A little stocking up

I have nearly always kept a very well stocked Pantry - even though it is nowhere near where I wish it to be it is still quite well stocked in the current climate. I do not consider myself a Prepper as such, but when you think about it, I suppose I am, but in a different kind of way.  I have always viewed the Pantry being well stocked up as a necessity as you never quite know what is round the corner.  If it is sufficiently stocked with basics, then you can survive for quite a period of time utilising these items.  I know, we have done this in the past.  The only thing with it is that the kind of meals are not necessarily the kind of meals that you would choose or fancy, but it does provide very good balanced and tasty eating.  It really comes down to a matter of choices, whether you want to incur further debt as a result of losing a job, but still managing to feed yourself and your family relatively cheaply, but well.  If the Pantry is well-stocked you have food security.

Near where I live in Peterborough is a small set of shops which is pretty multi-cultural, and which offers a variety of things as a result.

I have spoken of the Veg shop, which I frequent as much as I can. This shop I can buy fresh veg in quantity for a family which you cannot always do in a supermarket. This is very good quality produce and I have spoken about the reduced bowls for £1 a bowl (for produce that is still edible but not in its first flush).  I use this a lot for my preserving etc. 

However, we also have a couple of take-aways, an Asian shop, a Polish Shop, the Co-Op and the Chinese Take Away and also the Halal Meat Shop (which used to be the Post Office).  Today I had a little extra spare money, not much, but enough and so I nipped into the Asian shop.  It is a tiny shop but absolutely "stuffed to the Gunnells".  I did not come away with everything I was after but there will be another day when I can also top up on those items too.

I have bought about half a pound of some green chillies with which to finish off the Sweet Pepper Jelly I am planning to make.  I have also come away with a large root of Ginger, and some Ginger Powder for my Ginger Beer Plant feeds.  The fresh Ginger is for another couple of projects I have in mind.  It also has a bud on it so I may well try and grow some Ginger from this.  It is worth a try.  I am also thinking that I want to make a couple of gallons of some Ginger Wine to start with. This is another of my favourite wines.  Next year though April/May I will certainly be making at least a couple of gallons of Nettle wine which has root ginger in it.  I missed out this year due to us being away.

I have also bought a selection of other items as follows:

Popcorn is always welcome for a snack.  I tend to buy in as large a pack as I can, this one was 1kilo for £1.99.  There was a 500g pack for £1.25. Always useful to have in and very easy to make yourself.

With us having been away for so long earlier in the summer, I missed out on preparing so much stuff that I normally do for myself.  To try and catch up a bit I have bought in some of my more common herbs that I use, and I hope to do some drying between now and next year to rectify this issue.  However, I have quite a pressing issue for homemade Sage and Onion Stuffing and some other Herb mixtures which I want to squirrel away.  We have Sage, Rosemary and Parsley here.

Next on to Mustard seeds.  This was the only size I could find today.  Occasionally you can get the larger bags of seeds.  I have bought two bags of the yellow Mustard seeds home and will start off a new jar and add to it every so often if I cannot locate a bigger bag.  I make homemade Mustard every year.  I also use the seeds in pickling and cooking.

Ground Ginger I use in baking; I also use it to feed my Ginger Beer plant. So another useful one to have in the Pantry.

I also found some brown Mustard seeds.  I have bought one packet home, and shall get a couple of more in the next few weeks or so. I make a blended Mustard using both Brown and Golden seeds.

Rose water is also very affordable from the Asian shops and you do not end up paying through the nose for it.  Very good for making homemade Turkish Delight which is very moorish

I still need a few more things from there, but that will happen gradually.  They sell the Golden Raisins which I use in fruit cakes etc. certainly my Christmas cakes and also puddings and in Mincemeat.  They are £3.99 per bag, and I need about three bags to keep me going with what I have planned.  They are also rather good to eat as a snack.

I am planning on getting my Christmas cakes and Christmas puddings done early and out the way with this year before the energy costs go up too much.  I want them out of the way and done with so that my focus can go elsewhere, and I want my Pantry to be as stocked as it can be in the current circumstances.  This varies from person to person.  I also want to get more Mincemeat made.  I still have some from last year but still need more than I have.  I use it in a pastry tart case and serve it with custard for a pudding.  On winter nights it is very tasty and warming.

I am also after Rice Flour, which is what creates the topping with Sesame seed oil for Tiger Buns.  They also sell Sago, Ground Almonds, Semolina, Tapioca (Frogspawn - Yuk) OH likes it though and Pudding Rice (as well as all the other Rices such as Basmati etc.).

I am forever adding bits and bobs here to my Pantry.  Not just on the Preserves and "Canned/Bottled" items.  It does not involve a massive shop (those sort of "shopping trips" are reserved for Freezer items/Tinned items/Flours etc.  the more bulkier items when I have to have assistance to get stuff home. For the best part though, I do it a few items here and there and I always try and take advantage of true offers.  B & M tend to have those generally across the board.

A little shop, that has added a few more items to the shelf, now I can set too and get a few more projects out of the way with and put up ready for use throughout the Winter months before I start on the next set of projects.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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