2025 doing something new / different

Seen the first honeybee actually feeding in the garden. Turns out honeybees are incredibly ungrateful and like to feed a long way from the hive. Keeping flowers close to home for when the weather is a bit dodgy. Think this one was just having a last minute feed before bedtime
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Stunning photo! Have you noticed more bees in the garden since you acquired them? At roughly 30.000 bees to a hive, you should see a lot more. When we lost our colonies, (EFB) the garden became quiet overnight. It was strange, I didn't realise I would miss them so much. Hope you have many happy honey years ahead of you.

I use quite a bit of apple sauce because I eat quite a bit of pork! Once opened I usually only get a couple of dollops before it starts to ferment in the jar and needs chucked out!  It's not epensive to buy but I have loads of apples (a shame they aren't Bramleys though) so I will have a go at making some.

It appears that I can add butter and sugar to the un-peeled but chopped apples which should act as a preservative? As mine are eating apples I may add some apple cider vinegar (also a preservative) to make it more tart?

No recipe for me, just pure eperimentation and taste as I go along? If I can crack it, I suppose I could add some to ie cube trays and feeze it?

Update to above! I have just made the lushest apple sauce I have ever tasted, not too sweet and just the right consistancy! I did as I said I would but probably couldn't do it consistantly as I have no idea what measures I actually used! I used two Golden Delicious type apples and a redskinned apple as well. I used unsalted butter and am hopefull it will set into a vaiation on a flavoured butter? I just need to let it ool now and decide how to store it?

You could modify the taste to have with breakfast or as dessert. If it reaches boiling point why not try bottling small jars of it like you do jam. My bottled stewed apple stores well but it is sugar laden.

We swept the chimney yesterday.

You could modify the taste to have with breakfast or as dessert.  If it reaches boiling point why not try bottling small jars of it like you do jam. My  bottled stewed apple stores well but it is sugar laden.

I didn't use much sugar as I didnt want it sweet so I am relying on the ACV and butter to preseve it a short while? I did have a couple of spoonfulls frist thing just to try it and it went ok with my morning yoghurt. It probably won't last long anyway as it's quite tasty and I will probably try it on butteed cream crackes as a snack, or even with peanut butter? It is mainly for eating with pok chops, siced pork joint or belley pork though!

You could modify the taste to have with breakfast or as dessert.  If it reaches boiling point why not try bottling small jars of it like you do jam. My  bottled stewed apple stores well but it is sugar laden.

I didn't use much sugar as I didnt want it sweet so I am relying on the ACV and butter to preseve it a short while? I did have a couple of spoonfulls frist thing just to try it and it went ok with my morning yoghurt. It probably won't last long anyway as it's quite tasty and I will probably try it on butteed cream crackes as a snack, or even with peanut butter? It is mainly for eating with pok chops, siced pork joint or belley pork though!

Just freeze in portions - you can use a plastic pot to freeze then tip out and store in freezer bags.o