#everybitcountschallenge Day 11, 11 August 2022 - All in the Prepperation (Preparation)
Day 11
Unfortunately the heat has got to me quite badly today, even though I have been in the house. I have not had the energy today to do anything which has not helped. I am never good in the heat. Did too much the other day so have taken time out. Then again, I am rather a bit like a Bull in the proverbial china shop when I am enthused with what I am doing, and tend to over-estimate my capabilities. Should be okay again tomorrow.
Wine
I have not wasted that time though. I found some yeast for making wine and I have currently set a tester pot up to see if the yeast is still viable. If it is bubbling by morning, then I will use it. It is not looking promising at the moment. Otherwise I will sling it and go and get a fresh supply.
The yeast is sitting on the windowsill. If it works, then it will go into a fermentation bucket with the chosen fruit, water and sugar and put out the way to work. That will be another thing off the check list. So preparation it is all part of the process. Prior to being made aware of the challenge, I have for years had sessions where I concentrated on getting things done and traditionally for me it has always been August all the way to the New Year, when the rhythm and the cycle starts again with the birth of the New Year.
Pickles
Another preparation item concerns my pickled onions. I make a couple of batches a year and pickled shallots. As I harvested some of the Bay yesterday, I will have fresh Bay leaves to put into my pickles at the appropriate time as they are still on the tree. I have only done an itsy bitsy haircut. The ones I harvested yesterday are just for drying and are in baskets on my dresser. I try and hold on to the leaves for as long as I can on the tree as I use them in a lot of Christmas decorations in any event. Not just for flavouring cooking.
When I was pickling last year I could not locate all my pickle onion jars. I have for years, invested in Sarsons malt and white pickling vinegars for preparing general pickles and also for chutneys. I have always tended to stockpile on what I call basic ingredients i.e. vinegar, sugar, herbs, spices, flavourings in order that I have them to hand if I suddenly decide I fancy doing a bit of this or that. I have since located my pickle jars and they have been put into sterilising liquid and left to soak. I then before using them give them a good soak in washing powder and hot water, and it takes away any lingering smells from the jar thus neutralising the jar.
I have also located my dried chillies from last year. I air dry my chillies normally by stringing them and then hanging off the top of the dresser. I always pop a piece of home dried chilli in my pickled onions for a bit of oomph. If the chillies are smaller then a whole one goes in but with these longer chillies, I break pieces off of them. When I give jars of Pickled Onions or Shallots away I always tell the recipient to take the chilli out if they do not want it too hot as these peppers can be a bit fiery at times..
Now all I have to do is prepare the spiced vinegar for the Pickled Onions and the Pickled Shallots. I normally batch make this about a month before making the Pickles. I will probably make this when and if we get rain. The reason for this is that the fumes do get a bit pungent and can make you uncomfortable so a modicum of respect has to be given towards preparing vinegars. You will need a window open and with the heat we have been having this is just not feasible as it would be too overpowering as the heat would amplify it.
Here is the link to the recipe I use for spicing the vinegar for those of you wishing to have a go and prepare things from scratch. I have found in practice that the little bottles of vinegar you get on the supermarket shelf are just plain vinegar. In the large jars it tends to be spiced already. I often also buy the vinegar in the cannisters. This year I am using what I have to hand, and if I find any bargains as I go along I will start stockpiling again. For me preserving is a year round thing.
The link is here:
Plans for Empty Jars and Bottles
With cleaning the dresser down the other day and stock-taking the contents of the bottles and jars, I have liberated a number of jars for future contents. I have plans to fill them with herbs that I use on a regular basis. I am talking general heavy duty herbs, apart from Bay that I use a lot of i.e. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Home dried herbs go a long way and there is a simplicity and honesty in their processing and turning their flavours into some magnificent meals. That is for the future though, first we have to fill the jars, which will start in the next few weeks or so, or at least the preparations with the drying of the herbs on the dresser as well as using my dehydators.
Definitely a good idea to rest up in this heat. We have all the windows and door open but fortunately the bottom part of the house always feels cool when you step in from outside, but it faces South/North so we get the sun! The yard is also S facing and the stuff in pot struggle and have to be watered with all the grey water from the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteWhen it's cooler, I may try some chutney using the white vinegar as you suggested it might not be as "fumey"! I can open several windows the cooker end of the kitchen so fumes should dissipate quite quickly. It hurts me to PAY for chutney when I can make lbs of it for the cost of one decent jar!
Hi sweetie, only going out of an evening when it has cooled down for a while and making use of being in the fresh air with doing something that needed doing anyway. I am sure OH thinks the Fairies come in overnight! The house with it being a Victorian terrace keeps relatively cool in the back until about middle of the afternoon. Then it peaks and starts cooling down again. It is frustrating when you know you can do stuff cheaper and with more flavour at home, and yet are having to consider other limitations. From experience I think it is the malt vinegar that gives off the most fumes. There is also white wine vinegar and cider vinegar that are both good to use. We always used to get all our apples free courtesy of my Nan's garden, until she passed and the property was sold on. That was a shock to the system buying apples and I have missed those Orchards ever since. One day. Just an idea BB, would Tam do the actual vinegar part for you if you prepped everything else for a chutney or chutneys. Just a thought. Keep safe xx
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