A slight diversion

 I have always prided myself on keeping a good stock of lids, seals, rings etc for my preserving projects, often buying a few each month to keep things stocked up especially for the onslaught of a new preserving season.  I am glad that I have had this practice for many years and recently I have been able to find new seals for my canning jars but they are few and far between so if you see some buy some if you can or bottle.

In the middle of my epic jamming, pickling and preserving session I have run out of jam jar lids.  So I legged it into town to see if I could get any.  Have come home from Lakeland with six packs of 12 and am now the proud owner of 72 new lids 6 packs x 12.  I have plenty of jam jars but am going to have to very slowly  build my stock of canning jars up again.  I was lucky to find 4 such jars for £5 today so that is the start of the new stash of canning jars.  They are the Bormioli Staggioni (I am not sure that is the way to spell it) jars.  They are solid lid jars with no separate ring and seal but they are worth buying as the Kilner standard jar seals and rings fit these very nicely.  I was chuffed to find some; they were the last pack on the shelf.

So my day has been disrupted to that which was planned, but will pick myself up and dust myself down and get back into first gear again. I am quite a bit behind now but will get there.

I have also got some pears to bottle as well.  Might get them done tonight in any event as want them processed as quickly as I can.  Also got plans for other fruits if I can get hold of them.  I am planning for them all to be prepared in a light syrup.

I am going to make the Ratatouille Chutney this evening and get that out of the way with.  There are lots of bottles starting to mount up with lots of goodies in them.  There will be more next year as I am slowly sorting out recipes of the stuff I want to can and process, which will start right from the beginning of the year.  

I shall pay another visit to the veg shop tomorrow to see what reductions they have and if there is anything worth preserving.  I do want some peaches though, and other fruits to can/bottle a selection for puddings over the winter months.

We have chicken and assorted veg for tea with gravy.  Might even make some bread sauce.

Catch you later.

Pattypan

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