Weeding the Web

Does making pickle make you ill?

I fear you're going to think my query quite bizarre, but if I don't ask, I won't find out. 

Here's the course of events. On Sunday, pickles proliferated. While the preserving pan percolated under the weight of Hot Indian Chutney*, thanks to Good Housekeeping, vintage c. 1960 (simmer for 8 hours!), the biggest saucepan was producing Spiced Plum Chutney in considerably less time (WI Jams, Pickles and Chutneys pub. 2002). 

Monday, I knew I was going down with something. Tuesday, I pondered my future. Would I die right now, or in, perhaps, 40 minutes' time? Every joint ached, my temperature sizzled, my lung condition is best left unmentioned, and I could barely lift myself from the bed.

In the midst of misery, a thought surfaced. Surely, I've been ill after pickle-making before? Not this badly, I'll admit, but certainly with the catarrhal cold variety.

Husband has suggested Pickle Fever and, after what I considered somewhat unnecessary hilarity, a rational explanation. Hours of breathing in acidic vinegar fumes might, perhaps, affect the chemistry of mucous membranes, weakening defences and letting a bug thrive.

I'm fairly sure that a less scientific, more New Age-y point of view would be that vinegar - anti-bacterial, cleansing - could make the body detox and fight off a bug that's been lurking within. 

Conjecture aside, my question is this. Have you also gone down with something immediately after making pickle?  (Not a scientific survey, I know, but it would be fascinating if we found a possible link.) I'd love to hear your experiences, so please leave a comment below.  

* The recipe is very similar to the Hot Indian Chutney described in the Winnepeg Tribune in 1938, and includes the overnight maceration with salt and sugar.

Damson pruning brings forth new shoots

Last month, I did some very heavy (and seasonally inappropriate) pruning to my damson trees, in order to fit in a garden office (more about that later – this is much more important). I was distinctly worried that I’d finish them off by hacking off major parts of their anatomy.

But now, only six weeks later, look! Shoots are appearing, not just from near the cuts, but all over the trunks.

It’s quite a relief. These trees are over thirty years old but still manage to burgeon forth like a teenager. And a bonus will be that, unlike the previous branches which stretched sideways in a desperate attempt to gain light, these are now bathed in sunshine and growing the way they’re meant to – straight up.

Fingers crossed: we have rejuvenated trees!

Pruning my damsons - a deep cut is the hardest

There can’t be many more distressing acts than cutting down a living tree. Our Celtic ancestors saw strong symbolism in trees, based on their uses and observation.

Indeed, in the Ogham — the alphabet used by Druids for divination, among other things — the name of each letter is represented by a tree. Some feeling of this ancient mystery still lingers. As I say, to cut down a living tree feels criminal.

So I wasn’t feeling too good yesterday when most of the afternoon was spent slicing off large parts of the damsons at the bottom of the garden, not because they’re dead or diseased, but because they’re standing in the way of my soon-to-arrive garden office.

Sloe Gin Fizz Cocktail

By now your sloe gin should be about ready for drinking. That’s if you haven’t been tesht – sorry – testing it too often to check progress and drunk it all. It’s so gorgeous that I can’t bear to dilute it with anything. However, if you fancy a cocktail, here’s quick YouTube tutorial for Sloe Gin Fizz (scroll down the page;it's there below the fold). The recipe uses something called Sweet and Sour, available in the States as a proprietary brand; it’s really a lemon and lime syrup, which you can make fresh with this recipe. Happy sipping this Christmas!

Bare root fruit trees from Blackmoor Nurseries

If you’re thinking of putting in a fruit tree, now’s the time to be doing something about it. Blackmoor Nurseries in Hampshire have an excellent, easy-to-navigate website offering about seventy varieties of apple, as well as stone fruit, cob trees and soft fruit.

The apple section is particularly helpful, with each variety listed with its pollination group, history and notes on taste.

Although not organic, Blackmoor say they use natural predators and keep spraying to a minimum. There’s lots of information and plenty of photos of cultivars, with detailed advice on planting and caring for your purchases.

I bought a Bramley from them a couple of years ago. They were very patient with my questions and the tree arrived promptly, looking very healthy. I’m glad to say that it’s still healthy despite suffering flooded roots in some very heavy rain last year, and this year was allowed its first harvest of three big apples.

You can’t beat Bramleys in a crumble.

Sloe Gin

September can be an anxious time, waiting for sloes to ripen. Will you get there first, or Someone Else who also has a gin bottle begging to be filled? Ideally you should pick them after the first frost, but the sloes I've used have never been frosted and I just don't believe the end result could taste any better.

However, you can freeze sloes before using. This not only simulates frost, but makes the fruit split, which means that you don’t have to prick them all over with a needle before dropping them in the gin.

The Diversity Website comes up trumps, as usual, with straightforward instructions.

But do visit the excellent blog The Cottage Smallholder for a deeper discussion on method and tips on production, including fermenting the sloes before use.

You’ll also find a recipe for Sloe Sherry, reusing the sozzled fruit after the gin’s been decanted. I can’t wait.