TARRAGON & THYME

Its been a busy day here with lots of elbow grease and cleaning going on.  Still have a lot to do but it is deep clean session so it usually takes a little while.  Still ongoing but very slowly getting there. OH has been fishing for a few days but has come home early I was not expecting him until tomorrow. As it had threatened rain and he did not want to have to pack the bivvy up in the wet (as it makes it smell not very nice and then you have to get it out in the garden to freshen it up and dry it out).  So he has perhaps been a little sensible as true to form it is now raining. We have not long walked the dog and it started spitting whilst we were out and about.  We have then come home and I have had the job of bathing the dog.  She has to be bathed pretty regularly as she has a skin and a food allergy which results in her every so often getting really sore and she has a special shampoo that costs a lot of money.  We have just run out of that so ...

I found these at Poundland for the obligatory £1 apiece.  It strikes me that these would be okay to use in the dehydrator for preparing and processing fruit leathers and also for preparing home made cake decorations and with sweet making. I ended up buying 5 and may get some more as I also think that I will be able to customise my cake tins using these and cutting them to shape of each tin and then kept separate marked up with the tins size etc.  They are quite a generous size. They will be ideal for lots of baking and cooking tasks. I had been eyeing up their version of the liners which were a lot more expensive and also a confectionary mat in Lakeland which was quite expensive so I thought I would try this option first.  I already have some smaller ones but this one is a lot larger the size is 33cm x 40cm.  All I can do is try but I think they will be more than okay.  It might also make older tins that are starting to go rusty as they do (...

Starting with Fir Cones I love natural things and am an avid collector of all sorts of natural bits and bobs when I go out walking. If there are fir cones laying on the ground I have to pick them up.  They can be used for oh so many things especially in the run up to Christmas.  I was brought up to collect as we walked.  Initially when I was a child it was to pick up twigs and fir cones to go onto the coal fire in the winter months as well as helping Dad chop the kindling the sticks utilising an axe to create the perfect kindling with which to start the fire.  We also used to pick the sheep's wool off the barbed wire fences and take this home and it would go in with the kindling with which to start the fire.  The daily newspaper  after being read the following day would be turned into fire starters.  Essentially this was a couple of pages of the newspaper which were folded into long strips (concertinaed) and then the balls wrapped into knots and...

Its been all go in the kitchen this evening.  I have a big pan of beetroot cooking and I have another one to do.  Jars of this will go to relatives and friends at Christmas as part of a little bit of something.  Once cooked I shall leave it in the pan to cool and then once cold peel all the outer skin off, slice it and then add the cooled vinegar. I shall then start the next batch although I might change this to beetroot pickle for something a bit different.  Will see how many jars are made up first before I decide. I have also been pricking my sloes; a lot of them had split in any event and I have the last of the sloes to add to the jar.  Hopefully I will get more on Sunday when we walk the dog as I would like to put some in the freezer for another batch later on.  The supervisor has been there watching my every move.  Bumble (one of my six cats) has been close up and personal watching my every move and inspecting what I have been doing a...

Can you remember the "rolls" of Florida Orange juice that you used to buy from the shops from the freezer.   I think initially the Birds Eye company sold this but then other companies bought out their own.   I used to love that juice, especially as it was lovely and chilled and slipped down a dry throat a treat.  I have not seen anything like that recently.  I wonder if you can still get it.   In preparation for Christmas we must not forget our drinks.  A lot of us do not want to go OTT on the alcohol front but because of all the rich food want something to freshen up our palate and soothe our throats. So why not squeeze your own juice and store it in ice cream boxes in the freezer.  It will take a little work, but at least if you prepare it before you are going to get all the clutter and the debris from the oranges all sorted  out.  You can make your own mixed peel with this, but I will cover that on another post.  I am very lu...

This probably is a little late for this year, but then again maybe not as you are still able to buy plums on the market and in the supermarket just different varieties. I had not contemplated plums in any kind of alcohol before and this recipe was attached with the Sloe Gin Recipe in my Sloe Gin making kit. The recipe is as follows: The recipe initially says to use plums off your own plum tree or replace them with Damsons. The recipe can also be used as a basis for other fruits such as peaches or cherries but you would have to adjust the sugar to taste. You will need: 1 litre/34US fl oz of Brandy 900g/2lb Frozen or Fresh Plums 450g/1lb of Demerara Sugar Method: Was the fruit thoroughly. Freeze the plums whole.  This will reduce the amount of straining required. Add the plums to the sterilised Kilner jar then add the sugar cover with the brandy and fasten down the lid. Store in a dark dry place at room temperature. Tip the jar ups...

