Pattypan's Pantry Diary Update - Week Ending Sunday 14 August 2022

Here is an update on my kitchen potterings this week.  I am participating in the #everybitcountschallenge hosted by Jessica at Threerivershomestead, but I am a day behind with my posts, so this diary resume might not quite marry up with the #everybitcounts records. I am only human and have been known to lose the plot!  There are some interesting items this week, but not necessarily the quantity of the first week.  Will see what transpires in due course.

Monday 8th August 2022

Finished off the Strawberries that had been put in the fridge to macerate in sugar. Eight jars prepared, one jar has siphoned and not sealed so that will be eaten as part of tea.  No waste allowed here. Fruit floating despite being in sugar.  Need to go back to the drawing board on that one.  I packed jars reasonably tightly. Was worried if pushed any harder would split the fruit. 

*When I went to bed, the jars were still cooling down; but relatively pleased with these.

Also, started off a jar of Fermented garlic. This will take a month to cure and work through.  Every few days need to take the lid off to release the fermentation gases and then replace.  Also need to turn jar upside down every couple of days as well.  

Never done this before but I do like projects that are  giving in quantities and also where to use.  They are all rounders as far as I am concerned.  I always see the potential, although I have never done a ferment like this before.  I am considering a test batch of Saurkraut, even though I am not sure whether I like it or not.  Probably even more reason to try it. Think this might be a project for next week.

I checked on the colour of the Bramble/Blackberry Whisky and it looks superb even after only a couple of days.  It looks lush.  Now a glass of this will certainly be cheery come Christmas.  Just a pity I do not have the roaring fire to go with it!

Am also going to start off a Five Spice (Star Anise) Honey for use in Chinese style meals. I am using the whole Star Anise for this as it gives a clearer finish to the honey whereas the powder creates a cloudiness within it.  Will be good coated on a chicken and sprinkled with sesame seeds, which as they cook toast and give off the most wonderful flavour.

Tuesday 9th August 2022

Terribly warm again. Sort of pottering about but feel absolutely drained with this heat.  If I process anything it will be later tonight when it cools down a bit. In the meantime sorting out things for future projects and for making my life easier.

Preparation Work

Otherwise trying to sort out what canning jars I have left for water-bathing, and also jam jars and bottles. I have found my vintage Kilner Dual Purpose Litre jars.  They will work beautifully once a new ring and seal are in place.  I have found eight of these so far. I will still retain the original lids and rings, but for food processing use new seals and rings.  

I have also found my Mum's Kilner jars from my childhood (or what remain).  They are still large jars compared to the Kilner jars of today, about 2 pint I think.  Yet again with a new seal and ring they will work well.  Mum had a lot of preserving jars when I was little, but they gradually got broken.  At least I have these.  I did ask for my Nan's but she had already passed them on to someone in the village.  My Nan's ones were the glass lidded ones with a rubber seal version, prior to the Dual Purpose ones and I think from around the late 1920's to 1930's.  As they were emptied each year they used to be placed in a box in the garage ready for the next preserving season to come.  In between times, my Pop (Grandad) used to pull so many of them out and with a soft ball we used to play skittles on the back lawn.  Happy days.  Not quite the use recommended but it did keep us happy.

Will need to look at the six Demijohn's that I left soaking overnight from yesterday.  They have been in the shed and so were a bit grimy so have popped them in a solution of bleach and washing up liquid to take the thick off.  Will then go in with the bottle brush and give a good scrub and rinse.  Once I am satisfied that they are clean, will bung them in the big oven one at a time, to heat them up to make sure.  Will then allow to cool and put a wadge of cotton wool in the opening to stop any more bits and bobs getting in.  Will just then rinse out with Metabisulphate before using.  

There is always a lot of behind the scenes work when you are preserving, winemaking or putting up stuff to make your life easier in the long run.  All part of a finely tuned method of organisation.  My Demijohns have had for many years.  Some of them were my Nan's and some were my Mum's, as well as my own.  I grew up in households where there was wine on the go, and the gentle plink, plink pop of the wine working in the Demijohn was part of the everyday background noise of the home.  Gentle sounds, like the strike of my Grandparents' clock in the dining room always constant always there (even if it was not so quiet) as the Demijohn working.

Wednesday 10th August 2022

Preparation work

Still working on finding all  my preserving stuff and getting things sorted for future projects.  Am doing a tidy up as I go as well so that I can find things a lot better in the future.

