Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown share their pick of the leanest season’s finest.

While the garden filled our glasses throughout the spring, summer and autumn, now we find ourselves with only a few remaining domestic ingredients. The rest are imports so we try to utilise every bit of them to justify the carbon footprint.

All images: Istock

Medlars

Medlars are the last of the tree fruits to ripen in British gardens. They’re not the most attractive fruit – nicknamed ‘the dog’s arse’ a few centuries ago in reference to their distinctive puckered bottoms (the fruit, not the dog). They’re also fiddly to work with as they must be ‘bletted’ after harvest. The term ‘bletting’ was coined in the mid-19th century specifically for the process of cellaring medlars for a few weeks until they soften – rotting a little – to release the sweet passion fruit flavour and incongruous pink hue from this greenish-brown fruit. You can find medlars on eBay and, if you’re lucky, in a neighbour’s yard. This is a bumper year for them, so we are making loads of medlar liqueur. 

Apple juice

We produced about 50 litres of apple juice this autumn and rather than pasteurising it or making cider, we filled a freezer with 1.5-litre bottles. Adding a tablespoon of live, unfiltered cider vinegar (also very easy to make) to a glass, we are serving it as a non-alcoholic shrub and, to be honest, quaffing quite a bit of it ourselves. 

Horseradish

Horseradish is a challenging ingredient as it has a relatively short shelf life when infused into alcohol, and the aroma is eye-watering when you grate it. It is a phenomenal ingredient in a Bloody Mary, Red Snapper, Bull Shot and other savoury drinks. However, competition judges routinely take points off a drink if they encounter bits of horseradish (we’ve seen this over and over again when judging Bloody Mary comps). Solution? Make or buy horseradish tincture and plan on using it up within a month. Making it is simple but rather painful. Fill a jar with fresh grated horseradish – you can buy it or learn to spot the unique leaves, as it grows wild all over the English countryside. Fill the jar with vodka or gin. Use a glass infusion weight to keep it below the surface of the alcohol to ensure it won’t oxidise and discolour the tincture. Leave it for a few days. Decant into dropper bottles. Or, far less painfully, you can order horseradish tincture online. It might not have quite the intensity of fresh grated, but it is much simpler and more consistent.

Beet greens

While beetroot brings earthy, almost ginseng or gentian flavours, beet greens have a lighter, sharper flavour similar to kale juice. We have used both in savoury cocktails, and beet juice with honey syrup in sweet-balanced ones as well. While most people reach for beets in part for their colour, golden beet juice is at least as good. Think of it as a non-alcoholic Suze.

Banana peels

Banana peels are often overlooked, but surprisingly versatile. Vegan bacon, a great garnish, is easy to make. The peels infuse beautifully in rum. A few bars have begun making banana peel oleo by macerating the peels in sugar for a few days. The peels also make a serviceable bitters since they contain tannins and can produce a bitter flavour with a longer maceration. 

Blood orange

We’ve been candying blood orange slices and strips of peel for years. When we are using the juice in drinks, we first remove the rind with a veg peeler. After simmering the peels in simple syrup (for blood orange syrup), we place them in the dehydrator (use baking parchment and a low oven with the door open if you don’t have one). Do the same with blood orange wheels, dip one edge into dark chocolate and serve as an amuse bouche with a Manhattan or a snifter of brandy. You can also do all of this with another seasonal citrus: satsumas. 

Pineapple

We’ve been macerating pineapple slices in Angostura bitters before grilling them – a superb accompaniment to a Margarita, and a lovely garnish for a Singapore Sling. The pineapple tops provide purely aesthetic garnish, while the peels and core provide a beautiful addition to a sling and so many other long drinks: tepache.

Originating from pre-Columbian Mexico, the production process and end result are comparable to, though quicker than, kombucha. Combine washed peels and core in a jar with brown sugar, water and a touch of cinnamon. Place it in a warm spot for two days, stirring it once or twice. If you use a glass weight to keep the fruit down it reduces the chances of the fruit rotting. Look for white foam and bubbles, indicative of fermentation. Strain into glass bottles. You can seal them and leave them out for another day to make them a bit drier. The abv can range from 0.5% to a little under 3%. Refrigerate and use within a week. 

This should be enough inspirational fodder to see you through the dark days of winter. See you again in the spring.  

SEASONAL INGREDIENTS

Domestic

Beetroot (Dec/Jan/Feb)

Chestnuts (Dec/Jan)

Horseradish (Dec/Jan/Feb)

Pears (Dec/Jan/Feb)

Pumpkin (Dec)

Quince (Dec)

Salsify (Jan/Feb)

Imported

Bananas (Dec/Jan/Feb)

Blackcurrants (Jan)

Blood oranges (Dec/Jan/Feb)

Blueberries (Jan/Feb)

Mango (Dec)

Peaches (Dec/Jan/Feb)

Persimmons (Dec/Jan)

Pineapples (Dec/Jan)

Plums (Jan/Feb)

Satsumas (Dec)

Strawberries (Jan/Feb)

Yuzu (Dec)