by Pam Corbin
Makes 1 litre
1 loosely packed carrier bagful of soft young beech leaves
500ml gin
300g granulated sugar
Brandy
Pack the beech leaves into an earthenware or glass jar until it’s about nine-tenths full. Pour the gin over the leaves, making sure they are well covered (they will oxidise and turn brown if left exposed). Leave to steep for 7–10 days so the leaves can release their striking green pigment. Strain the infused gin through muslin or a jelly bag.
Put the sugar and 250ml water into a saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Allow to cool completely before adding to the infused gin. Add a couple of capfuls of brandy too.
Put a couple of fresh beech leaves into a sterilised screw-top or stopper bottle (see here), then add the noyau and seal.
Wait for a cold winter night and a roaring fire, then partake of this potent liqueur. Use within 2 years (it may darken in colour over time).
P.S. If you miss the young beech leaves of early spring, you may get a second chance to make this noyau towards the end of June. Some beech hedges, when trimmed, will throw up new young shoots – not as prolific as the early crop, but still worth snatching.
Beech leaf noyau
Elderflower cordial
Season: late May to June
The sweetly scented, creamy-white flowers of the elder tree appear in abundance in hedgerows, scrub, woodlands and wasteland at the beginning of summer. The fresh flowers make a terrific aromatic cordial. They are best gathered just as the many tiny buds are beginning to open, and some are still closed. Gather on a warm, dry day (never when wet), checking the perfume is fresh and pleasing. Trees do differ and you will soon get to know the good ones. Remember to leave some flowers for elderberry picking later in the year.
This recipe is based on one from the River Cottage archives: it’s sharp, lemony and makes a truly thirst-quenching drink. You can, however, adjust it to your liking by adding more or less sugar. The cordial will keep for several weeks as is. If you want to keep it for longer, either add some citric acid and sterilise the bottles after filling (see here), or pour into plastic bottles and store in the freezer.
Serve the cordial, diluted with ice-cold sparkling or still water, as a summer refresher – or mix with sparkling wine or Champagne for a classy do. Add a splash or two, undiluted, to fruit salads or anything with gooseberries – or dilute one part cordial to two parts water for fragrant ice lollies.
Makes about 2 litres
About 25 elderflower heads
Finely grated zest of 3 unwaxed lemons and 1 orange, plus their juice (about 150ml in total)
1kg sugar
1 heaped tsp citric acid (optional) (see the directory)
Inspect the elderflower heads carefully and remove any insects. Place the flower heads in a large bowl together with the orange and lemon zest. Bring 1.5 litres water to the boil and pour over the elderflowers and citrus zest. Cover and leave overnight to infuse.
Strain the liquid through a scalded jelly bag or piece of muslin and pour into a saucepan. Add the sugar, the lemon and orange juice and the citric acid (if using). Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes.
Use a funnel to pour the hot syrup into sterilised bottles (see here). Seal the bottles with swing-top lids, sterilised screw-tops or corks.
Elderflower cordial
Elixir of sage
Season: spring and summer
The healing, warming properties of sage have long been recognised and one traditional way to imbibe them is by means of a liqueur, such as this one. The velvety, grey-green leaves are steeped in eau de vie and the resulting elixir should, I’m told, be drunk each day to ensure good health and a long life. I take just a capful (not a cupful) myself each morning and find it very restorative. Of course, this is not the only way to use this soothing herb liqueur – a glassful can be enjoyed as a comforting digestif or a capful diluted with tonic water for an aromatic pick-me-up.
Gather the sage on a warm, dry day. As an evergreen, this herb can be picked throughout the year but it’s at its best during the spring and summer months.
Makes 1 litre
50–60g sage leaves (about ¼ of a carrier bagful)
500ml eau de vie
200g granulated sugar
Shake the sage leaves well to remove any wildlife (those that don’t escape at this stage will become sublimely intoxicated). Pack the leaves into a large, wide-necked jar, of 600–700ml capacity. Fill the jar to the very top with eau de vie and seal with an airtight lid (if any leaves are uncovered they will oxidise and the colour of the liquor will become dull brown). Give it a good shake and then place on a sunny windowsill to steep for about 30 days, remembering to give it a shake every now and then.
