Casalinho

Category: Alcohol: from Harvest to Glass

  • In the Kitchen: Bottling Elderflower Cordial

      One thing we’re not short of at Casalinho at this time of year are elderflowers. We love to dry them for making tea throughout the year, but I also make lots and lots of elderflower cordial whilst they’re in season. Recipes abound, but this is my tried and tested one – Elderflower Cordial recipe. more »

  • Cactus Fire Break

    For several years now we’ve been planting cacti along the border of our land, between our camping spaces and our neighbour’s land in the forest. Mature cacti can slow the spread of a fire, so a useful plant to have on the edges of our land. This year I’ve also harvested the cactus fruit to more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 6th October 2014

    Lots of people on site this week including some new volunteers, and plenty going on as usual. But the focus has really been on the grape harvest, with foot stomping the grapes being a popular activity. The first batch of wine has now started it’s secondary fermentation, and another batch is on the way. Grapes more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 29th September 2014

    Another busy week! Making up for the rain of last week we’ve been cracking on with the first part of our grape harvest and wine making. Harvesting and produce preservation continues, with tomatoes and quinces still being top of my processing list. Volunteer Marjolein has been filming this week, which has given Jeroen a marvellous more »

  • In the Kitchen: Fruit Scrap Vinegar

    Here at Casalinho nothing is wasted, and I really mean nothing. But if I can squeeze in an extra step between kitchen, animal shed and compost, you can bet I will! Fruit scrap vinegar is a fabulous way of doing exactly that. Make a secondary, tasty product from something which many households would simply throw away. more »

  • A Visitor’s Perspective: Serge’s Diary (part 3)

    This is part of a series of posts where we ask one of our volunteers or visitors to say a few words. Serge is one of our longer staying volunteers, and has kindly agreed to share his diary.   A Visitor’s Perspective: Serge’s Diary  After a particularly busy and eventful week I’m heading back to more »

  • Making Jeropiga

    Phew! The last dorna full of fermented juice has now been transferred into the last barrel. So that’s the bulk of the wine making completed for the year. We can sit back now and dream of a merry new year. There’s nothing better than a glass of your own homemade wine infront of the woodburner more »

  • Grape Harvest

      It’s been a very busy, but enjoyable, few weeks as we’ve been doing our annual grape harvest. Coupled with Jeroen’s continued work on the straw bale project we’ve been stretched to get everything done, but it’s one of my favourite times of year, the weather has been lovely and it’s been good fun.   more »