This grapefruit cordial recipe is wonderful served with soda (add a little tequila for a tangy cocktail) or even drizzled over your favourite citrus muffins, cakes or loaves. When I planted my home orchard, I planted a ruby grapefruit and a golden grapefruit. I stupidly didn't tag them or note which one I had planted where, so of course when one of them died I didn't know which to replace. In the end I didn't replace it but have ended up with a very productive golden grapefruit that produces … [Read more...]
Rhubarb Gin Recipe
I am really enjoying having rhubarb in my garden again. I always used to grow rhubarb for stewing but when space in the garden became a premium, I took it out and went many years without rhubarb. Now I am rediscovering what a versatile plant it really is, with so many different uses (see below for other rhubarb recipes). I have been making my own homemade gin and experimenting with different flavours such as blueberry gin, raspberry gin and yellow cherry guava gin so I thought I'd try a rhubarb … [Read more...]
Making Lavender-Infused Vodka (or Gin)
Lavender is a versatile edible flower that can be used in so many different ways and not just for oil or those quaint lavender bags that grandmothers use to scent their clothing drawers (and not just grandmothers I have to say - I've always loved using lavender sachets). I have used it to make lavender shortbread, lavender syrup and lavender sugar. I saw an advert for a lavender gin and thought how hard can it be to make lavender-infused vodka or gin myself? There are all manner of recipes … [Read more...]
Lambswool Wassail Recipe
I was inspired to try making Lambswool Wassail by a recipe in the NZ Gardener magazine this autumn. The drink is made with a sweet-spiced hot cider (or ale) and apples that are cooked until frothy. I had just harvested lots of windfall apples and had made a batch of homemade cider, so I had all the ingredients to hand. I was also totally intrigued by the name Lambswool Wassail and where it came from. The lambswool part is believed to have come from being served at the ancient Celtic pagan … [Read more...]
Home-made Blueberry Gin Recipe
Easy to make home-made blueberry gin using a gin botanicals kit and homegrown blueberries. Enjoy with tonic, lime and a few blueberries. I previously made some Raspberry Gin and really enjoyed drinking it over the summer with soda water. I had some blueberries in the freezer that needed using up so I decided to make some Blueberry Gin using a similar recipe. I also had bought some Gin Kit Botanicals from Mad Millie following my last efforts making Home-made Gin. These come with 3 different … [Read more...]
Raspberry Gin Recipe
Raspberry Gin! A very simple recipe to make and looks amazing - perfect for gift giving. Wonderful for a deliciously different Christmas cocktail. I enjoyed drinking it with soda water over the summer. You can use frozen raspberries (good if you are clearing out your freezer as I was) and, once made, the raspberry gin keeps indefinitely (if you don't drink it that is). You can use any gin for the recipe; I used some of my homemade gin. 700 ml gin 250g raspberries 125g caster sugar Put … [Read more...]
Lemon Barley Water Cordial Recipe
According to Ayurveda, barley water is an excellent diuretic, which cures urinary tract infections (UTI) and also helps the body to keep cool during the summers. It is good for invalids as provides some nutrition and hydration to those who have lost their appetites. There are all sorts of claims associated with barley water from reducing wrinkles to soothing an inflamed stomach. Or you can just drink it because you like it!! This healthy beverage has made a mark in various cultures - Greek, … [Read more...]
Feijoa Cordial Recipe
This feijoa cordial recipe is perfect for when you want to enjoy a long cool drink this summer holiday season or want to impress guests with a delicious fruity cocktail. I had been disappointed with a previous fruit cordial attempt with feijoa where I had mixed feijoa and apple - a lovely combination but the pectin in the apple made it into a jelly even though I only just brought it to a boil before bottling it. It hasn't been wasted as I have been mixing it in with yoghurt to give a flavour … [Read more...]
Instructions for Making Honey Mead at Home
Having a beehive in my garden got me thinking about what I could do with the honey and, having experimented a bit with making my own wine, I had been contemplating making honey mead. On a recent trip to Adelaide I was fortunate enough to visit the McLaren Vale wine region and try some excellent honey mead from Maxwell Wines, and was inspired to give it a go. Mead is made by fermenting honey and is believed to be the oldest fermented beverage known to humans. The ancient Greeks knew it as … [Read more...]
Feijoa & Apple Cordial Recipe
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...]
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