A Touch of Little Jack Horners - Updated

 Little Jack Horner sat in a Corner eating his Christmas Pie. He pulled out his thumb and pulled out a Plum and he said what a good boy am I.  So goes the well known children's Rhyme.  We used Rhyming a lot when we were children to play to, with reciting with skipping and just general playing for car journeys along with other car games. Another way of passing on historical fact and stories, the country way of making sure stories lived on.  I wonder if today's generation recite the same rhymes we did when we were little or whether it has died out.

No I have not gone of my Nut.  Today will be all things Plum orientated. I have just ordered 2 x 5kg boxes of Plums for preserving for the winter months. Ideally I would have liked 3 cases, but there we are. We are to collect them this afternoon. It is the same gentleman we went to last year.  We only ordered one tray then and found it was not enough.  We both like them fresh and then there are the Preserves I like to make. Jam and jelly are on the cards and maybe some chutney and plums in syrup and some for fresh eating. I am also hoping to put up a couple of large jar of Plums in Syrup to turn into Christmas Sugar Plums for Christmas to use on a sweetmeat platter.  I have the most lovely lead crystal square dish which is ideal for serving preserved ginger, kumquats Should help stock the Pantry shelf up a little bit more. I also have the other plums I bought from the supermarket thinking that I was not going to be able to go and collect some.  I may also have the opportunity of some Greengages and some Damsons if it comes through from the Veg shop.

Sorry I am driving everyone bats at the moment with all my preserving posts.  It is something I am very passionate about i.e. the preserving and about eating good tasty food. I suppose really that is where this Blog was born because I was interested in finding different and sometimes old recipes and utilising them within my own household. Some recipes are never visited again and others are used time and time again.  I have been bought up in a family where money was not necessarily the thing that stopped you doing something, even if it meant downing tools and having a go at making it for yourself.  Our family had to grow the veg and harvest the crops to survive through the winter months.  They were land rich, but cash poor. We are responsible for ourselves at the end of the day and can only do what we can within our own limits.  I hope my posts do not make anyone feel inadequate that is not my aim.  My hope is that you will feel inspired enough to have a go at making something yourself. If you have questions or need assistance please ask. It maybe something as simple as pickled beetroot or pickled onions or shallots that you start with.   The payback is that you made it. There are also short term preserves that you can add to your fridge like pickled red onion  or mixed pickles and other lots of things besides; all to help pad out everyday eating and make your food that bit more inviting and tastier.  There is no right or wrong way to eat a preserve only your way.  Sadly a lot of the ways in which preserves were used the information has been lost so much of it comes down to your own tastes and palate.  Several people could stock a Pantry and each one would be different to reflect their and their family's tastes.

Be warned therefore if I go missing I will be in a corner somewhere playing with my Victoria Plums.  Very Plum in Cheek😍

Catch you later.

Pattypan

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Update: Plums now collected and lovely.  Just like my Nan's used to be.  One tray jammers/jellies/chutney and Membrillo. The other tray for fresh eating and preserving some in syrup for puddings during the winter months.  Long time since have had Plum Pie.

The Jammers

The Eaters and for Preserving in syrup.

Have a good evening everyone.

Pattypan

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