Trying to Add a few things to this Season's Preserving Pantry

The following may not appear to be a lot in some people's estimation, but I am just so grateful to add a few more precious jars to my Pantry stock.  These insignificant little jars which are full of time effort and love may not appear much at first glance, but they get you through difficult times.  They provide something extra to keep the belly full and the soul smiling in dark and grey times.  For that I am very grateful.

Preserving helps you look differently at how you plan your food management.  I am looking at the moment for puddings, pies, breakfasts encompassing homemade cereal like Granola and Muesli and Porridge and also Breakfast Oats/Oat Pots.  In all honesty when I was bottling the Blackberries I was one jar short of my Kilner/Mason type jars so I  used a jam jar.  I use these in any event all the time but I do for the sake of appearance try and get a product in similar type jars for aesthetic purposes more than anything else. After the jar had processed I realised that they were the ideal size for a couple of breakfasts in any one week as once opened the jar can be kept in the fridge and potentially this stops any waste as well. I therefore intend to go out for Blackberries again but with the focus on them being processed in jam jars.  The larger jars will be for pies and puddings essentially - family sized.

The start of my week which started last Saturday went as follows:

Saturday

I am looking at oils at the moment, which is something I do not normally do.  However combined with what has come with my way and what is in the Pantry, a few of these will help in flavouring my cooking up a bit particularly for the Winter months.  Primarily for Cooking with and also for the home Apothecary.  I do not have an Apothecary of sorts but I have an odds and end shelf, which has quite a few useful bits and bobs on it.  In the next couple of months or so I am looking to make the following oils in order to catch some of the essence of the summer months and be able to use them in the depths of winter:

Plans

Thyme Oil

Oregano Oil

Rosemary Oil

Chilli Oil

Lemon Thyme Oil

Blackberries in copious quantities if I can locate them  Ideas for syrup, Blackberry and Apple jelly, Blackberry jam, Bottled Blackberries, Blackberry Cheong.  If I had a freezer I would be freezing as many as I could.  This would buy you time if you do not have the physical capacity to deal with jam making etc. at the moment and give you time to play and make when you do as you have your supplies stocked.  Now to see what I can forage.

I intend to make a few things at a time, as I can afford it and from what I actually find.

Things Made

Lemon Thyme

Today I managed to obtain some Lemon Thyme.  If you have never had this herb it is a complete delight.  I first found it at a local "Posh" restaurant a few years ago where it had been used as a seasonal and fresh glaze for roasted carrots.  We like Parsnip and Carrots done in honey but had never tried them this way.  It was a complete revelation and one that has been put on the successional seasonal list. I am very fond of this.

Lemon Thyme Oil

Easily achieved by adding the Lemon Thyme to a saucepan and then adding a light oil. I am using a very light olive oil which I already had.  You then heat up the oil but do not boil but allow the herb to warm through to release the essential oils from the herb.  I will leave this until it cools. Will then strain and add the strained oil to a sterilised jar and seal.  No fresh herb is left in.  You then store in a cool place and use as required.

The bulk of the little package of Lemon Thyme has been popped into the oil, but I have kept a few sprigs aside to actually used with some roasted carrots in the next day or so.

What better to pair with Lemon Thyme Oil than Lemon Thyme Vinegar. One of the reasons I am having a go at making the oils is so that I can have a taste of Summer in the middle of winter. In the first instance I am looking at Salad Dressings like homemade Mayonnaise or Salad cream. I had thought that I could make Mayonnaise from this pairing so that I get an emphasis of flavour, so as it is an experiment will see what happens. I have used White Wine vinegar for this.

I have also set some of the stems to root.  It may be a little late in the season but worth a try.  Will see how I get on.

I also intend to make some Lemon Thyme Salt and also some Lemon and Thyme (with Lemon peel) Salt to compare the differences, however that will be on a separate occasion probably with the next Lemon Thyme I purchase. Will get used up with a lot of fish dishes but will also be good with chicken and roasted vegetables. Mentioned here as I will use it as an aide Memoire!

