When all else fails, make stuff

Whenever I feel a bit, you know, meh, I make things.

I prefer to make things that are useful immediately because if I’m feeling a bit meh it’s usually because I really SHOULD be doing something else that I don’t really want to so I can’t devote too much time to it, but equally I need the lift that creating something will give me.

Happily the other day I found a big box of raspberries in the freezer, grown on my allotment last summer, and there had been a heap of organic unwaxed lemons reduced at the supermarket so I made two pots of jam and 6 bottles of orange & lemon squash.

For details of jam & squash making follow the links to the herbarium.

For me the process of making something forces me to slow down and focus, it stops my mind running round in circles thinking of all the millions of things I need to do. But it has to be something a little special – just making the dinner or doing the ironing* isn’t enough – and squashes or cordials always hit the mark.

I never buy them as I don’t like the amount of sugar and preservatives they to use to give them enormously long shelf lives and because I don’t like the plastic bottles and because I hate having to read all the tiny writing to make sure the manufacturer hasn’t slipped in some additive, and argghh! I hate having to think about all that before I can buy a bloody bottle of SQUASH! So I make my own. Phew.

Mostly I use seasonal materials, so whatever is in flower or fruit (or substantially reduced at the supermarket, thats almost seasonal isn’t it?!), is locally available and is calling to me. There are some surefire hits: elderflower is always welcome and all the citrus fruits make great squashes

I love blackcurrant cordial so much that I’ve planted a whole bed of blackcurrants so there’s enough for cassis (for kir), for medicine and for squash.

Every year there are experiments; rosemary turned out to be delicious and this year I’m also hoping to find the time to make some violet cordial, they have been gloriously abundant, and are a traditional cordial for raising the spirits, but I’ll have to be quick – they’ll be finished flowering soon and it’ll be a whole year before I can taste it again.

And that’s another thing I love about making seasonal food/drink: that when it’s all gone you have to wait for it, anticipation seems to make it taste sooo much better. Both my sons love elderflower cordial (and champagne) and I’m sure it’s because they only drink it once a year, and that will be all they drink for as long as the supply lasts (never long enough) and then it’s gone. It’s such a pleasure to provide such pleasure.

And if you fancy making something with me I have a workshop coming up soon –

*I confess; I never do the ironing.