First forage walk for a while

On Monday I decided it was time I went out for a foraging walk. I hadn’t been on one for quite a while due to various reasons. It was a nice day, weatherwise so that made it even better.

I dusted off my walking boots and fleece and put my waterproof jacket and a few bags in my rucksack and off I went.

I went out with the intention of getting some fungi and anything else was going to be a bonus. As it turned out I found no fungi (none that were edible, that is) but did get a good haul of crabapples and some rosehips and hawthorns.

I have already made a sauce with the hawthorn berries. A bit like Chinese hoisin sauce, it’s well worth the effort it took to make it. Rich and fruity, with just a hint of star anise. I’m looking forward to using it in my next Chinese recipe.

I used this recipe and added 3 pieces of star anise to the mixture during the second boiling and then took it out prior to bottling.

http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/hawthorn-berry-recipes-foraging

The crabapples are in the process of being strained, after being cooked. I am going to use the juice for jelly and the pulp will be used to make crabapple cheese. The rosehips have gone in the freezer for the time being.

Starting a Ginger Bug

One of my favourite drinks has got to be ginger beer but I find that nearly all commercial brands are far too sweet for me. Its easy enough to make your own but it needs a little preparation.

You will need a quart size Kilner jar or something similar, a piece of clean cloth to use as a lid and an elastic band to fasten it.

You will also need

2 cups of filtered water

2 tablespoons grated or finely chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons sugar. I find that ordinary white sugar works best.

Put all the ingredients in to the jar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Cover and leave in a warm place. Stir again at least twice a day and once a day add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger and 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir again.

After a few days the wild yeasts in the atmosphere and on the ginger will cause the mixture to start fermenting. You will see bubbles and the grated ginger will be pushed to the surface. The stirring regularly is important for two reasons. Firstly it deters mould from growing on the surface and secondly it aerates the mixture and encourages fermentation.

A well established Ginger Bug

When it reaches this point it is ready to use for making Ginger Beer

If your Ginger Bug is slow in starting to ferment, here’s a little tip I picked up off the Internet. It might seem strange but it’s worked for me every time I’ve tried it. When the time comes to stir your bug, take off the cover and walk around the room, jar in hand and move it in a scooping motion as though trying to catch a butterfly. You are, in fact, catching the wild yeasts that are present all around us.