I would have never thought as a teenager that I'd want to have my own garden one day. Having had to help my parents on an allotment with plenty of fruit and vegetables wasn't exactly my idea of spending summer holidays at that age. And it wasn't just about digging, weeding the beds and harvesting … Continue reading White Currant Jelly
An Englishman living in Slovakia once asked me why Slovaks eat bottled fruit and vegetables in the winter when there is raw produce available in our shops all through the year. True, we can now buy bell peppers, tomatoes, pears and grapes in December or January, but they are imported to Slovakia from the other … Continue reading Pickled Green Peppers
It was during one of my pregnancies when I fell out of love with shop-bought ketchup. My taste became sharper and more sensitive to artificial flavourings and chemical preservatives, so I naturally avoided them in all foods. On one occasion though, I tried my mum's homemade ketchup, and it felt like a discovery. As a … Continue reading Homemade Ketchup
As with all other produce this summer, we're blessed with a plentiful crop of apricots. Their main growing area is in the warm southern regions of Slovakia, but thanks to the new tougher varieties developed over the last few years, we can now harvest this soft, fleshy fruit in colder climates as well. I don't … Continue reading Preserving apricots
It's time again for preserving summer produce from our gardens. Slovak summer started very early this year, in fact, it replaced spring with temperatures going up to 26 - 30ºC in April and May, something we haven't seen in 80 years. It meant we could harvest summer fruit and vegetables much earlier than usual, and … Continue reading Homemade Redcurrant Syrup
We are in the midst of our 'uhorková sezóna' (or cucumber season) right now, both literally and metaphorically. Not much is happening on the political scene at the peak of the Slovak summer, no big stories are filling the news columns, and life in general has switched into a leisurely mode. On the other hand, our gardens … Continue reading Pickled Gherkins
The strawberry season is in full spate, and this year's crop looks very promising indeed. After abundant rainfall in the early spring and the recent string of warm, sunny days, our strawberry fields and gardens have filled with sweet, fragrant berries all ripening at the same time. To collect the large crop while it is … Continue reading Homemade Strawberry Jam
They're springing up everywhere right now. Unlike last summer, which was extremely hot and dry, mushrooms have perfect conditions for growing this year. Warm weather and plenty of rain is what they like, so it's no wonder that our forests are filling with mushrooms of all shapes and sizes. I wasn't planning for it, but … Continue reading Bottled Chanterelles
My friend phoned me last week saying she had more elderflowers she could possibly cope with, so she could share some with me if I wanted. I did. When the freshly picked elderflower heads arrived, they looked and smelt so wonderful that I immediately decided to have a go at eldeflower cordial. I searched through … Continue reading Homemade Elderflower Cordial
They grow together with bilberries in our mountains - the tiny, bright red berries of acidic, bitter-sweet flavour. At least that's what Slovak cranberries taste like. We don't grow cultivated species as it is common in America or Canada. Our cranberries are not associated with Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners. In fact, they are very difficult … Continue reading Cranberry Compote
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