Pattypan's Pantry Diary Week Ending Sunday 23 October 2022

 

It has been an exceptionally busy week here for me and this coming week looks as though it is going to be much the same.

We have had about three days of rain.  It rained again all night and parts of Peterborough City Centre are flooded.  According to to the forecast there is more rain expected.  We surely need the rain to stockpile for next year.

I shall therefore start off with a continuation of last week's post to bring finality to some of the projects that I was halfway through.. 

Dried Kale and Spinach:

I managed to get two large recycled pickle jars full of dried Kale.

I also added the other two packets of Spinach to the small jar prepared last week and it is still not full. Standing on top of one of the jars of Kale.

Natural Rosehip Syrup:

The Rosehip syrup by natural methods is doing very well. There is just a section in the bottom of the jar that is slowly melting into the rest. Once this has gone I may top up with a little more sugar, in order that I get the full bottle full. I am definitely going to make another jar of this probably will be able to collect some more Rosehips next week if I can.

Cleaning Vinegars:

Photos above cleaning vinegars on my windowsill.

I also must at some point this coming week, decant my Lemon and Orange Cleaning vinegars into their bottles. I retained the original vinegar bottles which have been scrubbed clean of their labels and sterilised for this. Then they can be kept out the way and I can continue making batches of possibly different cleaning vinegars, with switching back to the Lemon and the Orange every so often to keep supplies up.

Anyway, back to business.  This week on the preserving front has been an extremely busy week.  I have shifted a lot of stuff and I have loads more to do.

Dried Nettles for Green Powder:

I also have dried nettles for green powder for adding to stews etc.  Only a little bit, but I can gather more nettles next time I go wandering.

The nettles are still to be powdered and decanted but are resting in a bag at the moment.

Dried whole Orange Decorations:

I am also experimenting with some whole orange decorations partially dried in the Dehydrator and partially in the oven.

Pickling Onions:

I have a couple of kilos of pickling onions to start with.  I intend to get some Shallots next.  Some of the picklers will be going into the Piccalilli.

Piccalilli:

Has been started.  You need roughly 2kg or just under of mixed veg for this recipe, which I have referred to before.  I have spent most of the evening preparing 4kg of veggies as I am doing a double batch.  No doubt it will not be enough, but at least this way he is going to have some for Christmas if I hide it. So he will have some for the near future and some for Christmas.  Beyond that I have no idea.

Veggies all salted up and in the fridge for finishing off.

I used a mixture of French beans, Runner beans, pickling onions, red onion, pumpkin, red pepper, yellow pepper, orange pepper, courgette, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot.  I thik that was everything.  I normally add in a Romanesco as well, but have not been able to get hold of this year.

You need to wash the mixture well.  I had about five to six changes of fresh water.  The salt is there to cure the preserve but you do not want it to taste of salt.  Just taste a little bit of the veggie to see whether it is too salty and if is do anothe water change.

Here they are all washed up and ready to go into the big stockpot for minimal cooking with the spiced sauce.

All in the saucepan with the sauce.

Finished off and must say it has come up lovely.  13 1/2 jars for the double batch.  Himself can have the little bit but he is not getting his mitts on the rest of it until it is cured and then it will be rationed as I think this is the one that I like in any event.  It is more of a lady's pickle.  I must say I do not normally like Piccalilli, but this one is not too bad.

Bay Leaves:

I dried these Bay Leaves on the Dresser some time ago, and I finally got around to stripping them off their stems and bagging them up.  I shall in due course make some Bay powder with some of these.

Passion Fruit Gin:

I found a jar of Passion Fruit Gin that needs filtering.  It is still in the jar as I have not been able to locate the specific bottles I have for this.  

Crab Apple and Rosehip Jelly:

I have a batch of Crab apple and Rosehip jelly on the go as well.

Crab Apple and Sloe Jelly:

Crabapple and Sloe Jelly have been made.  Seven jars.  Never made this before and quite like it.

Oranges:

I have dried Oranges for making Christmas garlands.  I have also attempted to dry some whole small oranges. This is very much an experiment, and I am not sure it will work. Sometimes the only way to see how things pan out is to actually have a go and make stuff.  I am well pleased with the orange slices; they will be lovely in a garland with some Bay leaves.

