I currently have batch 1 of my apple chutneys on the hob.
This first one should hopefully have a bit of bite:
3kg bramleys
1kg raisins
1kg leeks
750g sugar
750 ml vinegar (2:1 split cider & red wine)
4 green chillies
1 star anise
25g black mustard seeds
1" grated fresh ginger
I'm doing a second on Wednesday:
3kg bramleys
1kg raisins
1kg leeks
750g cranberries
750g sugar
750 ml vinegar (2:1 split cider & red wine)
juice & grated rind 2 oranges
4 green chillies
1 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
6 cloves
4" grated fresh ginger
The last one (which I'm not 100% sure I'll actually make) will be an experimental batch:
1kg bramleys
250g raisins
500g shallots
250ml maple syrup
250ml cider vinegar
100g sugar
100g chopped walnuts
Pinch ground cinnamon, cloves, cayenne
Over the next couple of months I'll also be making Christmas cake and mince pies - using my mum's recipe for gluten-free pastry, which IMO is nicer than ordinary shortcrust, and far superior for making mince pies. All the fruit is now in the rumptopf, so it just needs to sit and macerate. I've also got five gallons of elderberry porter enthusiastically bubbling away just behind me, which will be bottled later this week. That, plus the dozen or so bottles of elderflower ale I have left, and the two pints of sloe gin I'll be bottling just before the big day, should keep us merry - especially if (as he usually does) my uncle goes overboard on the kir royales and gaelic coffees :grin: That said, it's a BIG family Christmas this year (expectations are between fifteen and twenty people, only five of whom will be under 18) so a lot of booze will be needed! I'll also be making apple butter later this week, and at some point I'll also be making apple & ginger jam, hawthorn jelly, and possibly some spiced rosehip jelly if I have the time. I've got loads of elderflowers still in the freezer, far more than I need for cider, so a batch of elderflower cordial is also a possibility.
For future years, I'll be putting together three 1.8L jars of sloe port on Christmas eve (using the sloes from the gin, plus some extras that are currently in my freezer). I may also do a couple more jars of sloe gin. Tomorrow I'll be starting off my ciders, which will hopefully be ready for Christmas next year. Plus there's all the various wines which will be maturing at various points over the next five years or so.
)
