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We are a group of micro farmers who welcome anyone who keeps animals or grows vegetables and fruit, or loves cooking! Who would like to come along to our meetings or events and share their experiences with others. You don't need to have lots of animals to be a "smallholder." Many people who grow vegetables, have some bees or maybe a couple of backyard chickens come along and enjoy the meetings and events as well.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Harvest Supper Report
The Next Members Meeting - this Tuesday
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EESG MEMBERSHIP IS NOW DUE
Welcome to our Membership Page
We have changed our membership rate following a vote by members.
A single membership is charged at £12 per year.
A joint membership is charged at £18 per year.
Under 18's are free
East Essex Smallholders is fabulous value for money.
So what do you get?
An exclusive Members Only eNewsletter
An exclusive Members Only specialist newsletter called Dig It - all about growing 'stuff'
Free attendance at all monthly meetings
Access to Member only discounts such as our Seed Discount scheme with Kings Seeds, Kelvedon
Invitation to all member visits and reduced member rates if applicable
Involvement with a range of shows held within the district
Access to courses on livestock at specially negotiated Member rates
Access to courses on other useful skills at specially negotiated Member rates
Use of Group equipment (subject to Terms and Conditions)
this is just an outline.........
Want to join?
Complete our membership form and send it to our Secretary - this can be via email or post.
Postal address: Furzedown, Main Road, Mundon, Essex CM9 6NU
Click here for a membership form
Cheques to be made payable to East Essex Smallholders Group
If you would like to come along to our next meeting, look on our Events Diary to find out where it is and when.
We look forward to welcoming you at our next event or meeting.
We have changed our membership rate following a vote by members.
A single membership is charged at £12 per year.
A joint membership is charged at £18 per year.
Under 18's are free
East Essex Smallholders is fabulous value for money.
So what do you get?
An exclusive Members Only eNewsletter
An exclusive Members Only specialist newsletter called Dig It - all about growing 'stuff'
Free attendance at all monthly meetings
Access to Member only discounts such as our Seed Discount scheme with Kings Seeds, Kelvedon
Invitation to all member visits and reduced member rates if applicable
Involvement with a range of shows held within the district
Access to courses on livestock at specially negotiated Member rates
Access to courses on other useful skills at specially negotiated Member rates
Use of Group equipment (subject to Terms and Conditions)
this is just an outline.........
Want to join?
Complete our membership form and send it to our Secretary - this can be via email or post.
Postal address: Furzedown, Main Road, Mundon, Essex CM9 6NU
Click here for a membership form
Cheques to be made payable to East Essex Smallholders Group
If you would like to come along to our next meeting, look on our Events Diary to find out where it is and when.
We look forward to welcoming you at our next event or meeting.
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
The Plume School Christmas Fayre –Donna Perkins
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Monday, 13 January 2014
LAMBING COURSE APPLY NOW
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Dark Chunky Marmalade
Dark Chunky Marmalade
The problem with modern marmalade-making is that today's hobs don't always oblige when it comes to getting large amounts of marmalade up to what old-fashioned cooks called a rolling boil, without which traditional marmalade stubbornly refuses to set. So when, in 1994, I tasted one of the best marmalades ever, I was thrilled to learn that the friend who had made it had cooked it long and slow – which solves the dilemma completely. Here is my version of Mary McDermot's original recipe, and it's the best I've ever tasted.
Makes seven 0.5 litre jars
| Ingredients |
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| 3 lb (1.35 kg) Seville oranges |
| 2 lemons |
| 6 lb (2.7 kg) granulated sugar |
| Conversions |
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| Need help with conversions? |
| You will also need a preserving pan, a 15 inch (38 cm) piece of muslin or double gauze, a nylon sieve, some foil, seven 0.5 litre jars, and some small flat plates to test for setting point. |
This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Winter Collection.
