Summer in the Kitchen

Summer time is berry and fruit time. I love that time and I love making stuff with berry and fruit.

One of my absolute favorite thing is making (and drinking) syrups.

I usually start in early May with rhubarb, then in June elderberry flowers. Next, in July, is strawberries and red currant, and the last one I've made just today is blackberry.

I still have a carefully horded bottle of each (from left to right it's elderberry flower, strawberry/red currant, rhubarb and, the last one, is blackberry)
I usually just put a bit of the stuff in a glass and then add a lot of water. And sometimes ice. The perfect summer drink.
Love the stuff. Totally love it.
Yesterday I picked up some raspberry and started a batch of liqueur (on the right, basically raspberries, candis sugar and vodka), and and batch of raspberry vinegar (raspberries and white wine vinegar). The vinegar is great with a salat, and the liqueur. Hmmm.

Both of those have to sit a while before I can actually use it, but in the meantime ...
Peach chutney. Don't know yet how it came out (I used a recipe from 'Essen & Trinken' a German cooking magazine), though I have the feeling there was a bit too much vinegar. I'll know tomorrow.

As I had some of the canning sugar left and also some of the peaches, I decided to do a very small batch of mango/peach jam. 

Yummy!!!