Jamming!
The time has come to empty the freezer and use up the rest of last season’s fruit to make jam. I freeze the fruit because I can then make preserves at the quieter times of the year. However, this year the blackcurrant bushes are busting and I still have most of last year’s crops!
In this recipe I will show you how I used the homemade pectin to make jam.
Second Cropping
Second cropping is planting a second harvest in one area within the growing season. It makes the most of your space and extends the season. If done well you can supply fresh veggies for most of the year. In this video we discuss what we are sowing in mid July for planting out when early crops are harvested.
Lavender & Tea Tree Soap/Shampoo
A few years ago I was inspired to start making my own soaps using garden produce after seeing a video by CollieryGarden which seemed to show quite a simple process. I made some calendula soap (which I am still using!). I found it actually works really well as a solid shampoo bar and have been using it for that too! This is a natural soap based recipe that mixes lye (Sodium hydroxide) with fats to cause the soap (saponification) reaction.
Lavender and tea-tree soap setting in mould Rainbow beetroot salad
Grated colourful veg with a light dressing.
Do you share your allotment produce?
We often have excess produce and like to share with family and friends. I work with people with Chronic lung conditions and my colleagues have been happy to take eggs and veggies from my allotment in exchange for fund raising towards the great work of the British Lung Foundation.
We have also donated produce to Mad Dogs Homeless Project who provide meals to the homeless and a local neurological rehabilitation charity BASIC.
There are some great projects all over the country where allotmenteers use their produce to support charitable work.
Please share your examples and let’s celebrate!Cheesy beans on toast ‘Allotment style’
Everyone loves beans on toast, but I have given this an allotment upgrade: Allotment beans in a garlic tomato sauce topped with a bit of cheese of your choice.
Sweet peas
Sweetpeas are very productive plants. This week we picked this beautiful bunch of flowers to put in a vase at home. However, sweetpea maintenance can be a bit of a bind and it isn’t something that we tend to be that hot on!
On our YouTube channel I discuss some of the pitfalls of sweetpea growing and highlight some of the errors I made. As an aside, I have apparently made the worst error of any YouTuber (according to my technical guru) – posting a video in portrait. We all keep learning!
Ant proudly showing our sweetpeas Courgette, pea & kale fritters with feta.
Courgette fritters (of variations) are one of my favourite early summer treats. However, this year I am still waiting for courgettes!! Shocking really as usually I am swimming in them by now. The cold period in the end of May/early June meant that all my squash and courgette plants have been sulking. They are just starting to pick up now (finally!); maybe in a few weeks I can join the cries of other allotmenteers of “Oh no, not another courgette!”
Unplanned allotment successes
Securing netting to raised beds
Over the years we have tried many different ways of securing netting to the raised beds. Whether it be simply weighing the edge of the net down with planks, bricks or scaffolding poles or stapling the net to the side of the bed itself.