A slightly different post today

....which is food orientated.  Not wishing to panic anyone at all - not my style, just trying to make you aware what is going on in respect of supply of food in my local area and probably a lot of other areas too. There are many of us out there who where they can and with what they have always have an emergency supply of certain items in order that  you can eat and get by if hard times strike out of nowhere. I have done this for many years over 40, however the recent difficulties with Covid and a fire here, and prices going up so much I have not been able to do as much as I normally would. I am still attempting to do things here and there though.

One of the reasons that I use the veg shop I do, is that they waste very little veg, and a lot of the crops are sourced direct from local farmers in the Fens, so very little mileage between Farmer and shop. They reduce items and get a price for them before they get beyond their best, which helps low income households in this particular community which is not the wealthiest by selling off in bowls on a trolley for £1 a bowl. It also helps me a lot when it comes to putting stuff up on the Pantry shelf.  When I have had freezers in the past I have also stocked up on fresh veggies and prepped them for the freezer on a seasonal basis.  However, that for me is not happening at the moment, as I do not have anywhere to put a freezer or freezers.  One day that may change, but I do miss it for the present.

Today I popped to the veg shop to see what they had on reductions and as usual we got into general conversation of how things have been for them.  Bit iffy generally, some days are good some not so good. The veg shop is a private one shop concern and the veg they supply is usually from the Fens. They source most of their veg from auctions/wholesalers but prices are through the roof again at the moment.  £20 for a sack of potatoes that is old and sprouting at the wholesalers!  £40 for a sack of new potatoes. £1.50 for a small cabbage. (C was horrified as in over 30 years of selling veggies she has never had to charge £1.50 for a small sweetheart cabbage).  They also source direct from local farmers near to where they live in Lincolnshire.

From all accounts there are several things affecting our home producers.  The drought is a big one.  Crops go up in price if the Farmers have to irrigate and there may be water restrictions in any one particular area.  One of the biggest problems is that there are not workers to go and harvest the crops, Farmers are either choosing to not grow specific crops due to this. It would be financial suicide for them to plant and then have to leave the crops to rot which is what happened with some crops last year.  It is also immoral to waste good food and heart-breaking as well. Not only that prices have gone up astronomically for them to buy in fertilisers etc. Cauliflowers have been hit badly.  Hardly any Cauliflowers about at the moment.  

I just hit the reduced section this morning however I did go back and bought a few other items as well; I ended up purchasing some Clementine style oranges (mini oranges) at £1 a tub x 2 = £2. (I have been back and bought a couple of more tubs). I intend to bottle these up in syrup for the Pantry shelf either whole or in segments. Perhaps this batch will be done whole as it is a novelty at Christmas to produce a full small orange as a dessert. 

Just a sampling of what have bought.  There is a big carrier bag full.

They also had some reduced new potatoes at £1 a bowl. They are Majorcan and were expensive at £2 a kilo. I think there is  2 kg in all. I went back and got a couple of bowls and will keep them in the fridge. I intend to go back for fresh veg later in the week. Was just being opportunistic for today and seeing what the bargains were.

Adding a few jars at a time prepared for the Pantry shelf is better than nothing at all.  I bought a couple of trays of dried dates £1 a pack =£2. Can be used in cooking and in baking. They are the whole stone dates the one on little trays that I associate with Christmas all the same but still perfectly usable. I just snip them up with some scissors for smaller pieces. Also good for Date Palm, eating on their own and Chutney.

Sadly today there were no peppers but normally if I spot some on the reduced counter, I will buy some in and pickle them for the Pantry shelf. (Since then I located some in the 50p section two bags for £1). I will either dry these or pickle them.  

The same if I find reduced Plums or Apricots these will be bottled in syrup and jams made. I will do whatever I can to put some stuff up on the Pantry shelf in readiness for the winter months.  Even if I only concentrate on one particular fruit per week, but buy in double the amount and preserve it then I am going to do this.  Same with tomatoes for pasta sauce, tomato paste, salsa etc. 

I also bought home three large punnets of cherry tomatoes. One for OH to eat like sweeties and a couple for preserving. I may even go back and get a couple of more and then bottle the cherry tomatoes for winter use. 