Chilli Oil

Using home grown dried chilli from last year and a light olive oil base this will be good for stir fries etc.  G has a penchant for chilli in any event.

Therefore a little start and a couple of very useful items ticked off the list.

Sunday Night

Tonight (Sunday night) was a very low key tea. I had cheese and crackers again with some Garlic and onion chutney followed by Strawberries, Strawberry jelly and cream.  Gone down very nicely.  G fancied cheese on toast and so that is what he had.  Makes a change for me to have time off of cooking on a Sunday.  Followed by some Strawberries and cream.

Have also kept the tops of the Strawberries (Lady Emma), and intend to plant them to see if I can get some little plantlets from them.  Yet again worth a try, hopefully it will be something for nothing.  So trying to plan forward a little bit.

Monday

Black Peppermint

I picked more Mint this morning and have hung it off the Dresser to dry. It has grown quite a bit since the last harvest two weeks ago.  Will keep on feeding it and hopefully in another couple of weeks I will have yet more to harvest.  I have at least twice to three times more than last time.  Very chuffed with this as I have a few more projects involving mint as I move forward.  Not just for Mint tea.

Bay Leaves

More Bay Leaves have also been set to dry as well.  I plan for next year to be in a much better position in respect of growing and especially with regard to herbs.  However this has been a standard thing for me to crop from my limited garden over the years.  However another large tranche of Bay Leaves which now need to be sorted into little sprays and singular leaves for drying

Blackberries

Today (Monday) I also came across the first of this Year's Wild Blackberries.  They were perfect, large, sweeter, nice and firm and not over-ready perfect for preserves.  In total today I picked 1.5kilos of these beauties and I am well chuffed.  Shall look again another day.  I always find Blackberries so useful.  This first haul is going to be bottled into jars for pie fillings/puddings etc.

Well chuffed with these.

Whilst putting washing out in the garden, I noticed that there were a few rogue Blackberry branches.  When I went down and looked further I have harvested a bowl full on top of what I gathered when I went out.  When I weighed them, they weighed 1lb exactly.  Therefore 2 kilos of Blackberries have been harvested today.  I am now all itchy and prickly from the brambles.  However a nice little start off haul to be processed in syrup for puddings.  I also later in the season intend to process a lot of Cooking apples as well

I am also recycling stuff still namely egg shells which are being dried out in the oven and then ground down into smaller pieces with the aid of an empty glass jar by using the jar as a pestle to crush the shells.  They are good for keeping slugs and snails away but also give seeds a boost if sprinkled at the same time as sowing your seed.  I tend to grind to the texture below but you can grind them even further into a powder. The ground shell apparently hurts the snails or slugs tootsies! I have a batch to go into my jar that needs to be smashed down. (Since done). I am also recycling margarine or butter tubs for growing seeds in and also jars and bottles which I am using with the preserving.

It is going to be a busy old week, but I need to get motivated and moving as I have an awful lot to do.  I am hoping that we might be able to get away for a short break at some point as well.  Will see what happens.  I quite fancy a couple of weeks holiday down in Cornwall sometime in September.

Tuesday

A very wet day.  Humid but very damp.  Cooked dinner tonight and so it will be later in the day when I get into the kitchen to preserve.

Redcurrant Jam

The bargain of the Redcurrants found the other day has now been turned into Redcurrant Jam.  I have four jars for my efforts.  Managed to get more sugar yesterday although whether I have enough is another matter.  Four jars is better than nothing and all adds to the store.  

The set is about spot on and it does not take as much time to process Redcurrant jam.  It has been a long while since I made this and it tastes lovely.  Only four jars, but so precious.  If I ever achieve the dream garden this is a fruit crop that I would plant a lot of as it is so useful in cooking.

Wednesday

Out foraging again whilst walking Missy.  Found another different bigger patch of Blackberries with super sized and sweeter berries again.  Picked just over another 2 kilo today so very pleased with progress. Also found just over 1 kilo of fallen apples, from a couple of trees.  They will go into a Bramble Jelly or (Bramble Delly as it is known here).

