Brandied Grapes

Ideal for when the crop is too big to eat all of them.

Just ripe grapes are best, do not use any damaged ones, and make sure all stalks are removed.

Use a jar large enough to contain your grapes, first dusting the inside with sugar.

Prick the skin on each grape with a pin and place them in the jar, filling the jar in alternate layers of grapes and sugar until you have nearly reached the top.

Pour in sufficient Brandy to cover the grapes, seal the jar, label it and place in a cool store for a few months.

Serve on home made ice cream or as an aperitif .

Quince Brandy or Ratafia

70cl bottle of brandy.

2 sliced quinces,

2 star anise - or  for a different flavour use grated ginger and mace.

1 cinnamon stick.

Put all the ingredients into a jar with 1 inch of sugar in the bottom. Seal the top.

Put away in a cupboard or cellar for 3-4 months, the longer the better. I managed to forget a bottle in the cellar for five years! Nectar to a starving bee!

Sloe Gin

To make 1 litre.

Approx 400g sloes. Prick these with a pin to let the flavour out before bottling. Alternatively some suggest freezing to crack the skin. 150g white sugar.

Put sloes and sugar into a jar and add gin -ny make will do, about 500ml for these quantities. NB allow an air space to let the fruit move when you turn it.

All you need do now is to turn the bottle when you remember, to dissolve the sugar and stir the sloes a bit. Leave for approx 3-6 months then decant the liquor and remove the fruit.

Damson Gin

To make 1¼ pints;

Damsons - 450g (1 lb), stalks removed

Wash the damsons & freeze, this causes the skins of the fruit to split removing the need to prick the fruit.

Sugar - 60g (2 oz)

Gin – 70cl (1¼ pints)

1 gall. Demijohn or large open top bottle/jar.

Nylon coffee filter or muslin cloth.

Shake bottle daily for the first two weeks, and then every week for the remaining period.

Keep for a minimum of 3 months. This should produce a deeply-coloured rich & fruity liquor. After 3 or 4 months, strain the liquor through the coffee filter or muslin cloth to remove any damson residue. Bottle and store in a cool dry place until required.

Serve the fruit with cream or ice-cream. It makes a desert suited to those who enjoy the drink. A word of caution, the fruit is equal in strength to the damson gin!