Method
So for stage 1: lightly scrub the fruit then place it in the preserving pan, add 5 pints (3 litres) of water and bring it all up to a gentle simmer. Now take a large piece of double foil, place it over the top of the pan and fold the edges firmly over the rim. What needs to happen is for the fruit to very gently poach without any of the liquid evaporating. This initial simmering will take 3 hours. After this, remove the preserving pan from the heat and allow everything to get cool enough to handle. Then place a large colander over a bowl and, using a draining spoon, lift the fruit out of the liquid and into this. Now cut the oranges in half and scoop out all the inside flesh and pips as well, straight into a medium-sized saucepan. Next do the same with the lemons
but discard the peel. Now add 1 pint (570 ml) of the poaching liquid to the fruit pulp, then place the saucepan over a medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Have ready a large nylon sieve, lined with gauze, and place it over a bowl, then strain the contents of the saucepan through the sieve. Leave it all like this while it cools and drips through.While you are waiting for it to cool is a good time to deal with the orange peel. Cut the halves of peel into quarters then cut them into chunky strips – the thickness is up to you – according to how you like your marmalade. Add these back into the preserving pan. When the pulp is cool what you need to do next is gather up the corners of the muslin and twist it into a ball, then, using your hands, squeeze all of the pectin-rich juices into the preserving pan. Don't be faint-hearted here – squeeze like mad so that every last bit of stickiness is extracted and you're left only with the pithy membranes of the fruit, which you can now discard. When you have added the strained pectin, just leave all of this overnight, loosely covered with a clean teacloth.
but discard the peel. Now add 1 pint (570 ml) of the poaching liquid to the fruit pulp, then place the saucepan over a medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Have ready a large nylon sieve, lined with gauze, and place it over a bowl, then strain the contents of the saucepan through the sieve. Leave it all like this while it cools and drips through.While you are waiting for it to cool is a good time to deal with the orange peel. Cut the halves of peel into quarters then cut them into chunky strips – the thickness is up to you – according to how you like your marmalade. Add these back into the preserving pan. When the pulp is cool what you need to do next is gather up the corners of the muslin and twist it into a ball, then, using your hands, squeeze all of the pectin-rich juices into the preserving pan. Don't be faint-hearted here – squeeze like mad so that every last bit of stickiness is extracted and you're left only with the pithy membranes of the fruit, which you can now discard. When you have added the strained pectin, just leave all of this overnight, loosely covered with a clean teacloth.
Stage 2: the following day, empty the sugar into a large roasting tin lined with foil then place it in a warm oven, gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C), and allow it to warm gently for 10 minutes. Then place the preserving pan and its contents over a gentle heat and as soon as it starts to warm through tip the warmed sugar into the pan to join the rest. Now, using a large wooden spoon, stir the marmalade, keeping the heat gentle, until all the sugar crystals have fully dissolved. What you must not do is let the marmalade boil until all the sugar is completely dissolved. Keep looking at the back of the wooden spoon as you stir and when you are sure there are no more crystals left turn up the heat and let the marmalade bubble away gently – it can take 3-4 hours for it to darken and develop its lovely rich flavour.
oven, gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C), and allow it to warm gently for 10 minutes. Then place the preserving pan and its contents over a gentle heat and as soon as it starts to warm through tip the warmed sugar into the pan to join the rest. Now, using a large wooden spoon, stir the marmalade, keeping the heat gentle, until all the sugar crystals have fully dissolved. What you must not do is let the marmalade boil until all the sugar is completely dissolved. Keep looking at the back of the wooden spoon as you stir and when you are sure there are no more crystals left turn up the heat and let the marmalade bubble away gently – it can take 3-4 hours for it to darken and develop its lovely rich flavour.
When the marmalade has been cooking for 2½ hours place some small flat plates in the fridge. Then to test for a set, after 3 hours draw the pan from the heat and spoon a teaspoonful of marmalade on to a chilled plate. Allow it to cool for a minute back in the fridge, then push it with your little finger – if a crinkly skin forms, it has reached setting point. If not, continue cooking and do more testing at 15-minute intervals. When it has set, leave the marmalade to cool for 30 minutes before ladling through a funnel into jars that have been washed thoroughly in warm soapy water, rinsed and dried, then warmed in a medium oven. Seal the jars with waxed discs while they are still hot, then label the next day when cold. Then, as soon as possible, make Chunky Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding. It's utterly divine!
. Then, as soon as possible, make Chunky Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding. It's utterly divine!Home Farmer
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