I mentioned the other day that I had ordered some Kilner bits and bobs including a Sloe Gin making set.  I thought it would be next week before I saw that but it has arrived this morning, which I am very chuffed about as it can now be used for making my sloe gin.  I have a nice large container for putting the sloes and the gin into.  I have two litres of gin to be used in this respect.  There is an angled funnel, and four bottles into which the Sloe Gin can be decanted into once the Sloes have been taken off the spirit.  The Sloes on this occasion will be used to make Sloe Gin Chocolate for eating at Christmas but I will keep the fruit in the freezer until I am ready to make the same.  I am not wasting the flavour.  I also have cherries soaking in brandy and I am going to do the same with them as well. In the leaflet that accompanied the set there is also a recipe for Plum Brandy.  I will post that up later on.  However I have previously...

I love the scent and smell of fresh herbs there is something wholesome and fresh about them.  I have not done too badly with them this year considering but there is always room for improvement.  I have the herbs drying off coat hangers.  The herbs are tied in little bunches and attached to the bottom support of the coat hanger with a little string.  It should not take too long for them to dry.  I will then with the sage at least crumble it into jars for long keeping over the winter.  I prefer to air dry them as I think that more important things can be processed in the Dehydrator like jerky or dried vegetables or tomatoes for sun dried tomatoes. I have  at present drying for the winter months the following: Fresh Sage  - I use in lots of home made stuffings.  I really need a bit more and may well have to buy some as my sage is new and has not got itself set properly. I am hoping for a better crop next year but may move...

I have invested in a fruit press for having a go at making my own cider.  We both like cider here and I also like Perry for those of you who do not know this is the pear version of cider.  My Nan and my Mum used to make both when I was growing up.  So another real blast from the past as it were.  I also have the option now of preparing apple juice. I have relatively good access to apples and pears at the veg shop which are sold off cheaply on a regular basis so it seemed only sensible to make use of this regular supply of apples and pears. You get about 1kg for £1.  We all have to have something to eat but we also need something to drink. I thought that this might fit in very well with our way of life.  I am a cider drinker but I am not sure whether I am a cider maker that will be revealed in due course but in for a penny and in for a pound I am going to have a go.  Now what is she getting herself into.   The press I have found is ...

Nothing much of late however I am on the look out for nice pine picture frames with not particularly nice pictures in to recycle with some of my finished pieces of needlework as it costs an arm and a leg to have them done professionally these days. I have some nice pieces which it is about time I had on the wall; mostly cross stitched. So today I managed to find a nice one quite large for £4.  I shall keep my eyes open though for other suitable frames in due course.  Sometimes they are a bit scuffed but a little tlc and elbow grease often works wonders.  Sometimes if they are little to scruffy then out comes the paint pot and they end up getting a drastic revamp.  However at the end of the day I have to take things as I find them.  I predominantly go for pine, as it matches my pine furniture and blends in I also picked up another picnic hamper for £5.  This will be ideal to take home prepared goodies to friends and family over the Christmas period....

Not how I had planned it by a long chalk.  In any event I ended up going into town for some bits that I could not get locally.  I did not get them all but I am back in town tomorrow for a little while so hopefully will get the missing bits tomorrow. I think Christmas was waiting for me at the John Lewis store in the Queensgate shopping centre.  As I went in on the ground floor I was  met by all the Christmas trees up, men on vertical lifts adding the Christmas lights to the ceiling, the shelving and baskets all decked up to the nines with some lovely stuff but it was not finished.  I shall have another peek tomorrow and if I remember will try and take a photo.  It looked lovely in any event.  I also went round the Tiger shop and they have one or two nice bits in, including some glass candle bowls/lanterns in three different sizes and slightly different shapes in green, red and purple blue.  They really looked good at £2 per la...

Are the green version of cob nuts/hazlenuts and like Green Walnuts they are delish.  They are always out  from the end of August and this time of year and I end up getting mine at Waitrose.  The first time I had Filbert nuts was when my Dad went to a customer's place of business to do some repairs and they had a load of these nuts scattered on the floor.  In the end they gave him some and he brought a scuttle full home.  They were delish.  I seem to have a thing about nuts of all kinds. If I was deeper into the countryside would be different I would probably be able to locate this seasonal treat locally but for the time being I have to rely on the supermarket for my annual fix this is the way that I have to do it for now.  I just love them raw.  However if you want to keep them you can roast them yourself and then keep in the freezer. Here are instructions on how to do the same: http://www.ehow.com/how_5896955_prepare-raw-hazelnuts.ht...

As I do a lot of preserving I am always on the look out for preserving jars of various descriptions.  I have had them all over the years  (and I still have an awful lot) including antique Kilner jars some of which belonged to my mum when I was a little girl and some of which I have found at Antique stores and off the Internet.  All are put into use wherever possible.  Most of them are in the shed but not all.  Periodically I go on the Internet, primarily Ebay and I manage to pick them up quite cheaply.   I also source  the seals so that I can use the antique jars again and again (Leifheit closures).  Just recently I have added another 40 or so Kilner jars to the stash - especially now I have the canner and no doubt more will be added in due course.  The ones below are the medium sized Kilner jars, but now I need to stock up on the litre jars.  There do not seem to be the offers on these though and those are the ones I need for the s...

