Hedgerow fruit recipes

Our kitchen has been busy with large pans of bubbling fruit and sugar these last couple of weeks. We've had a glut of damsons which we've been picking over the last month. There are still so many but we can't reach those in the highest branches! We've made damson gin, spiced damson chutney, damson jam and stewed damsons (perfect on porridge or ice cream).

This year we also picked some sloes for sloe gin. Looking forward to tasting that when it's ready! 

Rosehip syrup is a new one for me this year. We picked a kilo of rosehips, blitzed them in the food processor and then boiled with water before straining through a muslin cloth. The liquid that's left is mixed with sugar and reduced down to a lovely sticky amber coloured syrup. It's delicious drizzled on porridge, plain yogurt or ice cream- yum!

There are thousands of crab apples in our farm hedgerows. I haven't tried making crab apple jelly before. That one might have to wait until next year...