Comments on: GMGs and damson Christmas cake

By: Mariana

Mariana — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:04:24 +0000

I always use froezn damsons. I defrost them before I bottle them though; this makes them split and release their juice. My recipe is 600g damsons, 200g ordinary granulated sugar to a litre of gin or vodka that’s a bit less sugar than most recipes but for me that results in a beautifully sharp, sour yet sweet drink. I strain through a pair of (clean!) nylon tights before bottling, and use the fruit to make jam. Nothing gets wasted! Three months is enough so it’s usually ready by Christmas.

By: Eleanor

Eleanor — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:43:13 +0000

Never read a blog before. Got intrigued by an article in Gardening Which. Really enjoyed the informality and the information all wrapped up together. Will try the courgette cake recipe even though there isn’t a glut just at the moment! Possibly not very PC but will mean my daughter gets to eat cake over Christmas.

By: lialeendertz

lialeendertz — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:21:44 +0000

Lucy – Oh no! Likewise my rsponse was meant tongue in cheek. I guess this is why people use emoticons…. All cool, and thank you re the dress. I felt dramatic x

By: Lucy Corrander

Lucy Corrander — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:21:32 +0000

Sorry, that comment may have seemed a bit abrupt. I wasn’t allowing for the way screens don’t pick up tones of voice. I am not a vodka person – one reason being its vague flavour. I expect the damsons will sort that. And as for the dress – I was admiring its drama1

By: lialeendertz

lialeendertz — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:31:24 +0000

Lucy – I’m not quite sure how to take that about the dress…the damson vodka isnt very vodka-y. It goes sweet and thick. I reckon it’ll be good.

Sue – yeah it seemed weird to start pouring brandy on it.

Linda – lovely process, making bread. I will have to try to update on how the cake turns out.

Victoria – funny isnt it? We love our little annual shot of glamour but all breathe a sigh of relief to get back to the garden.

Jane – Not just me then with the post-gmg ennui! We can all be prepared with pounds of dried fruit ahead of next year’s.

Sheila – You’re so right! Perhaps that is why we all have blogs and twitter accounts. I need continuous affirmation! Assess me!

Mark – You know, I probably did… PLENTY of cake to go round. It’s vast.

Catherine – Thank you! How lovely. I am trying to be a little more frequent.

Hi John! – one of my allotment friends – who also made damson vodka – is dipping her vodka-soaked damsons in dark chocolate to make them into posh chocs. She mentioned this AFTER i’d made the cake…

By: Johntrathome

Johntrathome — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:04:18 +0000

Given the family sense of humour and the use of the phrase ‘tarted up’ in the fist sentance I wasn’t expecting a cake! Vodka damsons need to be tried!!!

By: Catherine Phipps

Catherine Phipps — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:44:03 +0000

I’m really enjoying your posts here, wish you did more. Lovely chatty, conversational style as well as informative. Sorry you didn’t win at the awards (sorry MarkD, you know I love your books, they’re fab).

By: MarkD

MarkD — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:56:10 +0000

You only called me a terrible bastard four times which is very restrained of you. Nice cake, hope you save me a bit

By: Stopwatch Gardener

Stopwatch Gardener — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:49:40 +0000

I loved spelling tests when I was in school — frequent, easy self-affirmation. In fact, I loved any chance to get assessed and, Lisa Simpson like, agonize why the A- was not an A+.

It has come to my attention that, in the real world, there is no continuous assessment. In fact it seems there’s little chance at all to hear from anybody at all, on whether they think we are good, better or best at what we do. That’s why, even if we wish isn’t so, we allow awards of any kind to become imbued with so much meaning, like an over-sozzled damson. Those damned awards — so wonderful to get, but so out-of-proportion awful to be passed over for.

The other thing I miss nowadays (compared to schooldays — or compared in fact to the days when I used to work in an actual office alongside other actual grown-ups) is the easy camaraderie of a peer group. Lovely to hear you got some of that, anyway, at the GMG’s, gong or no gong.

Sheila Averbuch

By: Jane Perrone

Jane Perrone — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:07:56 +0000

Ah, Christmas cake, always a thing of wonder, all the more so when zhushed up with home-enhanced booze.

I’ve gone for pear brandy on mine (pears from my Jargonelle tree chucked into a Kilner jar of brandy with some sugar), so I think it’s going to be pear and vanilla jam for the marzipan “glue”.

So sad you didn’t get your (much deserved) gong. Baking is always the perfect remedy to post-GMG ennui. Now, onwards and upwards to 2012!