Surrey Homes | SH37 | November 2017 | Gift supplement inside

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