TARRAGON & THYME

This is a bit long winded for which I apologise and there is another part to come but really you need to read the long winded version first and then I will give you an idiots guide right at the end. BOTTLING A little information to read for background information An Explanation An English term for preserving usually fruits in a syrup or tomatoes in brine where the fruits are placed into bottle and then a syrup added usually the neck of the bottle.   It’s a traditional way of putting up food in the pantry in times of plenty for use during the winter months.   The fruit is heated in special jars and bottles to sterilise it by killing off any nasty spoilage micro-organisms present in the fruit which in turn forms an airtight seal whilst the jars are hot.   It also stops any other nasties getting into the processed bottles.   It is important that the process is followed correctly – it might seem a bit faddy to start with but with time and practice you will be...

I love all the seasons they all have something wonderful to bring to us especially autumn usually with her glorious displays of colourful leaves and beautiful sunsets and we start to harvest for the winter months and pop stuff up on the pantry shelves.  A hive of industry but  a different season none the less.  Mornings when the mist re-appears and you end up getting some beautiful sights of mist swirling inbetween trees making it look ethereal an creepy.  As the poem profoundly says seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness.  And a time to find  mushrooms in the wild if it has been moist and damp enough. I was therefore slightly shocked to walk into the Co-op this evening to find that on 31 August they have put the Christmas sweets out or at least the sweet tubs of the well known brands out.  Oh well commercialism rules again.  And no  - I have not bought any yet give it another week or two at least.  The long stop dates were F...

Weather wise and I have been cooped in an office with air conditioning and have been frozen.  Its a good job I had my cardie with me.  Different story when I came out for dinner boiling hot did not need the cardie and enjoyed the sunshine.  Met a couple of friends had a good catch up really pleasant time. This afternoon I have struggled to stay awake.  This evening instead of coming home OH took me out to where he now fishes.  Charming little lake.  Very peaceful and quiet with lots of wildlife.  We bought some fish and chips and then went and had supper at the lake.  I found some sloes so hopefully will have sloe gin later in the year and then sloe chocolates.  yummy.  Also found another crab apple tree - am marking spots so that I can return.  Now very tired and struggling to stay awake so I think it is going to be an early night to catch up on some shuteye.  the most glorious of sunsets this evening on the way home....

Well the blackberry and apple jam has turned out alright despite me using eating apples.  I prefer Bramleys or crab apples with this recipe as it gives it a spikier sharper flavour but for a free pick of blackberries and using up some eating apples on a thrifty perspective it has not come up too badly.  The only thing with eating apples is that they really hold their shape where Bramleys go soft, so I just had to cut the apples up into tiny bits. But it is a wonderful colour and I have five jars out of this just for a little time and effort and being thrifty.  The jam will be lovely on scones with fresh cream.  Yum.  I am hoping to get more though as a great favourite in this house is bramble jelly. I also got five jars of Victoria plum jam as well.  I made a last minute batch yesterday before going to bed so quite a bit of jam made yesterday. This evening I have another batch of Victoria Plum jam to make and I also have Victoria plu...

Its that time again when thoughts turn towards popping up stuff in my case a very large red plastic box with a lid on it that is stored under my stairs in the house as it is not easy to get in and out of.  I popped round to get an ice cream earlier on as I was a little hot after being in the kitchen.  I was checking the shelves out whilst I was in there and I noticed that a lot of the stock already on the shelves has a long stop date of March 2017.  This particular shelf was biscuits, cream crackers etc.  Some of the items were on offer.  I bought a couple of boxes of some cream crackers and one or two other bits to start off my Christmas food box.  Basically where I can afford it I pop a few bits up on a regular often weekly basis where I can - its not always possible but buying a bit here and there in advance actually helps the budget and means come the beginning of December money will be available to buy those presents as part of the food is alread...

All done and dusted; 5 large jars Bottled cherry tomatoes 7 large jars Bottled whole medium sized tomatoes Outlay 5 x nets cherry tomatoes and 4 pots of tomatoes from the greengrocers total £9.00 6 jars mixed summer fruit in syrup 10 jars of mixed berry jam total outlay =£19.00 including sugar and fruit.  The jars of mixed fruit if you bought them in the shop and not the size I made them would probably cost you anywhere of £4.00 apiece or more so that six jars at £4.00 each = £24 just for the six jars. Will look lovely over ice cream like a sauce or drained and on top of a cheesecake or panacotta or even mixed with some fresh apple and made into a sponge pudding or drained and added to a home made chocolate or vanilla sponge with fresh whipped cream to create your own "gateau" or in a Swiss roll. There is so much potential there.   And do not forget the strained juice you can add some lemonade or soda to it and use it as a cordial. ...