However, there have been a few little projects.

Toasted Sesame Seeds

Prepared a batch of Toasted Sesame Seeds for having with my cereal of a morning.  Normally put a good dollop of natural yogurt on cereal or fruit and then sprinkle liberally with this mix.  It is very good for us ladies, as it has minute elements of minerals and oils that we actually need.  Very tasty too.  This is the core ingredient in Tahini, which can also be made at home. You can buy big bags of the seeds from local ethnic shops.  We have a very good Asian shop round the corner.

Toasted Nuts in Honey

Toasted Pecans in Honey, a couple of small jars of this are going to be put up for now. (In the end I did one large jar).  More will be added.  They make a wonderful sauce for ice cream, but are also good dribbled all over Goat's cheese, or a Goat's cheese toastie salad. Also good dribbled over porridge, oatmeal and fresh fruit such as fresh figs which are to die for. Also good in puddings and baking.  You can use Walnuts, Almonds and Hazelnuts too. All very useful products for the Pantry Shelf. which are easy to make but do not cost as much as the Artisan products. Much as I love Artisan products, I have a limited budget and so do what I can with what I have available to me.

Natural honey is a glorious food. It does not go off, it is an antibiotic, can be used on cuts and scars.  The honey that you buy from the supermarket has been collected from many hives all over the country and then blended.  It is no less of a honey to use.  However, honey from its own microclimate tends to have the flavours of the crops that the bee has collected the nectar from. It should not be labelled a specific type of honey because that really cannot be guaranteed as one particular flower that the bees have collected from even if it is 99% certain. That is why I say honey is honey.  It is all good for you and better to have some than none at all.

Also intend to put up several batches of Cobbler Mix for the Pantry Shelf.  As I am putting all these fruits up for puddings and the like, it will be brilliant just to be able to grab a jar or two of fruit and a packet of Cobbler mix and pudding ready and in the oven within a few minutes.  That I think will fit with the way that my Pantry works.  I have lots of ideas on this front, but can only do so much at a time and have to deal with what you can achieve and deal with in the present moment.

Thursday 11th August 2022

I did a mini hair cut on my Bay tree outside my kitchen window.  I have a narrow bed here which is predominantly used for Herbs where the tree grows as does a grape vine.

Today's contribution to the challenge has been cutting sprays of Bay to dry naturally on one of my Welsh Pine Dressers.  I am adding little by little to a string strung across the front of the Dresser.  It is making a rather free form garland which is both decorative and practical.  I also have two baskets of single leaves drying there as well.  The garland is being added to a bit at a time.  Unusually for me I had run completely out of Bay leaves. 

I also need a lot for natural decorations for Christmas this year.  Another reason why a full hair cut has not been given yet.   Using what is around and about in nature like little Larch cones, pine cones of different sizes, Bay leaves, Teasels, The Stalks/Stems of Queen Anne's Lace (Cow Parsley) all have a use.  Even leaves you can do something creative with, just take some spray paint, gold glitz and pretty dried leaves and you can make beautiful wrapping paper for packaging your Christmas presents in.

Here are the Dresser shelves and start of the "garland".

Friday 12 August 2022

Viable Wine Yeast?

Had some older wine making yeast which I did not know whether viable so set a starter pot off.  It is viable to make wine with, and so I also set up two more starter pots as well so that I can start getting back into the wine making.  I have some Elderflower, Apple and Blackberry wines to make yet.

Saturday 13th August 2022

I have been a lot of sugar in preserving recently, and when I nipped round to the shop they had sugar on the shelves.  I therefore nabbed a couple of bags as I know that I will need this in the coming weeks.  I also bought a couple of jars of honey as I have been using that a lot too.  For preserving projects I tend to use the clear runny honey.  However for eating on toast, I like the proper set opaque honey especially on thick buttery toast.  One day I will get my bees!

Made two gallons of Orange Wine from scratch from Oranges purchased at £1 a basket.  There were 16 large Oranges in total for £2. I have used eight in the wine.  

Have a batch of Orange Cleaning Vinegar to make up from the shells of the Oranges.  Just need to locate a suitable container with a lid.  I have some spare lids somewhere but can I find them.  The peels are currently in the fridge ready for using.

