Plum Jam

How is it?

Same basket of "Daffs" plums but the first one taken outside and the second inside.

Intend to make some Plum Jam out of these. Last year the possums got the lot.

I'm wondering why Plums have a blush on them, must be a reason. Have four different species of Plums in the orchard, but these are Christmass Plums. The original tree was in Aunty "Daff" Renwicks back yard and my dad John took a cutting off this many years ago (around fourty years ago) and we always make sure that at least someone in the family has a tree. I took cuttings off the one that Linda had and now have five trees. They should be in full fruiting mode by next year, that will be there sixth year in the ground. The main trunk twists so we have called it a twisty Christmass Plum.

Warm the Jars in the oven.

Heat the Plums with a little water and cook for a while, stir as needed.

Gherkins homemade

How is it?

Moira thought it would be nice to grow and pickle her own Gherkins. Bought the seeds from the Paparoa general store. Ten plants were planted out. The ground being dug and turned over, added some of the freshly made compost and supported with a liberal helping of "Jacks" phoo! Some of last years silage left over from Paul and Lindas was then spread over the top.

Small indentation made through the mulch/silage and the plants inserted, watered well.

Blowing from the north and hard so up went the wind break around the new patch. A total of 60 days from seed until bottling!

They are starting to spread, more trifids!

Twelve freshly picked Gherkins from the garden. Picked and washed and scrubbed with a scotch brite (new and clean). Then into salted water and simmered for 10 minutes. Moira mean while made up a brew of pickling spices (from the old recipe in her head).

Added these to the drained and cooled Gherkins, which had been then placed into a clean warm jar. Topped up with pickling spices and on with the lid.

The bottle needs to be left for about three months.

More jars to come as they ripen.

Then the fun part begins....

Two days until Christmass

Merlot have set OK, not over heavy but it's the quality that counts for making a great wine, I'm told.

Have been along each row and leaf plucked the lower leaves. Most seemed to be changing colour, sort of going light to a red tinge, almost as if nature was indicating which ones to pluck, strange that. Oh and their stems seemed to be stiff, so that they snapped off cleanly.

These Merlot a registered clone 347 are on 420A rootstock. This makes them sensitive to Potassium deficiency. Also this root stock is quite shallow rooting, this means that budding happens early as the top layer of soil warms first. Low vigor of growth so the foliage is light. Must put some ash ffrom the fireplace around them next year.

Some bunches are nice and the fruit is starting to swell. Oh if they all looked like this. One day, one day.

Those sun flowers are looking really the part. It's true they follow the sun through the day.













How is it?

Hot and humid as up north at the moment, 29.6 C temp. Have started to water the vines with drippers, should have done this during the flowering stage as well, this helps with the set if the vines aren't stressed!

Will have to do another copper spray soon.

Almost like the day of the triffids

Have lowered the height of the post to shoulder height. The netting was too tight and Moira had troubles reaching the top. Rounded the tops with a spokeshave as the netting catches if too rough. Top wire then runs over the top and is fastened to the post with two staples.

Looking south now back up to the house, in the afternoon, this sunflower seems more content with the sea view.

Fish for lunch

How is it?

Put the net out, good to see the floats bobbing under straight away, pulled it in and got two Kahawai and two Mullet. Rowed back in, filleted and skined and boned. Back in less than 20 minutes all up.

Moira took over as she has the recipe in here, well that what's she gestered, pointing towards her head. Cubed the fillets, then placed into a large glass bowl.

Melted 12 Lemon icecubes and 6 Lime, then tipped over the fish to marinade in the fridge for two nights. Going to add red onions, chives, cherry tomatoes and some coconut milk. Mixed not shaken and ready for a taste on Christmas day. All good stuff.

Dandelion wine

Been a few years since I last made a Dandelion wine and as the flowers are in full bloom on block 2 and 3, decided to have a go. 2/12/2010 picked flowers.

Head down and going for it!!! you know the story, if you only knew how long it takes to hand pick 5 litres of flowers...

Nearly full enough.

A few more should do the trick.

Now the real work begins, plucking the pettels off the heads. You can have no green parts from the flowers in this wine.

Moira lending a hand here. Joint effort this wine.

Finally finished and boy has this been a long slow process. Into the brew barrel, poured over 4 litres of boiling water, added 250 gms Sultanas, zest of a lemon and juice and juice of an orange, allowed to cool then added yeast-CY17. Stired twice daily for 5 days. Then strained off petals and added 1 kg sugar and pulp of 4 bananas, these help to add body to the wine! Then into the Demijohns and onto airlock. The two on the right are Hawthorn flower and the one at the back on the left is Dandelion , but that's another story. We should probably be entering these into the A & P show at Paparoa in a few years time. Another first in class I hope.

