Fruit and Fermentation!!

A jolly time was had last week, when a friend came over to help with some fruit picking. We managed to get a load of elderberries and damsons off the trees, and together with a large bottle of vodka that she kindly brought, I now have the start of 2 demijohns of elderberry vodka, as well as a carrier bag of damsons in the freezer. When I can get some more vodka I'll top up the 2 demijohns and hopefully a kind friend will bring me some gin so I can make a batch of damson gin. Unfortunately, the damson gin needs at least a year to mature!!
I'm hoping that I'll get a few more damsons and some more elderberries in a week or two, so should have enough fruit laid in to keep me going in alcoholic beverages until next autumn/winter. It's well worth doing, very easy, and downright delicious. In fact, I think my friends come round as much for the food and drink as to see me!!

The ducklings are getting bigger, so hopefully before long I won't have to cage them overnight. The baby chicken still roosts with its 'mum' on top of the door to their run, so that's quite safe. If it's a cockerel it will find a new home on Anglesey with my good friend Bo and her hens, but if it's a hen I'll be keeping it. As far as the ducklings are concerned, the females will be kept but I can't have more than one male so any males will be for the freezer. I can't believe how easy these Muscovy ducks are to keep, and thoroughly recommend them. If you have a field or large garden where they can forage for food, they pretty much look after themselves. All they need is a safe place to spend the night, and a bit of food every day, and they'll just wander around picking up small beasties and eating grass. They don't need a pond, but do appreciate something to bathe in and drink from. They're also supposed to be very tasty, and I can happily eat them knowing they've had a good life and a quick and painless death.

Martin
Wildlife & Countryside Services