Some more bits and bobs for the Pantry Shelf

Next year will be the year I get sorted properly with the garden.  I say this every year, however this year has been the best so far. However in the interim and very Squirrel like I am popping up lots of bits and bobs for the shelf from ingredients sourced from local shops and supermarkets.  Even though my Pantry has not quite been sorted out or decorated yet but I am getting there.

Earlier in the year I had made Rosemary salt to put on my homemade chips.  However a little furry creature called Tinky 2 (recently sadly deceased - although not as a result of spilling the salt) decided to go climbing on one of my dressers where it was stored, knocked it off the shelf, scattered the lot and to add insult to injury broke the vintage glass storage jar I had stored it in.  Grhh little monster. I did love her so though. She was only following her curious nature! I therefore needed to make some more which I have started off from the fresh Rosemary growing in my garden today.  Layering salt in a jar alternating with your chosen herb will dry out the herb as it is a natural dessicant.  This time round I have used a very fine sea salt rather than Maldon Salt flakes. It is also an ideal item to make more of and then give in little pots as part of a Christmas hamper for Christmas.

A couple of more bottles of Tarragon vinegar have also been prepared. This is a staple on my Pantry shelf.  A dash of this to a home made Marie Rose Sauce, lifts the sauce a little but a splash is also good in the gravy accompanying chicken.  I must admit Tarragon is one of my favourite herbs, but it must be French Tarragon.

I was buying pickled shallots at £3 a jar which is extortionate as it is only a tiny jar.  I therefore bought a couple of kilos of shallots when I saw them as we have completely run out of those I prepared last year. They are currently £3 a kilo from Waitrose and I have four large jars for the sum of £6 so far.

I also bought a bunch of beetroot to make a couple of jars of pickled beetroot.

One thing I do make every year is the Souper Mix from the River Cottage Preserves book by Pam Corbin.  My veggies are together and I had planned on doing this last night. However after my efforts at the caravan, I was shattered when we got in.  So that is on the agenda to do today.

Strawberry Vodka.  A couple of punnets of Strawberries are in a large Kilner jar, immersed and macerating in a bottle of Vodka.

I have also started off this year's Rumptopf with a layer of Strawberries, this time the fruit is immersed in a layer of sugar and covered in Rum - Dark Rum.

Talking of Rum, I found a bottle of my home made vanilla essence and it smells yum.  Am going to have to use some of that soon.  It is a perpetual bottle as each time you take some out you add a little more spirit in.

There was also a bottle of Gin in the house and as I have Rhubarb in the garden Rhubarb Gin was the obvious answer.  The Rhubarb  has been gently stewed and is currently soaking in a little bit of sugar and Gin.

Rhubarb cordial has also been made and the bottles processed in the Baby steriliser.  That will be very useful for the drinks cabinet as well.

OH received news this week that he will be able to fish a lake he used to fish again.  No one has been able to fish there for the past five years or so.  This is where I used to get my crab apples from.  So fingers crossed they are still there and I will be able to obtain some for making Crab apple jelly which is gorgeous with home stuffed and rolled Pork Belly which has been roasted.  Yum.  If they are there, there were two types, a rosy coloured crab and a yellow coloured crab.  Although the same recipe is used with both colours, I love it as you get two coloured jellies one a pinky red and the other a yellowy gold.

There are still lots of other projects in hand, which I will post about as I go along.  However they were all easy to fit in with what I have been doing over the past couple of days.

Unfortunately I did not wake up in time for an early morning forage.  Will take Missy there later and then collect some whilst I am walking her.  At least am getting a few goodies squirrelled away for the winter months.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x