Doesn't he look pleased with himself!
When we got back from our holiday there was a lot to do in the way of picking. The redcurrants (only some in the picture, not all) had got to that very overripe, deep red - verging on dropping off the branches stage that meant we had to harvest the lot all at once. J kindly did it, hence the pic.
The redcurrants are being made into jelly in 3lb batches. The jelly recipe is very simple, just a lb of sugar to every pint of redcurrant juice. Yesterday I tried to make more than that in one go but my pressure cooker overflowed at one point so to keep it less messy I'm going back to just 3lbs at once. I would have made a slightly posher recipe that adds port at the last minute but unfortunately it seems that the port that I knew was in the cupboard had mysteriously disappeared by the time I looked for it. Funny that. J says it must have evaporated. Anyway, there's an off license at the end of the road so I think maybe the person who evaporated it should nip down and get a bottle while I start off the next batch!
2 comments:
Hi Nicky, did you ever find a solution to your red ant problem? We took on an allotment in April and it truly is infested, I wouldn't mind if it were black ants but the red ones are really vicious! I tried nematodes but all that happened is the colony moved sideways by a couple of feet, I feel like buying a flame thrower! Sorry for the rant...
Kim xx
Hi Kim
Sorry for the delay in replying, I hadn't noticed your message. Yes, the ants are still with us, although we've had plenty of other pests and diseases to contend with as well. I don't really have a solution to the ant problem. Whenever they decide to build a big nest under a particular plant they usually manage to kill it off. I usually move the plant if I notice it happening. I've never tried the nematode solution, I'd thought it was supposed to be very good in greenhouses but not so good on open land. Good luck with your ants! That should really be good luck with your allotment, not just your ants, you know what I mean!
Best wishes
Nicky
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