When you’re ready to complete the elixir, make a sugar syrup by gently heating the sugar with 200ml water until the sugar has dissolved. Allow this to cool.
Strain the sage liquor through a sieve into a bowl. Mix the strained liquor with the sugar syrup. Decant into clean sterilised bottles (see here), placing 2 or 3 of the soaked sage leaves in the bottle. Cork or cap with screw-caps. The elixir will be ready to use immediately. Consume within a year.
Currant shrub
Season: June to July
A shrub is an old-fashioned kind of drink: essentially a delightfully fruity, alcoholic cordial. Based on sweetened rum or brandy, it is traditionally flavoured with acidic fruit such as Seville oranges, lemons or redcurrants. Keep back some of the juice after straining redcurrants to make jelly (see recipe, here) and you will find this lovely tipple very simple to make.
Serve as an aperitif, either on its own or mixed half and half with dry martini and finished with a splash of fresh orange juice, which is my favourite way.
Makes about 1 litre
300ml strained redcurrant juice
600ml rum or brandy
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tsp grated nutmeg
300g granulated sugar
Mix the redcurrant juice, rum or brandy, orange zest and nutmeg together in a large, wide-necked jar. You may find the mixture of acid and alcohol forms a gel – a perfect example of how adding fruit juice to spirit can determine pectin levels. Don’t worry, the mixture will become liquid again when you add the sugar. Seal the jar tightly and leave for 7–10 days in a cool, dark place.
Transfer the currant and alcohol mixture to a pan, add the sugar and heat gently to about 60°C. When the sugar has dissolved, strain the liqueur through a jelly bag or muslin. Decant the strained liquid into a sterilised bottle (see here) and seal with a cap.
Store for several months in a cool, dark place so the shrub can fully mature before you take the first tipple. Use within 2 years.
P.S. Redcurrants that grow on a standard (long-stemmed) bush, rather than at ground level, make picking very easy and also add interest to the garden. I pick 4–5kg redcurrants each season from my standard bush.
Variation
At marmalade-making time, buy an extra kilo of Seville oranges and use the strained juice in place of the redcurrant juice for an outstanding orange liqueur.
Mint syrup
Season: June to August
I can’t help feeling that we should all make more use of garden mint (Mentha spicata). I’m sure that if it didn’t run amok in the garden in a rather annoying way, we would prize it more highly not just as a nice thing to chuck in with the potatoes, but as the wonderful sweet-scented herb that it is.
This simple recipe is best made with young, bright green mint leaves, picked just before flowering, when the volatile oils are at their strongest. Gather them on a sunny day, when the plant is fully dry and the leaves are warm. Use the leaves immediately after picking to retain every bit of their amazing warming-and-cooling menthol character.
Mix 10ml mint syrup into a glass of ice-cold water, lemonade or tonic for a cooling summer drink. To make delicious hot, sweet mint t
ea, add 1 tbsp of the syrup to a pot (silver, of course, if you have one) of steaming green tea.
Makes 1 litre
50g freshly picked mint leaves
Juice of 1 lemon (50ml)
250g sugar
1 level tsp sea salt
Check the mint leaves for any insect life then tear the leaves into shreds. Put the lemon juice into a large bowl. Add the mint and pound with the end of a wooden rolling pin. Add the sugar and the salt and continue to crush the mint leaves to release their menthol essence. Leave to macerate for 8–10 hours or overnight.
Pour 600ml boiling water over the macerated mint mixture and leave to stand for a further 12 hours.
Strain the syrup through a very fine sieve or muslin into a saucepan. Gently bring to simmering point and simmer for a couple of minutes. Pour into warm, sterilised bottles (see here) and seal with screw-caps or corks.
