Summer? Off to the bottle with you.

Cheeky little fruits are a classic, as are our juicy tomatoes. We always have plenty of jams and sauces, because preserving food is so easy once you get the hang of it. Tip: disinfect the edges of the jars with alcohol and briefly scorch them before closing.
 

Sour makes you happy: pickled vegetables

Too many courgettes? No problem! Simply cut them into pieces, add vinegar and spices, and you can enjoy the sunny flavour of your sun-ripened harvest as early as mid-January.
 

Cheers to lactic acid: Fermentation

It takes a little practice, but it's definitely worth it: we love making sauerkraut and beetroot using the lactic acid fermentation method. Do you know kimchi? This recipe from Korea also works with local ingredients.
 

Crunchy crunchy: drying or dehydrating:

Careful, addictive: a dehydrator is simply great. But you can also gently dry apple rings, mushrooms and herbs in the oven to preserve them.
 

Cheers! Our recipe for high-percentage ‘Nusseler’
 

Ingredients for about 1 litre:

• 700 ml spent grains schnapps or grappa
• 300 g green walnuts, unpeeled
• 100 g red sugar cubes
• 100 g sugar
• ½ vanilla pod
• 4 cloves
• organic lemon zest
   

Preparation:

If possible, wash the unpeeled walnuts, freshly harvested from the tree, quarter them and place them in a suitable container. Add the vanilla pod, cloves, 2 to 3 strips of lemon peel, sugar and red stomach sugar, mix a little and fill up with schnapps.
Leave the Nusseler to stand covered or corked in a warm, sunny place for a month (= four weeks). Stir occasionally. The nuts will give the liquid a beautiful dark brown colour. Strain and bottle, then enjoy in moderation!

 

And another Valsegg classic: Chestnut Mousse:

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 250 g white chocolate
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 eggs,
• 400 ml cream
• 350 g chestnut purée

Preparation:
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Whisk the egg yolks and the eggs in a bain-marie until frothy. Then whip the cream until creamy. Add the chocolate and the chestnut puree to the egg mixture and stir well. Place the bowl in cold water and allow the mixture to cool while stirring. Slowly fold in the cream. Pour the chestnut mousse into a mould or glasses, allow to cool and enjoy!