Jobs to do this week

 Due to the bargains I found at the shop yesterday, I have now set myself up for some quite considerable work over the next few days on top of everything else.  We need the stuff to hand in the pantry though and that is the purpose of doing it.  Our local supermarket has had trouble keeping the shelves stocked due to deliveries promised but not arriving.  I am however very lucky in that I have a very good veg shop although they have been experiencing problems in sourcing stuff as there has not been stuff available at the wholesale auctions and market.  Prices have also gone up astronomically from what they have said.

Bearing all of that in mind here are my plans for this week on the preserving front. Running Wednesday to Wednesday.  I find these lists helpful in that they keep me on track with what I need to do.

1. The Cucumbers need to be turned into Bread and Butter Pickle Preserves.  OH eats these like sweeties.
2. Four Boxes of eggs need boiling, cooling, peeling and then added to jars and spiced white vinegar added.
3. Eating apples to be turned into Apple Butter, and Dried Apple Rings.  Going to use the slow cooker or cookers for doing the Apple Butter and the apple rings will also go ino the dehydrator.
4. Naval oranges to be turned into Spiced Pickled Orange Rings. I use these to decorate the top of a Gammon or Ham with a glaze on top.  Any syrup left over as it is a vinegar syrup can be used as a Winter salad dressing.  I make it shelf stable by hot water bathing in my baby steriliser.
5. Two kilos of Pickling Onions need to be prepared by being peeled, brined and then jarred with vinegar and whole spices being added before the lid goes on.
6. Two large bowls of Sweet Italian Peppers.  Some are headed for Chilli jam, some for Chilli jelly and hopefully some pickled peppers. I also hope to source some more to be dehydrated
7. Home made Mincemeat.
8. Home made Christmas cakes.
9. Home made Christmas puddings.

To this list I have also added the following items which have found today:

1. Another Two kilos of pickling onions.  They were getting low on the store so I decided to err on the side of caution. I have ordered Shallots but it depends whether they will be able to get them as supply is more than hit and miss at the moment.
2. Two bags of Kale to dry in the dehydrator. I will look out for Spinach and other leaves during the week as well also for drying.
3. Two packs of peeler oranges to be turned into Sweet Pickled Orange (Clementine, Satsuma etc) Rings 12 small oranges. They were reduced to 88p per pack from £1.50 each.
4. Four extremely large Leeks.  One of which is destined for stews, casseroles etc.  I intend to dehydrate the rest as they are useful to add to nice hot meals straight from the pantry shelf during the winter months and it is a way of getting veg into us in a slightly different format.

So as usual plenty of stuff to do.  So it is an early morning tomorrow so that I can get stuck in with the preparation and execution.

I will of course check the shops again tomorrow, particularly the reduced stuff at the veg shop which they tend to have daily.  It is a very good way of buying in items to preserve.

Upwards and onwards.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x