This syrup will keep unopened for 4 months, but once opened, it should be stored in the fridge. If you want to keep it longer, it will need to be sterilised in a water bath straight after bottling (see here).
Mint syrup
Flavoured vinegars
Season: June to November
These are very useful additions to the store cupboard as their distinctive flavours can revolutionise a simple salad dressing or sauce. The process is simple: aromatic herbs, flowers or strong-flavoured ingredients are steeped in vinegar for a period of time and are then strained out. The vinegar is then decanted into a sterilised bottle and sealed (see here).
Always pick leaves and flowers for steeping when they are dry and their perfume is at its best. Use cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, rather than the stronger malt – or perhaps try some delicate rice vinegar to give a hint of Asian flavour to the mix.
Horseradish vinegar
Peel and grate 50g freshly dug horseradish root and pack into a large sterilised jar with 2 finely chopped shallots, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt. Heat 600ml cider vinegar to just below boiling and pour over the mix. Seal and leave for a month or so before straining and bottling. I like to use this vinegar for pickling cucumber or beetroot.
Nasturtium vinegar
Fill a wide-necked jar of 570ml capacity with freshly gathered, brilliantly coloured nasturtium flowers, a few spicy nasturtium seed pods, 2 chopped shallots, 8–10 peppercorns and ½ tsp salt. Pour over 500ml cold white wine vinegar. Leave for 30 days or so in a sunny spot, giving the jar a shake every now and then. Strain the vinegar and discard the flowers. Pack into a sterilised jar with a couple of fresh nasturtium flowers to identify the vinegar.
To make a splendid summer salad dressing, add 1 tbsp soy sauce to 100ml nasturtium vinegar and whisk in 200ml olive or rapeseed oil.
Mixed herb vinegar
Mix 4 heaped tbsp herbs – chives, parsley, tarragon, fennel, thyme, or whatever you have – with 500ml cold white wine vinegar or cider vinegar. Leave for 3–4 weeks in a cool, dark place. Strain, discard the herbs and bottle.
Spiced samphire vinegar
Pack 50g samphire, 6 allspice berries and 2 finely chopped shallots into a large jar. Pour over 500ml cold rice vinegar or cider vinegar. Leave for 2–3 months before straining and bottling. This is great for fish dishes, and in sweet and sour sauces.
Raspberry vinegar
Season: July to August
Sweetened vinegars are yet another way to preserve the flavour and character of summertime fruits such as raspberries. Historically, these concoctions were valued for their medicinal qualities, and were typically used to relieve coughs and treat fevers and colds. During the nineteenth century, raspberry vinegar in particular was recommended as a refreshing tonic to overcome weariness. But fruit vinegars have a multitude of culinary uses too and I certainly wouldn’t want to be without a bottle or two in the kitchen.
Use raspberry vinegar on salads – either neat, or blended with olive oil. I also love it trickled over goat’s cheese, pancakes and even ice cream. You’ll also find that a spoonful adds a lovely piquancy to savoury sauces. For a revitalising summer drink, mix a couple of tablespoonfuls of raspberry vinegar with soda or tonic water and add ice.
The fruit for a vinegar needs to be gathered on a dry day. If the fruit is wet, it will dilute the vinegar and adversely affect its keeping quality.
Makes 1.5 litres
1kg raspberries
600ml cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Granulated sugar
Put the raspberries in a bowl and crush them lightly with a wooden spoon. Add the vinegar. Cover the bowl and leave the fruit and vinegar to steep for 4–5 days, stirring occasionally.
Pour the fruit and vinegar into a scalded jelly bag or piece of muslin suspended over a bowl (see here) and leave to drain overnight. You can squeeze it a little if you like.
Measure the liquid then pour into a saucepan. For every 600ml fruit vinegar, add 450g sugar. Place over a low heat and bring gently to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for 8–10 minutes, removing any scum as it rises. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Bottle and seal when cold. Use within 12 months.
Variations
Replace the raspberries with the same quantity of strawberries, blackcurrants or blackberries to create other fruit vinegars.
