apple cider & dishcloth nearly done

It's absolutely pouring buckets and buckets of rain today. There was no point going to the local markets today. The 3 water tanks are over flowing. In the midst of the heavier downpours the tanks cannot cope and the overflow is pouring and going everywhere. While I like the thought of the tanks being full to the brim, I also wonder about the younger seedlings in the garden....so today the rain is bittersweet. 

MEGA QUICK APPLE CIDER

On a plus, because of the rain, I am staying indoors, and because of my aches and pains today has been one of those slow days. However, I did make an apple cider ..not starting from scratch, but one from a 2 litre bottle of Apple Juice......

It is so simple.....

Take a 2 litre Apple Juice, pour yourself a glass of juice to drink.....leaving space in the top of the container. With a soda bottle lid, carefully just cover the base of the lid with bakers yeast. 

I poured mine into the teaspoon to show you, just how little amount you need....

Now pour that yeast into the apple juice.

Put the lid on the container, give it a shake to dissolve the yeast, 

and store on the cupboard for a day or two...If it is a warm day, I would check the cider the following day...Yes, it can be that quick. If the weather is a bit cooler, you may need to wait another day or so, 

but do check it daily.

 Remember, yeast ferments and eats away at the sugars......the longer you wait, the dryer the cider. 

If you prefer a sweet cider....only leave it a day or two to ferment.

 If you prefer a dryer cider, wait a week or so, but I warn you, It will be dry dry dry!!! 

The family all love this sweet cider drink....if you leave it to ferment, it will turn alcoholic, but we like it as a young brew...You will not know the difference from the shop Sparkling Apple Cider or Sparkling Apple Juice...In the shops its name is something like that.

I challenge you to make you own

Quick Sparkling Apple Cider....

and come back and tell me all about it. 

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A day of not achieving much, but sitting watching an earlier recorded program called The Victorian Farm. I love this documentary. If you get a chance, you should look it up. It's an excellent program based on living the life of a Victorian farmer in the Victorian period.

I bet your wondering, when is she going to show us that dishcloth she is making? Well the time has come......it's not finished, as I pre-warned....it's not perfect, but I wasn't aiming for perfect. I think it's going to be a good dishcloth, especially for a first knitting project.

38 rows finished

Mum also took up the challenge

and is inspired  making her want her own dishcloths

for her little unit behind our home.

Below is the one she has knitted.

Dishcloth completed by my mother

RHUBARB CHAMPAGNE-Alcoholic or not, its up to you

Recipe - Rhubarb champagne

2lb rhubarb
1 sliced lemon
8 pints of cold water
1 lb sugar
1 dessert spoon of vinegar

bottles
nylon curtain to strain it.

Wash rhubarb and cut up roughly, add sugar, finely sliced lemon, vinegar & water...Let stand for 24 hours, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Strain through nylon curtain. Bottle and seal tightly. Screw-top coke bottles are good because they allow for expansion from gas...

The champagne is ready to drink in a few days, but becomes alcoholic after 2 weeks....The drink is very sweet the first few days, this is when my kids drink it as it is not alcoholic yet.

I prefer it sweet, and we generally drink it chilled. After bottling, I taste it every day until I get the flavour I like, then pop it in the fridge to stop fermentation. All of it must go in the fridge if you like a sweet wine.....

Over time the sugar is converted to alcohol with fermentation. The longer the fermentation the dryer the 'wine' due to less sugar.......

For a sweet wine, once it reaches the desired flavour, store all of it in the fridge to stop fermentation.
For a dry wine, store at room temperature in a cool place to allow a longer fermentation . Once again, when it reaches the desired flavour place it in the fridge. Bottles will expand greatly with this method, hence the plastic coke bottles.....

Remember if wanting a dry wine, the bottles can warp and explode....The gas needs to be released once in a while....

you will be amazed at the lovely pink coloured drink you get....
very yummy.