Sunday Update

Sorry I did not get back last night things got a bit busy again in the kitchen after I had watched Downtown - wasn't it good.  I got the first batch of pickled onions completed I have 7 large jars of pickled onions now, (these are the Sarson Vinegar jars) although I had to prepare another batch of spiced vinegar.  Because it was late and because I wanted cold vinegar and it was warm in the kitchen I put it outside the back door as it was cold outside esconced in Big Bertha.  That got it nice and cold.  Who is Big Bertha you wonder?

Big Bertha is my very large maslin/preserving pan that I have had since I was 19 years old.  Big Bertha and I have been through quite a few trials and tribulations together but mainly I use her for chutneys, preparing vinegar, or preparing bulk batches of jam.  She is well battered and has the war wounds to prove it.  The funniest of which was that we were decorating the kitchen and the contents of said kitchen were here there and everywhere and I hadn't got room or the inclination late one night to find a better home for her and ended up putting her in the bedroom down by the side of the bed.  Cue one major nightmare from me in my sleep I fell out of bed and landed on the preserving spout and removed Big Bertha's  spout in one easy movement as I fell on my thigh on her got a beautiful shiner on my leg and promptly handed her over to OH to unbend her!  She hasn't been kept in the bedroom since!  So she is well loved and a bit battered.  Poor love!

After getting all my pickled onions done for this tranche I then did the chilli jelly which has come up well and I am really pleased with this.  The recipe called for sour apples but I had only some dessert apples so these were used.  Its made for a very hot and sweet jelly but it will do.  That sort of thing tends to get used up quickly .  I managed to get 8 jars of this as well, so I am really getting  a wriggle on.

 

I then did the washing up and got my hair washed ready for work this morning and eventually got to bed about 2.00 a.m.

I am off out this evening but my friend lives in deep Lincolnshire country side and has a lot of land and has promised me some rosehips so if not tonight I believe I have some rosehips to process in due course too so may well do rosehip and apple jelly  and hopefully some syrup and if enough dry some as well.

I also picked some Lemon Verbena leaves for drying and also cleaned all the clementine peels  -  this is tedious work as you scrape all the pitch off the peel and sometimes the peel splits into little pieces, but you can only do what you can do.  (some juice went into the Nectarine chutney and I did not want to waste the peels)and they are now put to dry too.  You can create an orange powder from ground up peels which can be added to cooking like in a cake or in a buttercream.  You don't need too much of it though, or alternatively I can leave the peel whole and add it to give extra oomph to a casserole.

Right I had better get a wriggle on and get dressed for work.

Hopefully will catch up later on depends what time I get home but in any event will catch you all soon.

Have a good day wherever you are 

Pattypan

xx