Pattypan's Pantry Diary Update Week Ending 28 August 2022

 Monday

I had plans to achieve a lot today, in reality to fit in with other things that cropped up, I have had to re-arrange some items that I planned on making.

The good thing is that I got the Orange wine into the Demijohns so that the wine can work out.  Lovely bright colour and smells good.  Now to keep an eye on it, I will top the Demijohn's up at the end of the week once the wine has settled down.  Sometimes you can have quite an effervescent fermentation where the contents try and escape the jar.  When it comes to the Blackberry/Bramble Wine I certainly do not want this because of the colour!

I am planning on making another batch of wine, this time Dried Apricot.  That I think will be commenced tomorrow. There is a plus side to this particular recipe I will be making, and that is that out of the pulp from the dried Apricots I can turn this into a chutney.  Waste not want not.

I had planned on making the Sourdough Bread today.  However, I need to use my Mixer for the kneading, my hands are not up to the kneading at the moment and it is not easily accessible at the moment. Therefore will feed Sourdough Starter again this evening so that the Starter is raring to go when I make up the bread.  Will then cook it this evening.  Think this will fit in with my routine much more easily.  Things you make have to work for you too, so that they are not too much of a chore.  I have decided that I am going to show the results whether they be good or bad.  After all this is a learning curve and the only way you learn is by making mistakes.  Those mistakes teach you so much  more in the long run so it is never a failure.

For my first batch of Pickled Eggs, the vinegar has been warmed through and the spices and seasonings added.  It has been left covered overnight ready for me to use once my eggs have been boiled, cooled and shelled.  Will be another useful preserve for OH on my Pantry shelf once completed.

The second Batch of Blackberry (Bramble) and Apple Jelly has been started.  It is now running through a jelly net and will be made up sometime tomorrow.  Bramble and Apple jelly is a firm favourite around here.  My step-daughter absolutely loves it.

I need to go out foraging again as I need a few more Blackberries for Blackberry syrup/cordial. They are really the same thing.  I had planned on making some out of the last big batch of Blackberries.  However, if the weather is good enough I will go with OH when he walks the dog and see if I can acquire a few more.  I had been planning on doing this all along, but we will see what we can find.  It will be fantastic served as a Kir (which is a drink) at Christmas and topped up with fizzy wine/Champers.  Will also be lovely drizzled all over ice cream, and maybe a serving of my Blackberries in syrup that I recently processed.

For tea OH had a repeat of Sunday's tea which was roasted chicken with peas, sprouting purple broccoli, cabbage, carrots, mixed roast veg consisting of roast potato, sweet potato, squash, red onion, white onion and Leek.  Very tasty it was. There was some veggies left over so I went into experimental mode as I had retained some of the Sourdough starter and made a hybrid meal for myself throwing in the veggies and warming them through and then adding to a bowl some of the Sourdough Starter, some more flour, 2 eggs and a little milk, all whipped together and then put over the roasted veggies in a frying pan and cooking through.  Sort of a cross between a Tortilla and a pancake.  Different and not too bad tasting, but more filling than I had anticipated.

And of course, there are the usual items to cross off the list, stir the Blackberry wine, burp the honey and garlic, feed the Sourdough Starter, feed the Ginger Beer Plant.

Tuesday

These were the plans:

The Sourdough bread needs making up and once done it will be left to rise.  Apparently should get two loaves out of the mixture.  The recipe says Coconut fat, so I am substituting that for some oil as I am very much using what I have to hand. I envisage cooking that after 6pm tonight. So we shall see what we shall see.

I now have to cook the Boiled eggs for the Pickled Eggs, cool them down and shell them.  Then bottle them.  The vinegar has already been spiced.  They can then go onto the Pantry shelf for OH.

Dried Apricot wine to be started after all my winemaking equipment I used yesterday has been sanitised.  It was left soaking overnight, but still needs the final washing and rinsing before I use it again.

I have a Sweet Pepper jelly that I want to have a go at.  Have been trying to get to this for the past few days, so hopefully will be able to set too and get this out of the way with.  It is especially nice with Jalapeno stuffed cream cheese chillies and I would suggest will go well with a cold meat platter/cheese board. I have Red, Green, Yellow and Orange peppers to cut down finely.

I also need to put the Pickled Onion jars I washed the other day through the Dishwasher as they are going to be used soon with the first batch of Pickling Onions. I think so far I have found seven of the Sarsons long tall jars.  Sarsons recently changed their jars to a stubbier version more practical for pickles.

However, in real life:

I had a bit of a disaster.  I had prepared a load of vinegar for pickling and ended up knocking it over the kitchen floor whilst trying to deal with some jelly.  Had to stop everything and mop up the vinegar which went everywhere.  There were a few other things went pear shaped as well, and I ended up making the decision to finish off the Blackberry and Apple jelly.

As a result the Sourdough has been put off again until tomorrow, as have the Pickled Eggs, the Dried Apricot wine and the Sweet Pepper jelly.

Hopefully will have a better day tomorrow.

Wednesday

Dealt with stage one of the Sourdough.  Left overnight to rise.  Also gathered together a load of items that have been preserved.  They need to go into the cupboard under the stairs/the extension Pantry, but I need to do a real sort out under there.

Thursday

Dealt with second part of the Sourdough.  Ended cooking it in the early hours of the morning.

Friday

Was a bits and bobs sort of day.

Started off by checking the Orange wine.  That is doing rather nicely.

Then went on and made some Orange cleaning vinegar this time.  I already have the Lemon one curing on the windowsill.

I also made some Toasted Almonds in Honey for the pantry shelf.  It turned out I did not have as many Almonds as I thought I had.  Will have to source more and then finish it off tomorrow.

Saturday

I made Saurkraut for the first time.  Never made this before and never tried it so it is totally an unknown quantity.  You have to live dangerously every now and then.  I will have to leave it five days before trying it.  Am planning on serving it with some home made hotdogs, fried onions and then a small side each of the Saurkraut.  Fingers crossed it is okay.

I also had a lot of other projects planned, but sadly did not get there.  The majority will either be re-arranged for Sunday or failing that on Monday.

Sunday

Went to fetch 7kg of Plums from near Wisbech.  These will be processed tomorrow.  We have some for fresh eating. They are Victoria plums.  Plan to bottle some in syrup and make some jam from these.

I do have some other plums with which to make jelly.

The Bramble/Blackberry wine has been decanted into its Demijohns and set to work. It is the most beautiful colour.

Am getting a right little line up on the Bathroom windowsill and also on the kitchen windowsill.

It is frothing a bit and I suspect it is trying to make the Grand gesture and try the Great Escape.  I have therefore for safety's sake left a bowl under it as I do not want a nasty sticky mess.

It is therefore going to be a very busy day tomorrow.  I have sorted the plums out and some of them are very ripe so they are going into the jam pot.  All are in the fridge at the moment.

I have therefore written myself a check list of the items I need to try and get done tomorrow.

I have also managed to stock up on some more items from the shop i.e. honey, sugar, lemons, limes as have some other projects these are needed for.

Hopefully I will get a lot more done this week.  Every little helps though.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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