Monthly Archives: May 2020

The perfect pink of nettle cordial

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Here’s a post from a few years ago but perhaps you have a bit more time for foraging and trying out new recipes at the minute- enjoy. It is definitely worth the effort!

So about 2 weeks ago I put on my thick gloves and lifted my basket and went nettle picking. My recipe was for 1 litre of nettle cordial but being a cautious soul I halved the quantities just in case I didn’t like it. Out I went to gather the required 100g of nettle tops. I knew it would be a lot more than you would expect (just like spinach) but my first ‘weigh in’ was a measly 75g so back out I went.

I washed and dried the nettles, placed  them in a bowl and added the solution of water, citric acid  and sugar  – it’s quite an unusual smell! After a week it was time to filter and sample the result.

The perfect pink liquid was delicious diluted with sparkling water – a definite success!

I had a bit of fun a few days later when I put the members of a local gardening club to the test  – not one person guessed what it was. Many thought it was gooseberry.

I am so pleased with the result that it will be gloves on for a mass harvest. I plan to make a couple of litres and freeze it in containers  so we can enjoy nettle cordial throughout the summer.

A 2020 update is that I have now discovered that this nettle cordial is a nice addition to gin and tonic!
I researched a number of websites for recipes and you can see the recipe for my version of nettle cordial  here or check out the sites below – there are loads more!
eatweeds.co.uk

C-19 time to blog again

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Like many people the enforced ‘time out’ caused by the coronavirus pandemic has given me a chance to stop, think and reflect.  The total cessation of all my planned workshops, talks and events took a bit of adjusting to.

Back in 2013 I was fortunate to visit Nepal, a trip that had a profound effect on me and was the catalyst for fundamental changes in my life including starting More than Willow.

This man epitomised my visit to Nepal. In a remote tea house in Langtang he produced the most delicious vegetable fried rice cooked on a clay stove using a few locally grown and freshly picked ingredients but prepared with care and served with a smile. It made me think about the need to produce rather than consume, to be content rather than strive.

Shortly after my return home I started to write a blog to share my thoughts on food, plants and life in general and so the free ranging blog was born. For the next three years I shared my random thoughts until More than Willow got established.

This covid-19 enforced isolation has given me once again the opportunity to think about what is really important  to me – contentment, valuing and taking joy in our natural world and treading with as light a footprint as I can as I journey through life.

So I thought it is perhaps time to share a few of my old free ranging thoughts and some new ones too.  It may be of interest to some or it may just be good for me to write but I hope  others will enjoy this random collection too..