Hawthorn flower working away well. Some of last years Hawthorn berry still not ready to bottle but close. I enjoy this wine and make 10 to 12 bottles of it each year.

Fruit from the garden

I'm hungry!

Moira went out and did a little gathering for tea.

Scarlet runner beans are at there best when young.

Some preserves from the garden and orchard. Olives also, and these are nice with cheese and crackers. You might notice the preserved lemons, great in Targines. The jar on the far right is Chilli sauce.

Will be making more of this again, we have 3 large Chilli plants and they are loaded with fruit, waiting until they change colour to red and can taste a few good curries being built.

Strawberries and Icecream, yum

grapes are sprayed

kcbm

Chambourcin grapes from cuttings

How is it?

October 16th 2010. A sunny day.

Last month gathered up a few cuttings from the Chambourcin grapes.

Cuttings are done with an angled cut at the bottom, and a square cut at the top. This reminds me later which end the roots should come from. Each cutting has 4 nodes. So the length of the cuttings vary.

The bottom node is trimmed with a grafing knife, so it is flush with the stork. Then dipped into rooting hormone. The bottom node being cut flush helps the end form a callous. After this forms then come the roots. The callous swells that much that the end of the cutting splits in some cases and out come the roots.

Fine roots emerging from the split in the stork.

Rooted end placed into pb 5 bag. A small amount of potting mix is put into the bottom of the bag prior to inserting the cutting. The bag is then topped up and watered well. Placed in a shade and watered daily.

The video shows cuttings in the bucket and the roots developing.

Hare for dinner

How is it?

Hare shot in block 3. From standing position, hare out 45 metres. Clean.

On the tree stump out front, waiting to be skinned and dressed and jointed.

Midnight the cat thinks at last we have found her a friend!

Watchful eye from the cat.

Large Hare awaits prep.

In the pot and cooked for 3 hours. Had this with pasta. Tender and gamey . Nice one! Yumm.

15th October Merlot Vines

Merlot vines at Matakohe Wines.

Close up of newly forming grapes.

Looking good so far!

Starting to shoot up the wires. Cleared long grass away from vines last week.

Moira inspecting the future crop.

Note Sunflowers planted by the posts.

Will be interesting to see what these look like later in the season.

Prune well to get the shaped vines.

Good set prior to flowering. Have sprayed with copper 4 times so far this year. At 2 weekly intervals.

Strong south easterly winds this week have wind burnt many of the vine leafs, but bunches of grapes appear to be untouched, I hope.

Harvest 2009

Harvest time 2009

Merlot grapes at Matakohe Vineyard.

Merlot vines that show good bunch spread

Pheasant damage on the lower bunches

The chief picker is on the job. Go hard.

Hard not to smile at this time

Chrushing the fruit with a masher

Planting out last years cuttings

Up north in the Matakohe Vineyard

How is it?

Planted out another 2 rows of last years Chambourcin, so now we have eight rows of grapes.

Started by marking out the rows centre at 2300 from row seven. Transfered using the wheelbarrow the vines in PB5s, spaced these along the row, ensuring alignment spacing with row seven. Dig several holes then retired because of rain shower. Coffee time. Back out again and debagged, roots look good with a slight spreading necessary. Back filled and moved onto the next one. Several rain showers later the row is now finished. need to stake these this year and allow to grow as tall as possible.

So I need to now add poles, perhaps another Christmass job. Will try to add some photos to this posting at a later date. I did notice buds swelling on several of the older vines... what does this tell you?

Any bud pointing downwards is a bad bud. So I'll have to go through and rub these off! This is also true for any buds that are on the main trunk under the wire. They show, they get rubbed off.

I can see your'e trying to be early!!! Friday 20th August 2010. Don't you vines realise that it is still winter? Come to early and Jack Frost might nip you in the bud. He did this last year to great effect... don't you remember? Silly vines don't listen.

The drought is coming again? No only kidding... Has started to rain again... the dam is spilling. The lows in the vineyard aren't flooding like they did last year. Ground saturation point is close. While digging in the new vines some low lying areas are getting soggy very close to the surface.

Good soil down to about 200 mm then starting to go straight into sticky clay. No need to water the newly planted vines. The rain is doing this job for free for me today. Isn't working with nature a marvel. I need to smile more in the good times. Grass growth in the last week has really started to come on fast. Moira mentioned this last night and I must agree with her today.

Got a hail shower just before dark. Not a bad one but any hail is not good for new buds on our vines.