It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

mummysaver

Thanks D&DD! Plants that grow like weeds are just what I need, unless of course they are weeds lol! Will add raspberry canes to my list, think I have a space in front of a clematis I planted to cover some fence last summer, nice and sunny there and will mean I won't need to weed so much (actually I don't weed a lot, but I think about it lol! Okay I confess I got a friend who is a gardener round last year to strim and burn the weeds for me!)

Good luck to ds for tomorrow, hope everything goes brilliantly!

Gigervamp

I've noticed that passata has shot up in price too. I usually get the plain tesco own brand in a carton. It used to be 29p but now it's 54p. :eek:

mummysaver

Gigervamp wrote: »

I've noticed that passata has shot up in price too. I usually get the plain tesco own brand in a carton. It used to be 29p but now it's 54p. :eek:

Just had a look on mysupermarket.com, ouch! Showing as 44p for 500g, but much higher in calories than tinned toms and 0.5p more per 100g, wonder if it means you get more toms for your money as opposed to water (okay, I know it's tom juice, but it is quite high in water). Does anyone know if it's better to use passata from a nutrition point of view? Or where I can find out the answer?

Will have a look at the ingredients and bumpf on the tin and carton tonight whilst I'm at work!

Flour, toms, sugar, pah! Everything is going up by silly amounts, and these are hardly luxury foods. I know that the harvests last year weren't great for many products, rice being one that caused rioting, but will prices come down if we have good harvests this summer! :rolleyes:

MissB_2

Gigervamp wrote: »

I've noticed that passata has shot up in price too. I usually get the plain tesco own brand in a carton. It used to be 29p but now it's 54p. :eek:

According to Wanna Be A TV Chef:
"If I use fresh tomatoes then I will probably use a little tomato puree to help redden and enrich the sauce. If you use too much tomato puree the sauce can end up looking reddy brown rather than a vibrant red.

Tomato passata is simply crushed cooked sieved tomatoes. The benefits are no E numbers and passata costs about a third of the price of icky ready-made sauces.
So if I am making a bolognaise instead of adding the water (to the chopped tomatoes), I will add some passata to give the sauce volume."


Hope that helps a bit.
I prefer passata as its richer than chopped toms and also I have to sieve chopped toms as with my Crohns I can't cope with the seeds and pulp, so I get even less from a can. Because of that a thing of passata does 4 meals for me where a can of toms only does max 2...
B
x x x

Reverbe

Speaking of things going up in price.. I went into Mr T today to stock up on value stock cubes and noticed that the last time I bought them just before Xmas they were 8p for both veg and chicken.. today the chicken was labelled at 19p and the Veg at 10p!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do they think we won't notice (hardly as most ppl who watch pennies watch every penny) or not care cos they are still good value in their eyes??

mardatha

So isnt it going to be interesting watching what happens when we all start harvesting our own tomatoes this summer..?
Sylvan, you can make a giant plum crumble with custard and give me your address....

chrisbethany

Phoolgrrrl wrote: »

Yea I noticed this as well. Tesco value now 33p. And mince has nearly doubled since last year. Spag bol is more expensive now! Is it tom plantin time?

Hi Phoolgrrrl

I plant my toms in seed trays early April then, when 3-4" high, transplant to recycled plastic cups (with holes punched in bottom). When all signs of frost are gone :rolleyes: I then pop three in a growbag, or one per large pot, in the greenhouse or outside. I invested in large trays to stand bags in (makes watering so much easier) remembering to punch holes underneath the bags to soak up water. Sorry - got carried away - too much info?! I love my toms - try planting a few of several varieties - you never know how many will take, and I sell the surplus at 50p a time for charity at church, school, etc. I freeze any surplus toms as they are - go like billiard balls and then splat to nothing when defrosted but I just chuck them in casseroles etc. No-one would know, so sshhh! don't go telling them!

Can't wait for Spring :j to Sprung!

Chris

chrisbethany

mummysaver wrote: »

Good morning!

What do you all grow and find most productive and useful?

Hi Mummysaver

I try to grow things that are always pricey or that taste so much better than bought (mind you, that's almost everything!) I really love peas straight from the pods (and they make great wine!), tomatoes and all salad crops - especially where you can just pick the few leaves you need at a time. I have grown potatoes but since they are relatively cheap I'd rather use the ground for courgettes, caulis, etc. Runner beans are always my most prolific crop, and delicious, although you have to catch them before they grow tough and stringy - yuk!

All this is making me long for the longer, warmer days - remember those, folks? :j

Chris

Caterina

Reverbe wrote: »

Speaking of things going up in price.. I went into Mr T today to stock up on value stock cubes and noticed that the last time I bought them just before Xmas they were 8p for both veg and chicken.. today the chicken was labelled at 19p and the Veg at 10p!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do they think we won't notice (hardly as most ppl who watch pennies watch every penny) or not care cos they are still good value in their eyes??

Do you seriously think they actually care whether we notice or not? The supermarkets have destroyed the smaller shops, wiped out all competition and now they have got most people in a stranglehold, with no choice but to shop there.

And now that they got so many people exactly where they wanted them in the first place they start raising the prices, unchallenged.

I for one will try to stay away from supermarkets as much as possible, even though I cannot avoid them 100%!

Mummysaver, I find runner beans a great value veg to grow, they are easy and need hardly any care once they are grown, other than canes to climb up to. They produce well into October and when they finish producing the nice string-free tender pods you can let them grow huge and then dry on the plant, then harvest the dried beans, which are delicious in soup.

Primrose

What do we all grow? I grow things we eat a lot of - tomatoes, beans, salad crops, courgettes.
Because I like to make cheap soup in winter, I also grow celeraic (as a susbstitute for celery which I find difficult to grow), leeks, and Swiss Chard & Purple Sprouting broccoli which melt down nicely in cheesey pasta sauces, or as fillings in savoury flans. I usually find that even in winter, I can pull something from the veggie patch to go in the soup pot.