When I was younger I wouldn’t say boo to a goose but there is something about a passion for all things home grown that loosens my lips and finds me approaching complete strangers. Last weeks strangers were that most friendly variety, the dog walker, while searching for crab apples to pair with these elderberries from the allotment. Following the success of the Redcurrant Jelly I wanted to make an authentic Hedgerow Jelly and had received a handy tip off after posting a ‘crab apples wanted’ ad on my local Freecycle group. Although I came away without any apples that day it was by no means a fruitless endeavour. 
Discovering a field edged with brambles and elderberries and a pavement carpeted with plums (sadly the fruit still on the trees was too high to reach) I know where to head next year for bucket loads of sweet scented elderflower heads for cordial making and soft fruit for all sorts of puddings and preserves. As for the Hedgerow Jelly recipe, the addition of these blackberries and shop bought bramley apples created a gorgeous jet black jelly to add to my collection.
ps. I was a little envious of these which I spotted hanging over a garden wall. My passion flowers didn’t produce any fruit despite of the promising looking blooms back in July. 
Oh I am envious, envious, envious!
Enjoy your time in the kitchen – stirring – very therapeutic, and smelling those scents wafting in the air – Bliss.
What in the world is hedgerow jelly?
any kind of fruit jelly (a condiment to go with meat, cheese etc) made using wild fruit you find in hedgerows such as blackberries, elderberries, crab apples. I’ll be posting it next so you’ll soon see.
MC – I love making jellies because they’re so effortless. No stoning, peeling, coring or de-stalking, just bunging in the pan to boil away. Once you add the sugar they even recommend not stirring too much as you get more of a scum on top. The smell is gorgeous :o)
Okay, I get it now!! I love making apple jelly out of apple juice!
Mmmm – sounds delicious! Oh, those plums – I could really use them, hope you do manage to get some to use next year.
What did you do with your marrow cream, did you have it on bread or what, I don’t know what to do with what I’ve got left, did think of using some as a sponge cake filling.
it was a crying shame to see all those plums rotting on the side of the road.
I don’t eat much bread so I’ve been spreading my marrow cream on rice cakes and rye crispbread. It’s so delicious I think it makes anything palatable! And I did add a dollop to a raspberry and banana smoothie. I imagine it would work well in a cake mix that you might normally add fruit to – I reckon you could hide it in almost any sweet dish.
thanks for your comment and your recommendation to one million giraffes – love the site – and love your site too – that foraging looks wonderfully fruitful – am sure your jelly tasted great
The blackberries look lovely and sweet, ours have got so much rain they are rotting in the hedgerows.We have had a week of fine weather now so maybe this weekend i will be able to gather some.Your marrow cream seems to have fired everyones imagination!!
the jelly is scrummy Johanna and foraging is such a lovely way to while away an hour ;o)
I hope you have a fruitful weekend Peggy. Lots of the berries here are still red so I reckon there’s a few more weeks of picking yet. I’m thrilled with how popular the marrow cream has been – making some more at the mo and I change the quantities of sugar every time!
What a fantastic recipe and a lovely blog entry.
thanks Moyra, it’s pretty tasty too.