Waxed Leaves:

I have also tried my hand at Waxing autumn leaves.  Never tried this before and I am very taken with it.  Very easy to do.  I collected a load of leaves on Monday whilst I was out foraging.  It has given me all sorts of ideas on the crafting front.  I did say I was going to decorate the dressers.  I am slowly accumulating items for decorating for both the autumn and also Christmas.

This was a lot easier to achieve than I thought it would be.  All my leaves had been dipped within an hour and a half.  There will be a separate post on this.  Loads and loads of ideas and not just for Autumn for Christmas too.  I showed pictures of these leaves earlier on in the week however I did not explain what they were.  They are the leaves that I have waxed.  Very effective they are too.

Scrogg's Jelly:

There is also plain Scrogg's jelly (the old name for plain Crab apple jelly) and also a Spiced version too.

Crab Apple Wine:

Hoping to get a couple of gallons of Crab apple wine on the go as well.  Have not quite got there but it is on the agenda.

Pickled Beetroot:

Beetroot was cooked and left to cool overnight.  Already squirrelled away in the Pantry!

Dried Apples and Crab Apples:

Dried Crab Apples have come up well and are to be used in a decorating project for Autumn that I have in mind for the dressers.  I have been wanting to do a seasonal display for some time, but never quite achieved it.  I have been busy in the background though drying things, preparing things.  I have a lot more to do as well.

The Crab Apples have predominantly been prepared for decorating with.  They are teeny tiny.  Might do some more of these for decorating.  They are a bit sour for munching on.  I just had to try it!

The eating Apples though, have also been done for decorating but they can be eaten as a snack as well.

I do have a lot more items to collect and do things with.  I am enjoying letting my creative streak out of the box.  I am also preparing decorations for Christmas as well.

Natural Green Decorations - Spruce:

I have some Spruce which I have dried to also use in Christmas decorations.

Must find fir cones to twin them with!

Wine Update:

The wines have slowed down an awful lot.  I think that they can be transferred into clean Demijohns once the ferment has stopped.  They will then be left for a little longer, before being bottled into wine bottles and popped in the bottle rack under the stairs.

General Ingredient Shopping:

At the moment I am not going a general big shop.  We are buying in what we need, and I am taking advantage of items that are on offer and that I can use to squirrel away more items for the Pantry shelf.  I am only buying in items that we will use and I see potential in and basic items that we need on the food front for the week - which potentially is a lot of ingredients.  Butcher shopping is usually happening every 10 days or so.

Sugar:

On the ingredients front this week I have stocked up with 4kgs of sugar.  I am going through this quite a bit at the moment.  That is 8kg I have bought this week (I had already bought a batch and used it).

Golden Sultanas - Dried Fruit:

I have also got my Golden Sultanas from the Asian shop around the corner.  I actually prefer them to the darker Sultanas, but you have to work with what you can get hold of.  I tend to use these in fruit cakes.  They are about £3.99 per 700g.  Sometimes they are difficult to get hold of.  I use these in fruit cakes and also in a homemade ice cream sauce, with a little Brandy and honey.

Onions:

I have also bought in two large nets of onions for £2 a net.  In the winter months I make a lot of soups and I cook a lot in any event so they will prove very useful.  I also have some preserves that I want to make and some chutneys and relishes.  Generally, we use cheese a lot so something like this will be good for sarnies etc.  I tend to cook a lot with onions in any event.

Bargain Buy - Mushrooms:

I also struck lucky with three packs of mushrooms this evening reduced to 61p a packet.  I am going to bung them in the dehydrator to dry for popping in stews etc.  You can also grind them down into a powder and use them as a thickener in said stews or soups.

First batch is in now, so that will be another useful dried item to have to hand.  Dehydrating once you get used to it well for me in any event is becoming a daily thing as I am always find bits and bobs to put up.  It is saving a lot of waste.

Dehydrating sure saves on space.  This bag contains all three containers of mushrooms I bought reduced.  I intend to do far more as they are good for casseroles, soups, stews,  quiches etc.

Breadcrumbs

One loaf has been dried and I have three bags of dried breadcrumbs for using in homemade stuffings, bread sauce etc.  Stuffings are a good padder outer for a meal.

A big basketful of dried goodies from this week which I have posted about separately.

General Preparation:

I have a load of jars to prepare and sterilise for some of the later items.  Just hope I have enough lids!  I shall update on the items not quite there this week, in next week's post.  I am waiting on photos as usual but will update.

Hope you have all had a successful week in your kitchen's and with squirrelling away those items for your pantry shelves.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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