Rural Hungary

Oh, not good - did the fruit flies get in it?

PaulinEger

Can't remember what happened now. The 1st year we were here I made 20 odd litres and it turned out really well so the following year I went to town and made a big batch and had to throw it all away
I may have another go if I can get enough apples. Last year they all miraculously turned into palinka

Rural Hungary

Can't imagine how that happened

Fruit flies are probably the worst culprit for vinegar so make sure they don't get anywhere near it. They carry a bacteria which converts the ethanol into acetic acid. Did you use sulfur dioxide to inhibit bacteria growth? If not, worth using some.

PaulinEger

I didn't use anything, just left to ferment naturally with the container covered in fly screen netting. I'll be more careful next time for sure

Rural Hungary

Most wine & cider makers add some sulphur dioxide to ensure it doesn't turn. My last batch of wine wasn't 100% and I put it down to the fruit flies as I'm sure some got in. You can get SD from Obi or any wine making supplier.

PaulinEger

thanks for that

Peter_in_Hungary

Fly screen netting won't really be enough, you would be much better off with a proper water filled air lock - Also some people get a headache from sulfur dioxide so use it with caution or don't drink so much at once

Rural Hungary

Jam
Buy a sachet or 2 of Quittin Lekvar (which has pectin) or plain pectin - if you can find it. They do 3 types 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 - the ratio of fruit to sugar 1:1 being the highest sugar content to fruit. The pack tells you how much fruit to sugar and number of packs of lekvar. You can try different quantities to get it to your own taste, what I typically use is as follows:

1kg of fruit
500g sugar
1 pack 2:1 lekvar

if the fruit is juicy or very ripe, I don't use any liquid but if the fruit is firm or dry, I add a small glass of water or fruit juice

You can blend the fruit beforehand or leave whole, if you like jam with bits in.

1. Wash the fruit
2. Remove pips, stones etc
3. Put in heavy bottomed pot
4. Sprinkle over lekvar and mix well
5. If required, add water/juice
6. Bring to the boil, stirring to avoid sticking, boil for 5 - 10 minutes if the fruit is still very whole
7. Add sugar
8. Bring to the boil again and boil for 10 minutes

Pour into sterilised jars and leave to cool
If making a low sugar jam, keep in the fridge

I also make one which is more like a jelly than jam, the pack for this is bigger than the lekvar but I can't remember the name - will have a look next time I'm in town

For preserved fruits:

I usually do pears or peaches

1. Wash and cut the fruit in half. remove stones
2. If the fruit is not ripe and quite hard, I boil for a few minutes in some water with coves, cinnamon, star anise and ginger. If the fruit is ripe, don't boil
3. Pack the fruit into sterilised jars
4. Heat 500ml of water or water and wine with sugar to your own taste as well as some cinnamon, star anise (not too much of this) a few cloves, some fresh ginger or whatever spices you like. You can use pure alcohol ( these take a few months before being ready to use but can be stored safely)
5. Pour the spiced syrup over the fruit, 500ml will do several jars if you have packed the jars well with fruit, put the lid on and turn upside down to get out any air bubbles, top up again in needed

If you are not canning these in a water bath, keep them in a fridge or very cold cellar.

cathyg

Thanks Rural. Will be keeping me busy for a while me thinks

g1ant66

hi there, try this site mother use to use it.
http://www.pickyourown.org/peachjam.htm

g1ant66

NO FLOUR, NO OIL, NO WHITE SUGAR
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups canned* chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter (can use PB2 from gym to make healthier, check your labels)
1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (agave would be amazing too!)
1 teaspoon baking powder**
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn’t have salt in it
1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

* My can was a 400 gram can, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons

** If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.

Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.

Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.

With wet hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don’t do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Yields about fourteen 1 1/2″ cookie dough balls.
*** Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter

Rural Hungary

So who has jarred their walnuts yet? Doing my single jar tomorrow as friends and family will be getting "boozy fruit" this year due to the expected, prolific fruit crops

Pollypaprika

I did mine last weekend

Rural Hungary

Doing mine when I get back from town, wedding to go to tomorrow so I need to find a card.

Does anybody pickle gherkins? Do any of you make the "kovászos uborka" which uses no vinegar and instead, bread is used to ferment the salt water. I was wondering what the difference in taste is between the pickled and fermented ones

Pollypaprika

Any recipes for cooking apples greatly appreciated...including scrumpy.