Raspberry vinegar
Rosehip syrup
Season: late September to October
The shapely rosehip is the fleshy fruit of our native hedgerow rose. The orange-red berries that appear in the autumn contain a crowd of creamy white seeds, protected by tiny irritant hairs, which is why they should never be eaten raw.
Rosehips are rich in vitamins A and C and have long been used for making jams, jellies, wine, tea and, of course, syrup. This recipe is based on one issued by the Ministry of Defence during the Second World War when rosehips were gathered by volunteers. They were paid 3d (just over 1p) for each pound (450g) they collected and the syrup made from the fruit was fed to the nation’s children.
Use this rosehip syrup, mixed with hot water, as a warming winter drink. I also love it drizzled neat over rice pudding or pancakes.
Or try this recipe of Hugh F-W’s for a refreshing summer cocktail: pour 30ml rosehip syrup into a tall glass. Add 60ml white rum and mix well. Add a few ice cubes and pour over about 150ml tart apple juice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve with a straw.
Makes about 1.5 litres
500g rosehips
650g granulated sugar
Pick over the rosehips, removing the stalks, and rinse in cold water.
Put 800ml water in a pan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, mince the rosehips or chop them in a food processor. Add them to the pan of boiling water, cover and bring back to the boil. Take off the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Pour through a scalded jelly bag or muslin (see here) and leave to drip for an hour or so.
Set aside the strained juice. Bring another 800ml water to the boil, add the rosehip pulp, and repeat the boiling process. Tip the mixture back into the jelly bag or muslin and this time leave to drain overnight.
The next day, combine both lots of strained juice (you can discard the rosehip pulp). Measure the juice (you should have about 1 litre) and pour into a saucepan. Add the sugar and heat, stirring until dissolved. Boil for 2–3 minutes, then immediately pour into warm, sterilised bottles (see here) and secure with a screw-cap or cork.
Use within 4 months. If you want to keep the syrup for longer, you’ll need to sterilise the bottles in a water bath (see here).
Sloe gin
Season: September to October
This is undoubtedly the best-known of the hedgerow liqueurs. It is best made with sloes that have been lightly frosted on the first cold nights of the year. (The frost helps to break down the internal structure of the fruit and get the juices flowing.) However, if the first frosts are late in arriving, you might miss the sloes because they’ll have been eaten by birds. To avoid this, pick them late in September and pop in the freezer. Alternatively, prick the sloes all over wi
th a skewer.
If you enjoy this hedgerow tipple, try some of my other favourites below. There is no reason why you cannot use vodka instead of gin.
Makes about 1 litre
450g sloes, frosted or pricked (see above)
450g sugar (or less for a more tart gin)
600ml gin
Put the sloes into a large clean jar or bottle. Pour over the sugar, followed by the gin. Secure the container with the lid and give it a good shake to mix up the contents. Shake daily for the next week to prevent the sugar from settling on the bottom and to help release the sloe juice. Thereafter shake and taste once a week for 8–10 weeks.
When the sloes have instilled their flavour, pass the mixture through a fine sieve. Pour the strained liqueur into bottles.
Ideally, you should leave sloe gin for 18 months before drinking, so it pays to have a year’s batch in hand. Of course, that’s not always possible – but do try and stash a bottle or two away to savour when it’s mature and mellow.
And what to do with all those gin-soaked sloes? You can either eat them just as they are, or remove the stones and serve the fruit with ice cream, or fold into melted chocolate to make delectable petits fours.
Variations
In each case, follow the method for sloe gin, but with the following quantities:
Damson gin Use 450g damsons, pricked, 225g sugar and 600ml gin.
Blackberry and apple gin Use 225g blackberries, 225g cooking apples, peeled and chopped, 225g sugar and 600ml gin.
Cherry ratafia Use 500g cherries, pricked, 500ml eau de vie, 2 cinnamon sticks and 150g vanilla sugar.
Haw brandy Use 450g haws, 225g sugar and 600ml brandy.