Such an incredible post! I love that you can make so many of your ingredients from scratch. Very few people can do that.
My favorite line was this though:
"The golden juice sloshing around as I carried it from the kitchen to the silence of the cellar to let it sit undisturbed in the quiet dark for a few months. I was almost a little envious."
This made me chuckle, then think: "Yea, me too." I wouldn't mind sitting undisturbed in the quiet dark for a few months - though I'd want a little book light to catch up on my to-be-read pile.
Hi Will, how very brave of you, but once again I declare my admiration for you for giving everything a go. How would we not know unless at least trying, and as you have said re the red wine vinegar, more than once. It would be amazing to visit your place and see what you do and what you have produced/created. And what an interesting article this week.
My rather rookie-level experience in making vinegar is limited to combining leftover wine from classes I conducted, putting them in the cellar, covering them lightly with a cloth, and checking back in about a year. It was the epitome of low maintenance but also effective.
What an incredible list of apples you have in the orchard. I would love to taste each one as it ripens on the tree.
What a great thing it is to have the time and energy to learn how to make your products. That’s truly a gift that will continue to give.
Thank you, William, this was wonderful, and informative.
I chuckled at 'The golden juice sloshing around as I carried it from the kitchen to the silence of the cellar to let it sit undisturbed in the quiet dark for a few months. I was almost a little envious' – and got it completely. Growing and preserving and foraging and experimenting, as we are here, even without your pressures of having to fill others' tables, is exciting but utterly exhausting, especially this time of year. (And we only have about 3 dozen fruit trees.)
Off out to sow our trials of chickpeas and soya now!
A question on the rose vinegar - can you use dried rose petals. I don’t have real roses! I’m just waiting for my elderberry flowers to pop out and I’ll try that one.
Be still, my heart! Once upon a time apple preservation occupied months of my time, and I harvested the flowers and flavored my vinegars. Never made my own vinegar on purpose, except for pineapple and a few others-- prickly pear, & wild grape. Thank you for such a sensuous feast. and for the awakening of varietal longings. Do you flavor vinegars with conifer leaves/ branches as well?
Wonderful! I'm still waiting for more than one small tree of my cider apples to fruit, so I'll have enough to make it worthwhile to putting down a brew (as opposed to pressing out a couple of litres of juice).
Such an incredible post! I love that you can make so many of your ingredients from scratch. Very few people can do that.
My favorite line was this though:
"The golden juice sloshing around as I carried it from the kitchen to the silence of the cellar to let it sit undisturbed in the quiet dark for a few months. I was almost a little envious."
This made me chuckle, then think: "Yea, me too." I wouldn't mind sitting undisturbed in the quiet dark for a few months - though I'd want a little book light to catch up on my to-be-read pile.
Hi Will, how very brave of you, but once again I declare my admiration for you for giving everything a go. How would we not know unless at least trying, and as you have said re the red wine vinegar, more than once. It would be amazing to visit your place and see what you do and what you have produced/created. And what an interesting article this week.
My rather rookie-level experience in making vinegar is limited to combining leftover wine from classes I conducted, putting them in the cellar, covering them lightly with a cloth, and checking back in about a year. It was the epitome of low maintenance but also effective.
What an incredible list of apples you have in the orchard. I would love to taste each one as it ripens on the tree.
What a great thing it is to have the time and energy to learn how to make your products. That’s truly a gift that will continue to give.
Thank you, William, this was wonderful, and informative.
I chuckled at 'The golden juice sloshing around as I carried it from the kitchen to the silence of the cellar to let it sit undisturbed in the quiet dark for a few months. I was almost a little envious' – and got it completely. Growing and preserving and foraging and experimenting, as we are here, even without your pressures of having to fill others' tables, is exciting but utterly exhausting, especially this time of year. (And we only have about 3 dozen fruit trees.)
Off out to sow our trials of chickpeas and soya now!
Writing like this is why I subscribed!
A question on the rose vinegar - can you use dried rose petals. I don’t have real roses! I’m just waiting for my elderberry flowers to pop out and I’ll try that one.
Be still, my heart! Once upon a time apple preservation occupied months of my time, and I harvested the flowers and flavored my vinegars. Never made my own vinegar on purpose, except for pineapple and a few others-- prickly pear, & wild grape. Thank you for such a sensuous feast. and for the awakening of varietal longings. Do you flavor vinegars with conifer leaves/ branches as well?
Beautiful as always and I will hunt out some Rosa rugosa for my bottle of raw cider vinegar that’s been waiting patiently in the cupboard. Thank you
I hope one day you can do an in person tour so we can taste all of these different things you create.
Wonderful! I'm still waiting for more than one small tree of my cider apples to fruit, so I'll have enough to make it worthwhile to putting down a brew (as opposed to pressing out a couple of litres of juice).
Thanks for the follow, Will. It's been a delight to discover your writing and enjoy your passion for ingredients