Wealden Times | 189 | November 2017 | Gift supplement inside
Wealden Times - The lifestyle magazine for the Weald
Wealden Times - The lifestyle magazine for the Weald
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Garden<br />
the recommended rate for the species and then mulch with<br />
an organic manure or spent mushroom compost – this will<br />
help to conserve moisture and prevent weed germination.<br />
Pruning<br />
Regular pruning will keep your hedge tidy, but a productive<br />
hedge does also need to be left to set blossom and fruit, so<br />
remember not to prune off too many flowers, or you will be<br />
cutting off future harvests. An edible hedge will never be quite as<br />
smart as a tightly clipped evergreen such as box or yew, but with<br />
the right management it will look both respectable and inviting.<br />
Winter is the best time to prune a deciduous hedge, either with a<br />
sharp pair of shears, or an electric hedge trimmer. Hedges should<br />
not be pruned during the nesting season (March-August).<br />
Cooking your hedge<br />
Making jams and jellies<br />
The important thing to remember when making jam is the<br />
pectin content of the fruit. Pectin is what makes the jam<br />
set. Fruits that are high in pectin include apples, crabapples,<br />
quince, blackberries, hawthorn berries, plums. The addition<br />
of an acid, such as lemon juice will help to draw out more<br />
pectin (citrus pith also contains pectin). Setting point is<br />
reached when the jam is at the correct temperature – and<br />
kept there for 4-20 minutes (some are quicker than others).<br />
The set can be tested for by dropping a small amount onto<br />
a cooled saucer – if it wrinkles when pushed with a spoon<br />
the jam is set. The best flavours are from jams that have not<br />
been cooked too long. When you are making hedgerow jam,<br />
just match the amount of fruit – in whatever combination<br />
you like, or can find – with sugar in a ratio of 2:1 (i.e. 2 kilos<br />
of fruit to one of sugar), adding a little water if necessary.<br />
Elderberry ice cream<br />
• 500g elderberries (destalked)<br />
• sugar to taste<br />
• juice of ½ a lemon<br />
• ½ pint double cream<br />
• 2 egg whites<br />
Put the berries into a saucepan with a little water,<br />
a sprinkling of sugar and the juice of half a lemon.<br />
Simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the berries<br />
have gone very soft. Leave to cool, and then push<br />
the berries through a sieve. Whip half a pint of<br />
double cream until it stands in peaks, and in a<br />
separate bowl whisk two egg whites until stiff<br />
enough to tip the bowl upside down. Mix the<br />
cream, eggwhites and elderberry syrup together.<br />
Pour into a suitable freezer container and freeze.<br />
Contact Jo for gardening courses, border planting and advice.<br />
Spaces are available on Jo’s Christmas workshop on Saturday 9<br />
December from 2-4pm, call 01233 861149 or email<br />
info@hornbrookmanor.co.uk.<br />
157 wealdentimes.co.uk