The days are shorter now, and the early morning mountain air is crisp and cool.
The frost has stolen the vibrant greens of summer, replacing them with the rich golds and yellows of autumn.
I'm making a shrub today, which is a mixture of fruit, sugar and vinegar, which can be used as a syrup.
I've read that they were popular before refrigeration, as the vinegar and sugar acted as preservatives for whichever fruits and herbs were used in the shrub.
As citrus fruits are in season now, I'm making a grapefruit, orange and rosemary shrub, with apple cider vinegar and honey.
It's always amazing to me that God made sure that Vit C rich citrus fruits come into season in the winter months, just when our immune systems might need extra support :)
There are a few methods for making a shrub, but I'm using the method of simply heating all the ingredients together.
Make sure to try and mash the fruit and herbs to extract the flavours.
While that's simmering, I'm out gathering another Vitamin C rich food... rosehips.
They can be eaten, but I plan on infusing these in oil to make a hydrating moisturiser for the winter.
I made sure to save the orange and grapefruit peels to create cozy tealight lanterns.
They have a fresh scent and are very effective at night.
Once the shrub has simmered for a while, the syrup can be strained and bottled.
A small amount of the syrup can be mixed with water or sparkling water for a flavoursome drink that has the added health benefits of the vinegar :)
The rosehip oil can be made by breaking up the rosehips a little, before infusing them in oil for at least a few weeks.
I usually prefer to use jojoba oil for skincare products, but I had olive oil on hand, and this works fine too.
After infusing for some time, the rosehips can be strained from the oil, and the oil used as is (or used in cream or soap recipes)