Also pulled out a lot of my preserving jars and jam jars for washing and heat processing so that they are nice and clean for the Blackberries to go into.  Also for processing lots of other fruit that is to hand.  Going to be a busy day tomorrow.

Thursday

First job to make a quantity of light sugar syrup for adding to the Blackberry jars for processing.  There is a lot to do today not just Blackberries.  I made up four batches of low sugar syrup i.e. 8oz of sugar to 1/2 pint of boiling water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then heat up in a pan until boil achieved.  Set aside to cool.  When nearly cool add in a further 1/2 pint of cold water and mix to amalgamate.  I used just over two lots for syrup for the 11 jars and still have syrup left so that is in the fridge for the time being.  It means will be ready to go if any more Blackberries or other fruit is acquired.

In total I processed 10 x 1 pint jars full of Blackberries and syrup. There was also one jam jar full.  I am thinking of doing some more of these as they will be an ideal size for having with yogurt, porridge, muesli or granola for breakfast.  One jam jar probably doing two to three meals.  I have some Greengages so I may halve them remove the stones and put them in syrup in jam jars also for breakfasts.  However I also would like to get some Apricots, Grapes and Peaches done in this fashion for winter breakfasts.  Will help bring some of the Sun from Summer into dark winter days.  I truly believe colour does an awful lot to enhance one's mood.  I would also like to get some larger jars of these done up and fruit cocktail as well.  Will see what we can find.

I also ended up scrubbing the Cooker hob down and stripping it right down as it had got into a bit of a two and eight.  All nice and clean for carrying on tomorrow.  I have done my wrist in though, need my strap on, but cannot locate it.  Hope it turns up soon.

Friday

Greengage Jam

I made a kilo of Greengage Jam. From 1kg of Greengages and 1kg of Sugar. I have 3 larger Sauce jars and one half jar of jam out of this batch.  It tastes delicious too.  One of my favourites, but I love jam in any event.

I also have some left-over syrup from yesterday so may halve some of the Greengages and pop some of them into a couple of jars for use in breakfasts or puddings.  The syrup always keeps well in a jar or a jug in the fridge.

Greengages in a Light Syrup

I was going to compote the Greengages that were left but in the end as I had sugar syrup in the fridge I halved and stoned them and then placed the Greengage halves raw in jam jars to the neck, squishing them down as I went.  I then added in the syrup and then with the aid of a barbecue skewer I de-bubbled the jar and added in more syrup just to the neck as there will be some juice from the Greengages.  I have four jars of these and they are being water-bathed for 20 minutes from boil.

Prepped up in their jars ready to be water bathed.  These were prepared by halving the Greengages and stoning them.  

Then packing the Gages raw into a pre-sterilised jar and a cold light sugar syrup added to the jar. I make my light sugar syrup by adding 8oz sugar to 1/2 a pint of water.  Stir to dissolve.  I then add to a pan to achieve a gentle boil and then let it cool on the side.  When medium warm I then add in half a pint of cold water stir, and then this can be added to the fruit. The jar was de-bubbled with a kebab skewer, and a little more syrup added if necessary just to the neck as there will be a little juice come out of the plums during cooking.  They were then water-bathed from cold for a period of 20 minutes after boil achieved.

All packaged and ready to be water-bathed.

After water-bathing

Therefore a few nice little additions for the Pantry shelf that have not cost an arm and a leg to make.  Hopefully there will be a few more to follow.  My plans include this but sometimes reality just does not co-operate.

Have therefore had a successful but busy week on the Preserves front and it has swelled the Pantry shelves that little bit more (by another 23 jars) which I am grateful for.  

I am hoping to get Victoria Plums again this year and anything else I can lay my hands on particularly apples as am rather low on apple sauce.  Will see what we can come across and what comes our way.  There are still plenty of things that I would like to get made but it is all down to the pennies as usual as it is for so many of us.

Hopefully will get a little more of something else "Squirrelled away" next week.

Sorry that the post is a long one, but when I am trying to work on things, so that I get the maximum time to get on with things, it is easier for me to work in this reporting fashion.  It will help me focus more overall rather than piecemeal.  

Have a lovely evening folks.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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