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Davidson’s Plum Syrup

Published on by FJBLeave a comment

This season I decided to take a break from making Davidson’s Plum jam. Unfortunately though, my tree didn’t receive the notification and consequently ripe plums have been raining down for several weeks. I’ve offered them to my neighbours, but no takers so far. And as I can’t stand the thought of them all going to waste, I decided to try making a syrup to use in drinks, trifles, ice-cream, whatever I can think of …

Recipe:

  • 500g fresh or frozen Davidson’s Plums
  • 500g sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • Optional 3-4 pieces of Star Anise or a Vanilla Pod
  • Also optional a teaspoon of Rosewater at the end

Bring plums, sugar and water to the boil in a large saucepan.
Mash the fruit to release their juices and add the Star Anise or Vanilla Pod if using
Keep cooking at a slow boil for about 10 minutes or until it thickens slightly
Strain the mixture through a sieve into a large jug and allow to cool slightly whilst you sterilize a bottle by filling it with boiling water and allowing it to stand for 5-10 minutes.
Pour the water out of the bottle, and use a funnel to pour the juice into your bottle.
Add the Rosewater if using.

Notes:

  • This recipe makes about 250 ml of syrup and can be multiplied for larger batches
  • As freezing destroys the natural pectin useful in jam making, this is a great way to use up excess plums which you have frozen.
  • Pour the syrup over ice and add soda water for a refreshing alcohol free drink, or add to your Aperativo – I’ve used it in a gin & tonic and in even in a Negroni!
  • It’s delicious poured over a good quality vanilla ice-cream
  • And it’s quite addictive …
 
 
 
Negroni with syrup
Vanilla ice-cream & syrup
Soda, ice and Davidson’s Plum syrup
Davidson Plums ready to drop

 

Birding from my armchair …

Published on by FJB4 Comments

Whilst not technically birding from my armchair, I usually notice birds in the nearby trees in late in the afternoon just after I sit down for a glass of wine. So, I’ve developed a stalking protocol …

I very slowly put down my glass of wine, slide to the floor without moving to the left or right, then crawl on my hands and knees behind the sofa until I reach the veranda door. Where I slowly stand up, again without moving to the left or right and pick up my strategically placed camera.

Using this protocol, I captured these photos of a Kookaburra with his/her prey in the Mango tree. To be fair, I think that he was probably a bit stunned and wondering how the hell he was going to deal with such a large rodent. He eventually flew off, rat in beak, close to the ground like an overloaded cargo plane.

When I planted a Bangalow Palm and a native Tulipwood Tree close to my veranda (probably a bit too close in retrospect) I hadn’t foreseen what an attraction their berries would be to the local birds. A serendipitous, but potentially ill-advised decision, which results in a daily queue of birds chasing a late-afternoon snack.

Topknot Pigeon
Regent Bowerbird
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Green Catbird

Cured Lemons …

Published on by FJB2 Comments

This is a delicious, quick and simple recipe for when you have a glut of lemons …

A glut of lemons
Slice thinly
Sunshine in a jar
Peas, herbs, seeds & goats cheese
Batch #2

You will need:

3 medium lemons – preferably home grown, organic or chemical free
3 tablespoons of salt
3 tablespoons of white sugar
¼ cup good quality white vinegar
¾ cup of olive oil – it is not necessary to buy top of the range extra virgin, first press etc
Several small wide-mouthed jars

Method:

I like to sterilize my jars by filling them with boiling water. Leave them for 5 minutes before pouring out the water and drying them in the oven .

Wash the lemons and slice them as thinly as possible, discarding the pithy ends.  I used a mini mandolin with the thinnest insert, which gave me slices about 1-2 mm thick.  Slice the lemon slices in half to make them easier to fit into your jars, and remove all pips.

Mix the other ingredients together and warm slightly either in a microwave or saucepan to help the sugar and salt dissolve.

Pack the jars full of lemon slices, and then pour the warm olive oil mixture into the jars, filling them right to the top.  Close the lids tightly and invert.  Leave the jars on your sink drainer (just in case they leak) and over the next 48 hours rotate them three or four times to cure and circulate the oil mixture.

Place the jars in the fridge, where they will keep for about a month – unless you eat them first!

Notes

  • After a week or so, the lemon softens and loses its sharpness, and I have even eaten slices from the jar.
  • Use to garnish steamed fish, or pop in some slices if you are cooking fish in parchment paper.
  • Because there is oil, lemon and vinegar in the mix, it is essentially a simple dressing, so I have used it to dress a small side salad.  You might need to add a little more lemon juice or vinegar. My latest creation being baby peas, with home grown herbs, nuts and seeds and goats’ cheese.
  • I found that two of my large home-grown lemons and ¾ cup of oil filled two of the squat 250ml  jars that are so common nowadays.

Burnt Citrus Syrup recipe …

Published on by FJB5 Comments

Burnt Citrus Syrup Recipe
(this is a delayed gratification recipe!)

It’s citrus time again.  When friends and neighbours chase you down the street almost begging you to take their home grown lemons, limes, oranges, or kumquats.  The trouble is of course, that EVERYBODY has citrus at the same time!

So here’s something you can do with all that citrus …

You will need

  • a selection of sweet and sour citrus – orange, mandarin, kumquat, grapefruit, blood orange, lime etc – this is a great way to use up ugly, misshapen or blemished citrus.  The more variety the better, but not too much sweet fruit.
  • a selection of herbs and spices, for example – coriander seeds, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, cloves (not too many), star anise (ditto).  Pick three or four of your favourites.
  • one or two large wide mouthed jars (eg Fowlers or Mason preserving jars)
  • optional – 1 tsp of Citric Acid for each jar – to help preserve the fruit
  • 1-2 litres of sugar syrup – see below
  • a selection of attractive glass bottles for the final product

Step 1 -Burn your Citrus 

  • wash the fruit, chop it into chunks and pile it on to some baking paper in a large roasting pan.  Sprinkle over the herbs and spices.
  • Slow roast it in the oven at 130C (260F) for four to five hours. It will look a bit like a baking disaster but never fear, it’s all good.

Step 2 – Preserve your citrus

While the citrus is in the oven get your sugar syrup ready and sterilise your jars – this can be left until the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

  • Sterilise your preserving jars with boiling water. Be scrupulous.
  • Make enough sugar syrup to fill the jars and cover the burnt citrus. There are plenty of recipes for sugar syrup on the internet. I used two parts sugar to one part water dissolved over low heat. If you use a strong sugar syrup, you can always add a little boiling water to the jar if you run a bit short of sugar syrup.  Warm the syrup when you are ready to fill the jars.

Step 3 – Bottle and wait …

  • Split the citrus pieces, spices and herbs roughly evenly into the sterilised jars.  Fill the jars to around two thirds.
  • If using, add  ½ tsp each of Citric Acid for each jar to help preserve the fruit.
  • Fill the jars with warm sugar syrup and seal.
  • Wait for at least one month. This is the hardest part.
  • Remove the citrus pieces (I throw them on my compost heap) and pour the syrup (which will have turned orange) through a strainer into a jug.  Then into sterilised glass bottles.

Note: this makes a very sweet, unctuous syrup which can be diluted. Prolong the life of the syrup by storing it in the fridge.  If you are scrupulous with sterilising, the syrup will last for several years – I am still using my 2018 vintage!

Uses: pour on ice-cream, make mocktails, or dilute with soda or tonic water.