The Cottage Smallholder
stumbling self sufficiency in a small space
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
11:53 am
2nd Grader
New members
Tue 23-Feb-10
Offline
Thought I'd do a quick post and introduce myself....
I'm a student, in my final year of a Computer Science degree.
Try and do things a bit differently to the average student, enjoy cooking and eating good food, making the most of wild food when I can and prefer a good real ale or homemade sloe gin to the normal tasteless lagers!! Like making little extras too, really enjoy chutney etc. Being a student I don't have access to space to grow much, but looking forward to getting my own space over the next few years and start growing my own. Also very keen on keeping animals a few years down the line.
Been reading the blog for a while, thought it was about time to get involved in the forum!! So thats me!
2:34 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
Offline
A great introduction Andrew. I wish you well in your endeavours.
I'll try that again!
3:04 pm
Expert
Sat 10-Oct-09
Offline
Welcome you have come to the right place here, there are all walks of life here but one big familey.
3:42 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
Offline
Well said Mutley!
I'll try that again!
4:53 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
Offline
Welcome Andrew! Oh you remind me of my Uni days, days when we actually had roast dinners - I could eke out a joint of pork a long way instead of the usual fare. We also used to enjoy walking and finding stuff to cook. Which Uni are you in?
7:18 am
Senior Class
New members
Mon 15-Feb-10
Offline
Hi Andrew, welcome to the forum, plenty to keep you going here and no tasteless lagers
8:34 am
Supreme Being
Thu 24-Sep-09
Offline
Hi Andrew and welcome. Sorry, but I quite enjoy "tasteless lager"
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
8:57 am
2nd Grader
New members
Tue 23-Feb-10
Offline
Sorry, didnt mean to cause any offence! I too enjoy a nice cold lager on a hot summer day. Just the idea of knocking back pint after pint of the stuff that doesnt appeal!
11:10 am
Supreme Being
Thu 24-Sep-09
Offline
Andrew, in no way did you cause any offence! 
Just different tastes that is all. I don't like Guiness or any real ales. And yes I agree with you about a nice pint on a hot day, although I had one on a freezing cold day in front of a wonderful fire a week or two ago. I hadn't had a pint for months ( yes I did say a pint, can't stand half pints of lager) and it reminded me how good it was. Love sloe gin though and am going to try to make it this year. 
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
11:35 am
Sat 12-Aug-06
Offline
Thanks for joining, Andrew. Good to have you on board.
Slow gin seems to be the common denominator. 
Fiona cracked open a bottle for a late nightcap last night. Really very nice. The only downside is that it is extremely more-ish and slips down easier than anything! Having a second puts you on the slippery slope where you forget to count them. The sledgehammer in your head next morning reminds you to keep it at one or two, especially if you have enjoyed a beer or two or wine beforehand.
It's also very fun and satisfying to go sloe hunting in the autumn, and for damsons and bullaces too.
Never knowingly underfed
12:18 pm
2nd Grader
New members
Tue 23-Feb-10
Offline
My interest in sloe gin started in 2008 (I think) when I was was very keen to try it out but there seemed to be hardly any sloes around. I was a nightmare - looking for them everywhere but having no luck. That's when I found this site, made a few off here (Raspberry and cranberry vodka). Made a a number of bottles that summer and have managed to leave them untouched (other than the odd sip) since then so they should have matured quite nicely.
Then last summer, when I was on holiday I found some on sale and desperate to ensure I didn't repeat the nightmare of the previous summer I bought enough to make a bottle. Then sailed over to the Isle of Wight and found loads so spent a while picking there (luckily the OH had a book with her!) and made another bottle. Then when I got home went for a walk and found some more, another bottle. Finally a friend had a damson tree/bush in her garden and offered me some of those so I finished off with a couple of bottles of damson gin.
Despite the warnings on here about taking time to get great results, I tried a small sip (after a week in the bottle) sitting by the fire when camping in the summer - was already delicious. Since then hardly touched it, planning to leave it to mature for a while. On that note, how long should I leave it before I take the sloes out?
So that's my sloe gin story!! Now looking forward to the best bit!! 
4:14 pm
Councillor
Tue 22-Sep-09
Offline
The sloes come out when the gin is gone-well that's what we do!
Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/
9:37 pm
Expert
New members
Sun 17-Jan-10
Offline
Hi Andrew and welcome to the Forum. I'm a fan of CAMRA's work, but in only in so far as it extends to perries and ciders. G, on the other hand, can wax lyrical about Molly's Chocolate Stout, Headless Dog or Belfast Blonde 'til the cows come home.
Cheers!
10:13 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
Offline
Andrew, I think 6 months is good enough for sloe gin but I will check with my Chief Brewer and Distiller. I am pretty sure that the drop we opened last night was made in October. Some fruit liqueurs take longer than others. For example, lemon gin can take 3 years.
Thinking about it, a simple table of minimum to optimum maturity times for each type of fruit liqueur would be a great idea. Kate is a veritable fountain of (useful!) knowledge, apart from toe care. 
Maybe she can start?
BTW, thanks for the icon!
People: Andrew devised a sloe gin icon that he emailed to me. I will add it to our smileys gallery.
Never knowingly underfed
11:03 pm
Councillor
Tue 22-Sep-09
Offline
Danny, I'll have you know my toes are coming along v. nicely, despite still looking like zombie toes, all odd colours ..
..and that the ingrowing nails are the fault of my father, whose curvy nails and webbed toes live on in my odd feet! Interestingly, my newish Great Nephew has the webbed toes too. Hope for his sake he has avoided the ingrowing toenails.
Sloe gin seems to last forever once made (given the chance). My Great Grandmother always said that the sloe gin made in Autumn was ready Christmas the following year.
Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/
Most Users Ever Online: 767
Currently Online:
37 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
brightspark: 10532
danast: 10232
Aly: 9516
Sooliz: 8084
Hattie: 6920
Ambersparkle: 6699
JoannaS: 4800
Terrier: 4518
eileen54: 4424
Hannah: 4231
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 10
Members: 16140
Moderators: 2
Admins: 2
Forum Stats:
Groups: 6
Forums: 25
Topics: 2271
Posts: 123052
Newest Members:
lynnmarie, Yelsy, Janice, xxtabsxx, Nician, SqueakyModerators: Toffeeapple: 16337, AdminTA: 10
Administrators: fn: 333, Danny: 5516
Copyright © 2006-2012 Cottage Smallholder Our Privacy Policy Advertise on Cottage Smallholder
