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Monday, 17 November 2014

SPECIAL MINCEMEAT

SPECIAL MINCEMEAT


INGREDIENTS

  • 175g currants
  • 175g raisins
  • 175g sultanas
  • 175g dried cranberries
  • 100g mixed peel
  • 1 small cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
  • 125g butter, cut into cubes
  • 50g whole blanched almonds, roughly chopped
  • 225g light muscovado sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
  • 200ml brandy, rum or sherry

Special mincemeat

SPECIAL MINCEMEAT

INTRODUCTION
I prefer the flavour of butter to suet in mincemeat – which makes it suitable for vegetarians – but use suet if you wish. The butter makes the mincemeat look slightly cloudy in the jar but this disappears once the mincemeat is cooked in mince pies, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS
Makes 4 x 370g jars
  1. Measure all of the ingredients except the alcohol into a large pan. Heat gently, allowing the butter to melt, then simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
  2. Allow the mixture to cool completely then stir in the brandy, rum or sherry.
  3. Spoon the mincemeat into sterilised jam jars, seal tightly, label and store in a cool place.
TIP - I no longer use cellophane tops or wax paper. I simply use clean sterilised screw-top jars saved from bought marmalade or jam.
PREPARING AHEAD - Make the mincemeat up to six months ahead and store in a cool place. It’s not necessary to freeze mincemeat as it stores so well.
IN THE AGA - Follow stage 1, heat gently on the boiling plate, cover and transfer to the simmering oven for about 20 minutes.
This recipe is taken from: Christmas Collection (Headline)

Source: http://www.maryberry.co.uk/


     
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    Friday, 14 November 2014

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    The Smallholder Series
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     November is often a time of continuous rain - squelching through the thick mud around the farm. But on a crisp, dry morning with a perfect blue sky and trees blazing with the Autumnal hues of gold, bronze and red, November can be as beautiful as Spring. 
    quote
     So even on the dreariest of days, be thankful for our beautiful British countryside. 
       
     
    November is 'tupping' time for many smallholders who lamb in April. The ram is left with the ewes for two cycles (34 days) to ensure a compact lambing. During the early stage of pregnancy, the ewes are best left well alone, as any disturbance at this time can affect implantation of the foetus, which can be reabsorbed if the ewe suffers any kind of shock or nutritional imbalance.
    For expert advice and practical demonstrations on sheep welfare and management, see our DVD series
    'Sheep on Your Smallholding'.
     
     
     
       
     
    horse 5 things to remember
    ...backyard egg layers
    - for novelty

    1Anconer: cream
    1Araucana: green, blue & occasionally pink – “Easter Egg Layer”
    1Barnvelder: chocolate
    1Dorking: white
    1Marans: chocolate
    1New Hampshire Red: brown
    1Sussex: cream
    1Welsummer: dark brown, speckled
    1Leghorn: white
    1Any type of Bantam breed: tiny eggs in a variety of colours!
     
       
     The strongest egg colour will be shown during the first year of laying, after which the colour tends to fade to a lighter shade. 
       
       
     things to do on your smallholding this month
    There's plenty to do on your smallholding during November. Book a pregnancy scan for your ewes, disinfect your poultry housing, collect rosehips for your pigs and add loads of well-rotted manure to your vegetable plot.
    • Each morning, check ewes for raddle marks (if tupping) and record each ewe’s number as she is marked to give you a good idea of individual lambing dates.
    • If you can divide your chicken run into two or more parts, this is the ideal time to ‘rest’ one section.
    • Pigs will enjoy a wide range of fruit and veg to supplement their diet and provide a bit of culinary interest.
    • Dig a new vegetable bed - as long as the ground isn’t frozen, this is a great way to keep warm and fit during the winter months and expand your vegetable area (who needs an unproductive lawn)!
    • Don’t be tempted to over-rug your horse as the weather gets cooler, especially unclipped horses or native ponies that may sweat under a rug which can then lead to chilling.
    Keep up with all your smallholding tasks with our comprehensive guides to sheep,chickens, pigs ,the vegetable garden and equines. Just click on an image below.
     
        
    Things to do This Month
        
    Smallholder Series DVDs
     
     WEBISTE HIGHLIGHTS
    Article of the Month
    The Right Land for Sheep

    Moredun Health Bulletin
    Johne's Disease in Cattle and Sheep

    Green Farm Diary
    How our unseasonably warm October brought on a severe case of fly-strike

    NADIS Health Alert
    Worms in lambs and sheep, and pregnancy toxaemia
    Advice from World Horse WelfareHorses - Stabling in Winter
    Recipe of the Month
    Pot Roast Pheasant with Beetroot
    and Figs
     Article of the month
    recipe of the month
     
         
    rabbits
         
     autumn recipes
    The UK 'Game Season' is currently in full swing so we have included some delicious Game recipes this month...
    Roast Pheasant with White Wine
    and Charlotte Potatoes
     Gamekeeper's Pie
    Braised Rabbit Pappardelle
    Venison Scotch Eggs
    Grouse with Roasted Pumpkin, Jerusalem Artichoke and Beetroot
     
        
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    Friday, 7 November 2014

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    This Month's Feature-packed Issue...
    From butter tablet to bird boxes, polytunnel first aid to pollinators, wreath making to which seeds, and seasonal foraging to Dot Tyne's Smallholder Diary, Home Farmer offers you the very widest range of subjects in our feature-packed latest issue. Page-for-page, we are confident that Home Farmer is the most entertaining, most informative and best value magazine in the sector - why not put us to the test?
    To view the contents panel click here.
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    In this issue...
    Make your own Camembert and Blue Lancashire cheeses.
    In this issue...
    Make a 'Springwatch-style' Birdhouse complete with Camera.
    In this issue...
    Is your Clematis out of control? Are your Roses looking a little wild? Get them back in shape with our easy, step-by-step guide to pruning.
    In this issue...
    Pot your own cheese, meat and fish with our masterclass in  this age-old preserving technique. It'll save you money, reduce wasteand guarantee you have a handy and tasty snack to hand whenever you need it!
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    Make your own Gingerbread House with our festive recipe, instructions and plans. It'll be a real talking point and a tasty treat as visitors call in.
    In this issue...
    We've asked our resident expert John Harrison to predict some trends for the 2015 kitchen garden. Here are some of his suggestions and some old favourites.