I also came home with tray of eggs. The egg man had just been so these are fresh and will last me about a fortnight. I do not store them in the fridge just on a shelf out of the way.  There is no need to keep them in the fridge, just do not store them near onions, garlic or Truffle as the egg will take on their flavours. They are beautiful golden-yolked eggs.  I wish I had chickens as could do oh so much more with them.  I do intend to get a tray in for pickling shortly to start the Christmas preparations, which really if you preserve you are doing all year long.  I keep a proportion of whatever I make specifically for the Christmas Pantry so that I have options as to what I actually make.

I also bought a big tub of Grapes for £1.50.

We should be supporting our Farmers wherever we can, not shooting them in the foot.  If we do not start to do so, the Food system in this country will be spent (it is not irrepairable at the moment but would not take much to take it there).  Those Farmers that are in business will probably come out of farming if they cannot make a fair living and most goods will be shipped in from abroad.  That is how logic follows.  However, it is not that simple.  There are a lot of problems with food supplies and crops throughout the world.  Rice being the latest crop of concern. If they have not got enough crops for themselves they are sure as heck not going to sell those crops to other countries.  Therefore as I see it, the Government need to get their finger out and start listening and working with the Farmers and food growers to re-establish the food growing system in this country, not from abroad. Farmers are not trying to hold us to ransom they just want to be heard by not only the Government but also the public. 

There is too much reliance on crops from abroad with this being one of the biggest drawbacks to our food system as it stands at present.  The Farmers are being hamstrung all the way round. There is a misconception that all Farmers are wealthy. What the public do not realise is that some Farmers especially if growing cereal crops only get one pay day a year for their crop.  What I also find immoral is people charging astronomical prices for basic items and making a profit for their investors in times of hardship for everyone. Some profit should be allowed for their investment, however the amounts of money being realised by these companies is also out of control.  Surely at times like this people should be pulling together and not holding the consumer to ransom either. During the War everything was rationed, perhaps we need to get back to the ethics of that period initially until a good thorough new system of providing food to the country in the fairest way possible to everyone involved - not necessarily at the cheapest price is established and proved to work. During the War years nothing was wasted and if waste was found you were fined for it.  Householders took to growing in front gardens, back yards wherever there was space to grow to provide for themselves and families.  After all we are responsible for our families no one else and it will be up to us to provide in times of difficulty.

We nipped to the Butcher to see if we could get a couple of the Tikka Masala sauce that we like.  Unfortunately they did not have any in. I had fancied a curry tonight and as a result of this, that did not happen. Bought a few other bits, two Barnsley chops, 1/2 kg of mince, some chipolatas and some Bacon.  Also some Asparagus and some Strawberries.  Not too much but enough for a couple of days.

On the way back we stopped to walk Missy and I came upon some wild Roses and also some Elderflower.  So a few of those were snaffled as well and I have plans to go back another day to gather some more. You can pick the petals off the bush as long as you do not remove the centre bit, that way on the hips will still form and the bush will provide a harvest of pips too. The wild Rose petals are being dried and I would also like to preserve a few in egg white and caster sugar to decorate cakes with.  The Elderflower is to be dried for teas, making wine and cordial through the Winter months.  I will be going back for more to make Elderflower Champagne, wine, Elderflower vinegar, Elderflower cordial etc. as I want to make the best of Nature's harvest as well as Boughten goods!

Also nipped to the supermarket and topped up with 2kg long grain rice, 2 packets of Lasagna sheets, some more sugar (am going to need this in the next few days or so). Have bought 6kg today but I do need more especially with it coming into preserving season.  I also managed to get a couple of trays of Blueberries reduced as well.  They are destined for some Blueberry muffins.

Cannot remember price of Lasagna either £0.79 or £1 a pack.  Two came home with me.

£1.20 per 1kg bag of Long grain white rice. Two of these came home as well.  I have used this before and it is not at all bad.  I do like the Basmati rice when I can get hold of it though.

Then nipped to the Asian shop came away with a big bag of Popping corn, (I have a Popcorn maker so easily made at home) for snacking, and  two packets of Cornflour.  Finding it difficult to find this at the moment. There were some other bits that would like but will go back for them another day namely some Golden Sultanas in a big bag. Could do with a couple of bags of these.  There are also spices, herbs and other dried goods like semolina, sago, dried milk that I would like to get on the Pantry shelf.  Will get there little by little.

Tonight I will not be crafting as I have a large tub of food related items to sort out so that I can access them easily.  The fringing will therefore have to wait until tomorrow.  Food is a priority and therefore needs dealing with quickly.

Hope you have a good evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x

P.S. am waiting for some photos to download will add these later on.

PP