Well off we tottled with the moo (Missy is also known as moo i.e. Missy Moo) well armed like a British Expedition trip.  I have a wooden basket that I normally use and could I find it - not at all.  Its safe somewhere just not sure where.  So instead I have gone armed with a couple of decent sized carrier bags, some freezer bags and a bin liner.  We do not need the hook as the trees are not that high up.  Also a biscuit each and a bottle of drink. We promptly arrived at the Crab Apple Trees most of the apples were down so I have been scrabbling on my hands and knees under the tree picking up the apples which were perfect.  I think I have about 20lbs in weight with which to  make crab apple jelly, spiced crab apple jelly, crab apple and sloe jelly, sloe gin jelly,  crab apple cheese, crab apple and rosehip cheese, crab apple and rosehip jelly.  I am hoping that I will have more than enough crabs to do everything I want to make. We hav...

I have four bunches of sweet fresh mint ready to turn into home made long-keeping Mint Sauce.  This is something that I make most years and is really simple to do.  Also very simple to reconstitute. The Recipe is here:  http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/something-for-pantry-shelf-mint-sauce.html OH uses copious amounts of mint sauce and/or jelly so this is one that is always in constant use as he uses mint sauce on everything. I have also made some mint vinegar for adding to the mint concentrate so that you really get that impact of flavour and freshness. The Mixed frozen berries are to turn into cordial and coulis for the pantry shelf.  I shall process them in the bottle steriliser and that way on they will keep through the winter months and I will be able to drag out ice cream sauce during the middle of winter. It is also good on cake.  I am not paying £5 a bottle no way for a bottle of home made Coulis especially when it is so easy to ...

This is a recipe taken from the Preserves book by Dick and James Strawbridge. You will need: 150ml (5 fl oz of vinegar) 2 tablespoons of sugar 50g/2 oz dried chillies stems removed a pinch of salt a pinch of freshly ground black pepper Put the vinegar and sugar into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.  Blitz the chillies in a food processor or grind them using a pestle and mortar, until flaky, and add to the vinegar.  Bring t the boil and then allow to cool in the pan..  Season with salt and pepper then pour into a jam jar.  Seal tightly and store in the fridge.  To use add a little to your chosen dish.  However use sparingly as it is hot. PP

We walked Missy this evening and went and had a look at the crab apples. There are a few and I hope to go for these tomorrow. There are also cones, teasels and rosehips.  There was also a lovely surprise.  The golden load of sloes.  I have never seen so many together.  I aim to pick these as well as there is so much you can do with them and then pop them into the freezer.  That way round I can use some and then save some for a later batch of sloe gin or sloe and crab apple jelly or sloe and apple jelly, sloe whisky, apple and sloe sorbet, slider, (sloes in cider), sloe gin chocolate, sloe port, sloe vodka,  sloe gin jelly, sloe gin and chocoloate pudding, sloe chutney, and there are so many more combinations beside including a cranberry and sloe gin sauce.  So it looks as though I am taking my basket with me tomorrow to harvest some of the contents of the wild larder.  Always adds an element of surprise to the pantry especially on a c...

I love dried figs and dates.  They have been a part of my Christmas forever.  My father acquired a taste for them when he was out in Egypt and they were then on the sweetmeats plate every Christmas.  I absolutely adore fresh figs as well.  Same with Ginger and Turkish Delight.  Had to be the Ali Baba one though. Dried dates can be bought in the long slim packs with the plastic forks in them; I buy these when they are reduced and then chop them up and use in baking.  The veg shop has them periodically and sells them off for about 70p per pack  You can also buy them sugar rolled and they really add a little bit more texture and flavour to cakes. I have been looking for dried figs this year so far without success so I am going to try Waitrose whilst I am away from work to see if they have any.  If they do they will be squirrelled away into the pantry for use in baking and puddings.  Since starting this post I have found my dried figs in...

When I went into Waitrose the other day I picked up a little cake lace kit for £4.50.  I thought that it would not amount to much but in reality for decorating a cake or cakes it is quite reasonable.  You get a big pot of gold icing and a little tiny rubber lace mat including 8 shapes which has three lacy flower rings a butterfly a heart two little tiny ribbon shapes and two little flower rings.  So all in all not a bad buy. Think that this will come in useful over the Christmas period or for decorating birthday cakes in the future.  By the way the gold icing is not a tiny pot but quite reasonable in all the circumstances. Catch you later on. Pattypan x