The best laid plans of mice and men

Were well and truly scuppered.  I got as far as getting all the ingredients together and the jam jars out of the shed then something blew up (family matter) that needed sorting out and by the time I got finished up I was too late to start the chutney. Bother! So I have parked that on the back burner for this evening.  I will reconvene tomorrow evening and try again.  Never mind the jars are out of the box they were stored in and at least I got 9 jars of pasta sauce after yesterdays session.

I have since found some more tomatoes which will need using up.  I thought I had processed all the ones I bought on Saturday but there appears to be another bag.  So have to look for another useful recipe. I am thinking tomato paste or tomato ketchup at this point. On the newer recipes I tend only to make up one batch of something (if its about four to five jars)  really to make sure that we like it or make notes on how to tweak it for next time.  A lot of preserves get given as part of a small Christmas present in any event so even though I make a lot quite a bit gets given away  but equally I end up with a nice stockpile too.

I also ended up putting some new jars into the shed that I had purchased recently so not too bad a job done with getting them put into the stash.  But it did not get my chutney done. Grhh. I have a lot to do as usual.  I also want to get the mincemeat started.  Its a good way of using up some of the older dried fruit that might be in your cupboard, together with fresh ingredients, a bit of this and a bit of that.I use one of my Rumptopf pots for this purpose.  I now have three Rumptopfs.  One is full of fruit  and hic rum and two are currently empty; one will be used for the mincemeat as I have said.  It is an ideal time for starting the mincemeat and I have several recipes my favourite though is the one that my friend Bovey Belle gave to me when we both used to belong to  the same forum.  That is some of the moistest mincemeat I have ever had.

Right I am ready for my bed but still have the cats to feed.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan
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