Pantry

The Pantry/Larder.  

I have always been fascinated with Pantries generally.  They were always places of fascination for me as a child, especially when I went to my Nan's.  It was a place that we were not allowed in as there were too many breakable items and it was bigger and longer than my Mum's. I was a little horror in my Mum's Pantry.  She used to keep the eggs on a shelf that I could get my fingers on to, and the times that I pulled the eggs off the shelf and then washed the eggs into the terracotta tiled floor.  I was not flavour of the month at those times.  The fascination with pantries I think began because I was told "No", but as I grew I was allowed entry especially as I had been taught to look after things and handle things carefully.  My Nan's Pantry was stacked from floor to ceiling, and things like the everyday milk jugs, custard jugs, gravy jugs hung off hooks on the edge of the shelves. The meat safe was at the bottom end wall and there was plenty of room on the floor to pop fresh and stored veggies as well as drinks made with various ingredients.  Ginger beer used to keep safe and cool in here, as did the milk.  In the summer it used to be kept in a pail of water to keep the milk cool. There were also hooks off the ceiling as at one time my grandparents' used to cure their own meet. As I grew we were taught how to do things, how to store them and how to make them. We were involved with our food on all levels.

In this house the storage is old and not necessarily practical, but I make the most of it and also utilise other areas of the house as well.  It is nearing the end of August, and time to think of putting up as much as I can for the winter months.  Time to make puddings and also cakes for the celebrations later in the year.  I want to get as much as I can get done and out of the way with.

This is the under-stair cupboard.  It is not the main Pantry.  That has yet to be sorted. However, it is the place where I have been storing and am going to store more of my recently made Preserves.  The cupboard really needs stripping out and new PVC covering put on the shelves, but we are supposed to be having a new Electric mains board put in at some point and I am loath to paint it out if it is going to be mucked up again. I would rather they make a mess and then be able to clean it out patch it up where necessary and then decorate.

There is quite a bit in here already and I would hasten to add is not everything have made to date or what is yet to be preserved.  This evening I have squeezed a few more jars in and I have labelled those up that had not received a label.  Trying to be efficient here for a change. There is still a lot to make.  It all helps keep the wolf from the door and is very useful for baking, puddings, flavourings, drinks etc.

Once the Fireside cupboard is sorted out a bit more quite a few of the preserves will find their way in there.  Yet again needs stripping and painting out and then new PVC covering for the shelves.  That might get done in the next week or so as I need the space for the Preserves and other items.

Some of the projects are involving daily maintenance for a short period.  Necessary work to move a project forward. It is very satisfying making something out of nothing and I find it very rewarding.  Once the Blackberry wine and the Orange wines are out of their buckets and into the demijohn's, I will be able to start another couple of batches of different wines, and the process will start all over again.  I am limited by the fact that I have three fermentation buckets.  Two buckets for two different wines and the third bucket is needed to transfer the contents through a jelly bag, before adding sugar and yeast. 

Some of the wines you can use the original fruit contents to turn into jams or chutneys, which is really being very thrifty.  Take for instance one of the wines I want to make is Apricot wine which is made from dried Apricots.  The pulp left over is then turned into a chutney.

We also have the Ginger Beer plant started and that will be made up towards the end of next week.

I think in reality we all need reasonable storage for our food, no matter what form that takes.  For me it is this particular element of the home that is more important.  If I had my own house, which I do not at the moment, I would not want a fitted kitchen it would have to be individual freestanding components many of them upcycled as different kinds of storage is needed for different things.

After this initial week making the Sourdough starter and after I have had a go at making this first loaf with this starter (which will be next Monday), I am hoping to be able to use up the discard on a daily basis to make pancakes, crumpets, buns that sort of thing as well as make a loaf.  I do not unless absolutely necessary want to store the starter in the fridge.  I have been  using bottled water not tap water for the starter.

The starter is very lively this evening and I have taken photos of before feeding it and then after feeding it. It is well frothy.

Before

After

I am sorry to go on about this, but I really am pleased with how the starter is doing thus far.  I am just hoping I can produce a decent loaf out of it.  Working with this starter is certainly fitting in with my housekeeping duties without causing too much difficulty which is half the battle.

Still have loads of stuff to squirrel away, and I am hoping to go on another forage tomorrow if the weather holds good.

I also need to go to the veg shop to see what they have.  I have not been over this week thus far. It is the bargain section that provides the most value for money.  Need to put a lot more apples, plums and pears up yet.  I also need tomatoes.  Will see how it goes.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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