The first pick there are not many blackberries this year where we walk Missy I am hopeful that OH will take me out next Sunday to an older stomping ground but which is not so easy for me to access unless he takes me and as he is fishing again at the weekend... Nevertheless today I have managed to pick about 1lb.  I have some eating apples and so I thought I would make apple and blackberry jam.  The berries themselves are real wildings very tiny but we have not had the rain just recently on a regular basis so I think the berries and the elderberries have been badly hit.  Not many berries in the bushes at all with either. Had a lovely walk in the sunshine down by the river.  I went armed with a couple of freezer bags in my pocket especially for the berries and my hands are now stained purple.  Well its a little bit of something extra for the pantry shelf and will be well used with pastry and cakes alike.  hopefully I will be able to source some more...

Well its been all go in the kitchen.  I now have 12 jars large ones of tomatoes whole or cherry tomatoes with an additional two half jars of cherry tomatoes. There are six jars of mixed summer fruits in syrup  - half jars - enough to top a cheesecake during the winter months.  I shall probably do some more during the week as well if I can get up to the market again.  probably the same combination of fruits and then a batch with some plums, possibly elderberries and blackberries in and if I can get some damsons that would be brilliant.  I have asked at the veg shop and she is going to keep an eye out for me.  Damsons make the most wonderful jam with the addition of orange juice which is heavenly and a beautiful colour to boot.  Being as I am an out and out foodie the idea next year is to grow a lot of the stuff myself.  You cannot or very rarely get hold of tayberries or more unusual fruits unless you grow them at home and so I want t...

No I have not emigrated just up to my neck and more at the moment with the preserving.  Apologies for not blogging much at the minute as I am up to my eyes in preserving.  We have tomatoes on the go at the moment being bottled in my new to me vintage dual purpose Kilner jars. They are wider necked/mouthed than the newer jars.  you can use the jars with Leifheit gaskets which fit the original Kilner jar rings but you can also get the Leifheit rings.  I prefer these jars as they are wider necked/mouthed and make it easier to get whole tomatoes in, pears, plums and other larger fruit. I get mine predominantly from P D Headley of http://www.preservingjarparts.co.uk/ he sells vintage jars and also will restore the rings.  He also sells on Ebay. This is a packed jar just before it goes into the preserving pot.  Seems to be packed tight.  They do shrink a bit however and look as though they are at half mast...

One heck of a storm yesterday that rumbled on an on and we had lots of lightning a proper electrical storm where the sky looked decidedly funny.  I was in Waitrose when there was one heck of a thump I thought the ceiling was coming in.  I do not like storms at the best of times.  They make me nervous.  Mum when we were little used to tell us it was Santa Claus turning his toys over.  Mum was frightened and so was her mum and it was her way of trying to keep us calm by making little of it.  Needless to say at that age we bought it.  However the crunch yesterday  must have meant that he had a very huge toy sack. Anyway here are some photos of the sky as I walked into town.  Needless to say we had torrential rain later on. PP

I have more Apricots to preserve this time they are going to have a dash of Amaretto to them to give a very adult pudding.  Remember once the Apricots are eaten then you can always use the syrup on pancakes or even the fruit on pancakes or even with some soda as a long cool drink APRICOTS AND ALMONDS IN AMARETTO INGREDIENTS 85G/3oz of Granulated Sugar 450g/1lb of Apricots halved and stoned 60g/2 oz blanched Almonds Approximately 250ml/8 fl oz of Amaretto NOTE; If you prefer to skin your Apricots before bottling them plunge the whole fruits into a bowl of boiling water  - like you would a Tomato or a Peach – I always cut a little cross in the top and bottom of the fruit before plunging into the hot water to help with getting the skins off hold them there for approximately 1 minute and then plunge into a bowl of icy water and then peel off the skins.  I also use the Amaretto from Lidl's which will possibly cost...

This is what I am hoping to make next bank holiday weekend.  Fruit salad in bulk so that I have plenty of to go through during the winter months.  OH is partial to fruit salad and I quite like it as well.  It was always fascinating for my brother and I when we were younger when mum used to open a tin of fruit salad, dish it up with some Ideal or Carnation evaporated milk - remember them and then we used to fight over the cherry.  However no cherries in this if you did add the colour would only leach into the syrup and turn everything pink.  You could if you wanted add a candied cherry or two when serving but I think this will go down nicely as it is.  BOTTLED FRUIT SALAD INGREDIENTS; METRIC IMPERIAL 450 ml water ¾ pint of water 350g Sugar 12 oz of sugar Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons 500g of apples quartered, cored and sliced (peel...

I thought I would share this link with you for a home made liqueur site I have found on Pinterest as I know that a lot of you ladies like myself like to dabble with a little bit of homemade this and that. http://www.punkdomestics.com/category/tags/liqueur Lots of interesting recipes here. We walked Missy yesterday evening and on our travels as usual when I accompany HRH I am scanning the hedgerows looking for anything I can possibly use and turn it into a preserve or two for my pantry shelf.  On this walk I noticed that there are a few blackberries around and I have said that I will go with him probably tomorrow night as I have physio tomorrow and collect a few.  I have also noticed a few elderberries but not many about.  I think all this recent dry weather has impacted quite heavily on the fruits of both certainly where I am going  at the moment.  I will possibly get OH to take me for a ride out next weekend after he comes back from fishing t...