Sugar, sugar

I spent much of the weekend making passionfruit curd and helping rob the bee hives. This in turn has meant that I had to buy a sponge cake slab and fill it with curd and fresh cream. (It lasted about 5 minutes) As the curd onlykeeps for about two weeks, we will have to find ways to eat it. To me that means cakes, biscuits, pies. I think we will develop diabetes!

yes, there is more

 We have so many passionfruit I have to find ways to preserve them, but all I have found are recipes for passionfruit curd and and apricot and passionfruit jam. The latter uses only half a cup of passionfruit, and as our passionfruit are ginormous, that equates to the grand number of two fruits used. It also uses dried apricots, and suggests using only Australian rather than Turkish apricots. Okay says I, I will do as Sephanie Alexander says. Twelve dollars latter, I have my superior Aussie apricots that will make up a couple of jars of jam (if I am lucky) that will in turn help me to use the grand total of two of my passionfruit. Hmm, my thrifty preserving habits don't seem very thrifty on reflection.

capped

We rob the bees every year about this time, as the honey is really flowing. This year, was no exception and just six frames got us enough honey for the coming year. Last year I entered it in the show and came in second. (Okay, there were only two entries, but, and it is a big but, they told me that prizes aren't automatically awarded on entry. That is, if both honey's weren't up to par, no awards would have been given)

uncapped

This year our honey looks a bit dark and not really very clear. I am not sure what the criteria is for judging, but the taste is delicious. Very fruity, with a little tang, not like the stuff you get in the shops.