A Simpler Life 2018

dND · 4 January 2018 at 10:07AM

I did have a think about a sourdough starter but I very quickly realised that I wouldn't keep up looking after it and I only wanted bread infrequently. What I came up with is the following (please bear with me it's long but not complicated):-

I buy lemons when they are on offer. Then before they have time to go off

I zest and juice them. The zest gets frozen to add to cakes or stews. I freeze the juice (in a silicon mould for ease of removal) and I know how many lumps approximate to an average lemon. Before being composted, some of the remaining lemon shells get put in the bottom of the dishwasher for a couple of washes to freshen the dishwasher.

Then about once a month, I make a basic curd cheese. Warm 1 litre of UHT milk to about 80C - not boiling but just beginning to show signs of simmering. Drop in about 1 lemons worth of the frozen lemon juice lumps and watch the magic as it separates into curds and whey. Once it's separated, I strain it through some old net curtaining I have - fine holes not large - making sure I conserve the whey.

The curd cheese is very bland, a bit like cream. Sometimes I remember to add a bit of salt when the milk is heating, sometimes it's a bit lemony if I added a bit too much lemon and very occasionally I add chopped herbs. I love it plain on crackers topped with strawberry jam

The whey I mix with an equal amount of water and freeze in 300ml lots. This - the reason for this long process :rotfl: - is what I use for soda bread which only takes about an hour from deciding to make to eating :j

I've only tried the soda bread with 'normal' flour, both bread flours and plain flours so I don't know if it would work with gluten-free flour, but it may and it's a lot easier than having to prove bread mix or feed a started daily. :beer:

elmer · 4 January 2018 at 10:09AM

Thank you GreyQueen I never think to look for blogs, I will report back to work with all my great ideas, and they will be amazed, so many thanks.

Its rather sad, we are all women of a certain age who work in a library, we should have all this at our fingertips, but technology has rather overtaken my capacity to keep up!

elmer · 4 January 2018 at 10:15AM

Wow dND thats a very full use of lemons, I feel inspired to give it a go, especially as I love sourdough bread but am an awful bread maker, My son is a pastry chef , dont know where he got that from!!

And I love the idea of cleaning the dishwasher with the lemon skins

elmer

doingitanyway · 4 January 2018 at 10:37AM

dND wrote: »

I buy lemons when they are on offer. Then before they have time to go off I zest and juice them. The zest gets frozen to add to cakes or stews. I freeze the juice (in a silicon mould for ease of removal) and I know how many lumps approximate to an average lemon. Before being composted, some of the remaining lemon shells get put in the bottom of the dishwasher for a couple of washes to freshen the dishwasher.

I love these ideas. I will be stealing this for myself

I took a hole(y)cashmere jumper out of the rubbish as I found an upcycling organisation. If you donate a clean 100% cashmere jumper they make you a pair of fingerless gloves as a thank you. They are called Turtledove. I love this idea and it makes it easier it part with old cashmere.
Have a good day everyone

simplelivingislandlife · 4 January 2018 at 11:27AM

dND wrote: »

I did have a think about a sourdough starter but I very quickly realised that I wouldn't keep up looking after it and I only wanted bread infrequently. What I came up with is the following (please bear with me it's long but not complicated):-

I buy lemons when they are on offer. Then before they have time to go off I zest and juice them. The zest gets frozen to add to cakes or stews. I freeze the juice (in a silicon mould for ease of removal) and I know how many lumps approximate to an average lemon. Before being composted, some of the remaining lemon shells get put in the bottom of the dishwasher for a couple of washes to freshen the dishwasher.

Then about once a month, I make a basic curd cheese. Warm 1 litre of UHT milk to about 80C - not boiling but just beginning to show signs of simmering. Drop in about 1 lemons worth of the frozen lemon juice lumps and watch the magic as it separates into curds and whey. Once it's separated, I strain it through some old net curtaining I have - fine holes not large - making sure I conserve the whey.

The curd cheese is very bland, a bit like cream. Sometimes I remember to add a bit of salt when the milk is heating, sometimes it's a bit lemony if I added a bit too much lemon and very occasionally I add chopped herbs. I love it plain on crackers topped with strawberry jam

The whey I mix with an equal amount of water and freeze in 300ml lots. This - the reason for this long process :rotfl: - is what I use for soda bread which only takes about an hour from deciding to make to eating :j

I've only tried the soda bread with 'normal' flour, both bread flours and plain flours so I don't know if it would work with gluten-free flour, but it may and it's a lot easier than having to prove bread mix or feed a started daily. :beer:

WOW!! Thank you for this! I love the idea of the curd cheese so I'm really going to have to try that. Can I ask what recipe you use for the sourdough using the whey??? As really tempted by this. :j

maryb · 4 January 2018 at 5:01PM

Well I managed to get some Himalayan pink salt in TKMaxx while I was out. Quite amused to see on the label 'made in France'

Also bought a shampoo bar in Lush HOW much????? Won't be doing that again in a hurry - shampoo bar/soap making may be one of my new hobbies

The health food shop in town has got new owners so popped in to see if they did Ecover refills. They don't but they said it was something they would think about so that would be good

While I was in TKM I happened to see a Bodum teapot for loose tea with a silicone insert and a plunger for £9.99 They sell for £38 in John Lewis (though they have a steel insert rather than a silicone one). But I thought at that price, why not try it?.

Bit disappointed to be frank. The holes in the insert don't go all the way down so you are left with water in the bottom of the insert even after pressing the plunger. And because the holes only start halfway up, it takes ages to fill the teapot. But it's a nice pourer so I will keep it

fuddle · 4 January 2018 at 5:10PM

No they're not cheap but they do last ages and I do like Lush ethics.

Can I ask, having never bought them before, where would I get cloth hankies from? I've has a cold for about 10 days and I'm ashamed of the paper waste I have produced. I have laundered umpteen times in that time so it makes sense to switch.

Nargleblast · 4 January 2018 at 5:21PM

Fuddle I am sure I have seen hankies for sale on Durham’s indoor market, the haberdashery stall on your left as you go in. Carrying on round to the left there is a stall that does nighties etc, they might do hankies as well. Parkins (the school outfitters shop) on North Road might do blokes’ hankies, probably more useful if you have a serious nose problem. Then of course, if you have a sheet that is past it’s best you could cut it down into hankies and hem them all round, but I’m too bone idle to do that.

fuddle · 4 January 2018 at 5:30PM

I'm on the bus to the hospital next month nargle, I'll have a look in the market. M&S might do them too maybe.

maryb · 4 January 2018 at 5:42PM

Now is a good time to look for them in the sales in department stores - people still buy them as Christmas presents so the shops get stocks in in autumn

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A Simpler Life 2018

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