nepia

Good to see you back here Steve and very good to see you're still in the woodworking business; I have in mind the woes Covid caused you. Jon

I second that; that RHS book is comprehensive yet easy to understand with loads of pics and diagrams

What a colour - so dark. Well done getting it set; was that after a re-boil?

Not that I say this as fact but reducing the volume would concentrate the pectin so that could be the explanation for reduction being successful in initiating setting

May be worth re-boiling - and reducing - with added lemon juice and another half of a green apple. Mine took ages to set. The recipe said 15-20mins rolling boil; it probably had 45 by the time I got the volume down sufficiently and a set.

My Muslim did a good job 🤣 The first little batch. Boy I had to reduce it to get it to set. Less sugar next time; it's too sweet

£45 a pair from the one retail outlet I found

I have a couple of kilos to deal with tomorrow - they'll make jelly - with another kilo of less ripe ones bletting. Should be a laugh; me and cooking go together like strawberries and axle grease.

Nice price too 😱

In my 30s I commuted by GT road bike from South Croydon to Peckham, East Dulwich and Southwark for a few years except for Nights. Overall I enjoyed it (23 mile round trip) though clambering aboard at 4.40am in 5C rain was a touch bracing.

It'll be interesting to see if any of the suggested pressure on China by the Trump the other day at his meeting with Xi will bear fruit. He's offering tariff concessions to China (and India) in return for them buying less of the Russian oil that is essential for Putin to finance his vicious little war.

Good shout. Just be careful not to pile stuff against the trunk - you'll rot the bark - but there only needs to be millimetres gap.

Removing the stumps won't remove the Honey Fungus; it's everywhere - the mycelia will reach way beyond those Birch stumps. Strong healthy plants and trees resist HF so efforts would be better directed towards keeping the Maple in good shape, e.g. by minimising compaction of the roots via machines and people or mulching around its base to suppress the grass - turf is a real issue for trees as it soaks up just so much water and prevents healthy root/fungus relationships developing. Mulching looks like it may not be a starter in that garden though due to the space it would need but then again - how much do you value the Maple? Definitely don't lose the Maple 'in case'.

I stand corrected (just seen the chiropracter)

And there's a pair of nearly new Solidurs in Arbtrader 😉