milk & Cashew Nut Cream
Alternatives to dairy products, such as almond milk and cashew nut cream, are becoming more and more popular. I thought I'd see what was involved in making them for myself and discovered that it was in fact remarkably simple. Almond Milk 1 cup raw almonds 1 cup water + extra for soaking Soak 1 cup of raw almonds in water overnight - the longer you soak them the plumper the almonds get and the creamier the milk becomes. Drain the almonds and discard the soaking water - this contain … [Read more...]
Making Feijoa Wine
I had a large quantity of feijoas that I didn't want to waste and decided to try making feijoa wine using a simple recipe. A friend dropped a big bag of feijoas on my doorstep hoping I could do something with them so that they didn't go to waste. I had just been making some wine from surplus eating grapes from my garden, so thought that I'd try making some feijoa wine. The recipe I had from makewine.co.nz is suitable for all fruit wines and I blended this with another recipe I found. Juice … [Read more...]
Making Wine from Grapes
I had a try at making wine from grapes with a surplus of eating grapes from the garden. It is quite easy to do and the result wasn't bad at all - even if I do say so myself! I have been growing a grapevine along my fence and carefully nurturing it through all the steps of pruning grapevines in anticipation of being able to harvest luscious white seedless eating grapes. Last year I was away at harvest time so I missed the first grapes and the birds got them. This year there were masses of … [Read more...]
Lemon, Honey & Ginger Syrup
Lemon, Honey & Ginger Syrup is perfect for soothing those winter sore throats and giving a boost to your immunity. It is quick and easy to make and a perfect gift for someone who's not feeling well. Just add a couple of spoonfuls to a cup of hot water. You will need: a biggish piece of fresh ginger (about 100g) 1 cup honey 1 cup fresh lemon juice (6 medium lemons) Slice the ginger thinly. Boil ginger with 1 cup water in a small heavy-based saucepan for about 5 minutes, stirring … [Read more...]
Homemade Pear Cider
Pear cider is my favourite summer tipple - crisp and refreshing, not too sweet - and easy to make yourself at home. I have been buying home-brew kits from Mad Millie and trying out their range of different ales, ciders and ginger beer. The Boutique Brewery Starter Kit comes with everything you need to make your first batch, including the fermenter, bottles, siphon, hydrometer, sterilizers, and the ingredient kit. Once you have all the equipment you just need to purchase a "Next Batch" … [Read more...]
Cucumber Agua Fresca Drink
Each year it seems that a different fruit or vegetable does exceptionally well in my garden, producing so much that I have made everything I can and am giving away masses to friends and family. A couple of years ago at work I became known as the 'cucumber fairy' - depositing cucumbers on desks far and wide. This year I don't have quite so many cucumbers (yet?) although I've made many jars of bread and butter pickle. I had temporarily run out of preserving jars so thought that I'd try … [Read more...]