50p a day til Christmas - healthily?! Weezl's next challenge...

loocyloo

meanmarie wrote: »

Welcome Allegra, thanks for the tip about tomatoes...doubt if I will have anything resembling a glut this year at the rate of 3 a week which is the current harvest. Dried some cooking apples in low oven last year as I was becoming desperate and just finished the last of them last night as a snack, will try it again this year as I hate to waste apples as they are the fruit that I eat most....snacks, stewed, sauces, puddings, tarts.

yumm ... i have been given a big bag of apples, and am due some more soon! i have no more room in the freezer for stewed apple! and would love to try drying some ... how did you do it please? thanks xxx

ceridwen

,....and would be interested to know, in particular, how one ensures dried apples dont go off before you eat them. I've also dried some tomatoes before now (in a dehydrator) and then put them in jars covered with oil and patted myself on t'back for having homemade sundried tomatoes in oil - but they went mouldy in only a couple of months or so:mad: - so 'twould be good to know how to avoid this (not that I have any spare homegrown tomatoes to dry in the first place this year - but live in hopes for future years).

phizzimum

it's reasuring to know that nobody elses tomatoes are ripening either!

munchki

phizzimum wrote: »

it's reasuring to know that nobody elses tomatoes are ripening either!

I have 3 lovely tom plants here all laden with fruit and not a single one has ripened. I am beginning to think I may have to take them off the vine and bring in the house and put on a shelf to ripen.

Oh well, maybe next year will be better!!

In_Search_Of_Me

think it must be the so called summer - all my veg has been a disaster - even the old faithful beetroot didnt come up..am going to blitz the plot and start afresh next year and put alot more time into it. with ops have been a bix lax this year...

cw18

According to Tesco there is a shortage of beetroot due to the weather from last year -- hence the absence of the pickled variety on the shelf, and a note blaming the fact they have none on the weather !! Was certainly the case a month ago in the most local branch.......

CoD_2

if they don't ripen then green tomato chutney is very yummy...

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all



MY TOMATOES ARE RIPENING :rotfl: ..sorry I couldn't help myself... Im averaging 12oz-1lb a day -Its not very warm here but it is quite humid -so I think that is helping
But I have now started fetching my tomatoes in as soon as they are showing signs of ripening and sticking in the window now as the plants are really going to struggle to ripen the amount I have on -so this way, I'm helping a little and they can put more energy into the other tomatoes

I have taken the aubergines off whilst they are still shiney..again im hoping the plant will have mor energy for the 2 left on -plus its still trying to flower :j ...although -to make you feel better -I can't grow beetroot for toffee never works
I have had a wander today and priced up some of the staples at the big supermarket near by -some prices seem :eek: -but its probably because i have become tight fisted :rotfl:, some things I know I can get at Aldi -pasta, passata etc...

1. but most dried beans/lentils were €1.69 for 500g -about £1.20 ... not sure how that compares to the UK mind? -
2. however, chickpeas and dried peas were €1.19/96p for 500g so thats better -plus I love chickpeas
3. Tinned red kidney beans are still 29c a tin so thats not bad...
4. 500g pasta is 55c/44p so I can live with that

I picked up a couple of bits to go into the "store".... they had boxes of instant mash (shame on me :rotfl: ).. It will have to be an emergancy to use it, but with how wet everything is i find that potatoes realy don't keep well at all -so i will be getting several more boxes in .. they had boxes with 2X3portions for 90c... but further along 3X3 portions with bacon and onions in for 90c no prizes for guessing which I had ...so 10c/8p per serving and once i have "added" to it, it will be fine.
I also picked up a couple of boxes of pudding rice 500g for 39c/32p -I think that is good... we don't eat many puds -but if the cold weather kicks in it will come in....oh and I picked up a couple of bags of the small dried tortelini @ 70c a bag.... planning on adding that to some home made soups for hubby -to give it a bit more "fill"
So Along with all the flour I have -at least I have made a start .. need hubby to nip me to a couple of places.. can only get the baked beans we like from 1 place, so I will get a tray to save fuel..and then I need him to nip me to ALDI, as their passata is 25c for 500g... so a tray of that will be coming back too (I have seen the price rising in other places;) )plus i can get tuna, corn etc cheaper there...
I can't believe Im thinking of winter already ..but the weather seems so all over the place at the moment i think we are going to have a bad one :cool:
Scarily... Today I have seen all the halloween stuff in the shops..but also -stollens are starting to appear -which means the rest of the xmas stuff won't be far behind :eek: ...right enough waffle.. I had better get off and get some more planning n plotting done
have a great day everyone

munchki

stollens are starting to appear -which means the rest of the xmas stuff won't be far behind :eek: ...

My DH lives for the day that the stollens start to appear!! They are one of his favs but then he is a bit of an almond fanatic!!

As for toms, I would be happy if mine would at least go a lighter green, been this lovely dark green for weeks now, just will not turn. Will give them another week and if no change going to pull them off and try ripening in the house. Otherwise it will be fried green toms nomnomnom I love them DH is not to keen on them.

I think I should start getting a few more winter staples in as well, no idea how long DH is going to have spotty work. Has another interview next week so heres hoping and all that!

DH has gone out to get me a couple diff kinds of vinegar so I can start making some chutney tonight. never made it before but thought it would be great in xmas hampers and DH really loves it on his sandwiches. Speaking of sandwiches better geta loaf of bread in the BM as well today and have a lovely little gammon joint in the crockpot for tea tonight.

Well back to work for me, hard working at home sometimes especially when I would rather be making jam and stuff instead!!

BASHFUL_2

Hi all.....just wanted to make you all feel better about your toms, I have three plants that have grown to nearly the same height as me (I am a shorty!!!) and not a tomato in site, green or otherwise!!!!! just big plants!!!!! I wait in hope!!! Anyone got a recipe for strawberry jam??? I had a look on the front page, and couldn't find one for jam.....any recipes appreciated, as wanted to make some today?? x x x