We have Oranges left over for eating and as we eat them I am saving the peels. I shall take a lot of the pith off, using a paring knife and then pop in the dehydrator to make Orange peel pieces for popping into stews and casseroles good with beef.  Alternatively will be turned into powder for adding to cakes or buttercream.  Can also be turned into home made essences.  Good to pop into home made fire-starters and pot- pourri or a room scenter.  Think this might be a good project for tomorrow.

Sunday 14th August 2022

Today has been low key as it has been too hot again.  I turn into a Sloth as the heat just gets far too much for me.  So it has been a gentle pottering sort of day where I have done something, sat and rested, pottered off to have a look at something else, done this and done that.  All very organic and just happening when it needs to.

So far today have set too and started off the Orange cleaning vinegar, which will now be left for a month.  I am so happy when I get something really out of nothing.

Talking about something out of nothing, the peels left over from two oranges that OH and I had to eat have also been de-pithed, and I have removed as much of the pith as I can using a little sharp paring knife.  This is a little tedious, but why waste flavouring just because you cannot be bothered to do something about it.  Orange peel is now drying naturally on the dresser.  The peel was particularly thick on these oranges.

The Orange peel once dried can be used in several different ways. By placing some Orange peel in a Beef stew adds more flavour and richness. You do not need much.  You can add it to home made pot pourri, fire-starters, in baking if powdered down, in cakes, in buttercream and in mincemeat and fruit cake.

New Sourdough Starter

I have decided to dip my toe in the Sourdough Bread Starter and making thing again.  I have started off a new Sourdough Starter.  This time I am following Farmhouse on Boone's instructions for the Starter and how to process and make a loaf or lots of other goodies.  I am desperate to get this right this time.  I have been buying in bread flour for a while and really want to get this up and running.

Day One

Therefore I have bought a bottle of water, and started off the new Starter in a fresh bowl by putting one cup of bread flour into said bowl, and then one cup of the bought still water and then whipping everything together until it is all mixed in.

I am going to leave the bowl covered over with a tea towel, until I have got it working.

Blackberry Vinegar

From the Sourdough Starter, I have then noticed that there was a jar of Blackberry vinegar which I had not finished off.  I made this vinegar slightly differently as I wanted to retain some of the tang of the vinegar together with a little sweetness.  I therefore left my Blackberries in a jar with vinegar for about three months.

It needed straining first to get rid of the berries and I did this through a jelly net.  I then passed the liquid through a coffee filer paper to make sure that there were no bits and that the vinegar gives off a nice shiny finish once concluded.  

I then added a little sugar about 1oz to the pan with the vinegar and brought this up to a boil.  Stopped the cooking once this point was reached and put to one side.  Tasted and it has that sweet and sour tangy flavour I was after this therefore looks very promising.

This was then poured into hot sterilised bottles.  I have realised two full bottles and a third bottle of the vinegar.  Will be nice with salads and also with Goat's cheese, Chicken, Duck etc.

That is another outstanding job off the list.

And to the next wine making project.   I have several lined up as it is a long time since I last made any and I want to get the Country wines up and flowing again.  It is an ideal medium to use up fruit that its perhaps past its best for canning etc. but still nice to get something out of it.

I have some Blackberries and am going to turn these into wine.  Hopefully I will be able to get out and obtain a few more blackberries and I would quite like to have a go at a syrup.

Blackberry Wine

That has all been started off, will be a ten day period all told before it hits a demijohn, if I have read the recipe correctly.  Hope to get into more seasonal makes as the year goes on, but several recipes I wish to achieve.  See separate post about this.

Tight Tips for the Week

I have been doing some research this week on how to take cuttings from a grape vine.  I have one along the fence outside the back door which has gone manic whilst I have been away and I would like to take some cuttings to start off elsewhere.  I found out, which I did not know that vine leaves are very good for adding to pickled gherkins and cucumbers  and that if  you add a couple of leaves to a jar, this will maintain the crunch on  your pickle without having to add anything artificial.  Am going to try this when I do my cucumbers. However, it did make me wonder whether you coulld use it for other pickles, such as pickled cabbage. Pickled cabbage has a very short shelf life and I wondered whether you could use the grape leaves with this.  When checking the internet, the generic use of pickles in the USA seems to refer to "pickles".  On further reading this seems generically to be cucumber or courgette.  Whereas pickles in the UK covers a multitude of sins.  I have also read that Bay leaves can do the same thing.  Any of you ladies out there familiar with using Grape leaves or Bay leaves to make Pickles crisp?

Catch you soon.

Psattypan

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