really old style living?

csarina

[QUOTE=ceridwen;36787944_I_wont_be_getting_a_woodburner_though._Maybe_a_multi-fuel_one_might_be_a_long-term_proposition_-_but_I_seriously_doubt_a_woodburner_would_be._Its_not_as_if_we_have_vast_amounts_of_wood_around_in_the_21st_Century_-_no_matter_how_carefully_its_managed_-_as_I_recall_my_history_=_a_huge_proportion_of_our_woodlands_went_towards_building_battleships_for_one_of_the_wars_this_country_has_been_in_(one_back_in_the_16th?_century)._I_think_people_who_have_been_putting_in_woodburners_are_being_a_bit_over-optimistic_in_thinking_their_"sources_of_supply"_will_hold_up._Various_people_go_"No_problem_-_we_get_all_we_want_free_from_x/y/z"_-_to_which_I_think_"Well_-_for_the_moment_you_do_-_but_that_firm_is_going_to_start_charging_the_second_they_think_theres_a_reasonable_demand_for_it"._Also_people_go_off_and_fetch_the_wood_in_their_cars_-_so_what_happens_when_the_price_of_petrol_goes_through_the_roof_then_or_it_gets_"rationed"_(rather_than_"rationed_by_price"_-_with_the_going_through_the_roof_price_hike_I_personally_think_will_happen)._Its_not_possible_to_bring_home_great_loads_of_wood_on_a_pushbike_trailer...[/QUOTE]

We are lucky in that we are able to get wood from the estate we live on, we can also use the farm ute to collect it. There is a lot of wood 'on the floor' and from time to time trees are cut down for various reasons so we can get what we want. We have two trees in our garden which are due to be felled, the wood from them will keep us going for quite a bit. Being rural we can use coal, we have used the eggs too but just now coal is quite a bit cheaper and seem to last as well as the eggs. I would not buy just a wood stove....a multifuel stove is far more versitile....we can burn all wood if we want to but find that using wood and coal give us the output and the cost is reasonable. We do have oil central heating, we only use it in the bedrooms, the fan on the stove pushes the heat out into the rest of the house.

D&DD

Annie perhaps you could use your lonely sock as a stocking at xmas have you got a littley who'd like a nice knitted ted inside?

Ceridwen yep you're right its not waste as such really is it I love watching the birds picking over the redcurrants I leave for them here.

I love reading all about the different forms of heating etc you all have..I just have hot air from all my boys and boring gch :rotfl:

ceridwen

Alison_Funnell wrote: »

Don't let it upset you. Foraging is a lucky dip. A gift not a right, though I can see that after a few years it seems like they are 'your' crops. Try not to begrudge others, they may be in greater need. Atleast these things aren't going to waste. Nothing saddens me more than gardens with fruit rotting on the trees and people don't even offer them to others.

As for knowledge well it's like friendship and love, you get far greater rewards by sharing it freely. You never know how much the person asking you the question has. Some (like myself) ask, thereby putting my mind at rest that people know what they are doing and won't harm themselves.

Just think if others had shared their wisdom maybe you wouldn't have had to pay so much for yours.

I would love a bigger garden too. Or an allottment. Neither seem likely in the new 2-3 years atleast. When I read tales of others having huge crops I just get mad at a country that let it's councils sell off so many allottment plots over the years for development.

I understand what you're saying - I guess mine is a mindset of my part of the country (brought about by the shortage of forageable stuff in comparison to the number of people living here). One of the tests of "real friendship" in this part of the country is if a friend tells you where you can forage for something new - or you tell them. Any time a friend has told me - I know its a sign that they regard me as a good friend indeed. They still always take the precaution of saying "...and dont tell anyone else. I've only told YOU. Its not information to share" - which I duly respect and share my knowledge of a "spot" with them as a "barter" for that information (with the same instruction back).

As regards not wanting people to harm themselves - obviously I would approach someone and tell them if I saw them about to poison themselves. I've only had to do so a couple of times - when I pointed out to children that those yew tree berries they were picking would poison them if they swallowed them and that they werent sweeties just because they looked like they were.

ginnyknit

The last day of the challenge! Still not bought any food other than the salmon and am feeling pleased with myself - as for todays challenge, well I was just looking at the kitchen shelves and thinking that I need to get more organised. I lost the sieve for 3 days and cannot cope without it:rotfl: Dh is a problem with his health but have stocked up on his meds and just need a few warm jumpers now.
the freezers definaltely need sorting out as Ds moves back here in 2 weeks and has promised to go to the meat wagon on the Sunday market and stock up there. Its meat straight from the abbatoir and I use them whenever I have a bit of cash but now cannot carry it all back to the car nowadays. The butcher on there always recognises me and usually pops a few extra chops or a steak in the bag for me - probably feels sorry for me cos Dh hates the place and always looks fed up - can't use the wheelchair there cos the floor has drainage channels in it every few yards.

zarazara

mardatha wrote: »

Oooooo the well known "sodding sock" pattern .. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
I wanted to ask if anybody in here has ever tried more traditional methods of curing meat ? Ie when you read the James Herriot books, the Dales farmers always have hams hanging in the rafters and I just wondered what that would be like ? (as in taste, not as in decor)

YES we have done both pickled beef and also bacon [and pork pies--delicious] pickled beef and bacon involves salt petre---difficult to get now. But both are easy to do.
Today me and DH went to Builth Wells sheep sales ,didnt buy anything but are seriously considering doing so. As they say,watch this space............................... Todays harveat is blackberries and several veggies from the allotment. And an enormous parsnip,biggest I've ever seen.

mardatha

Nannyboo, I'm not famous, I just talk a lot !

ceridwen

NualaBuala wrote: »

Ceridwen, would geothermal heating be an option? I haven't researched because I am a long way off being able to do anything like that (am a couple of tranches behind you I reckon ). But it sounds like supply and sustainability wouldn't be issues once you get past the setup cost.

No-one I know has that and I'm not technically-minded enough to know whats what on that:o. To me - I tend to want to leave the more scientifically-minded people to work out all the facts and then I'll take the consensus of opinion from them as to what they personally do and ask them what firms they used/wouldnt use again.

One factor thats a bit unsure is just how long panels in the roof would last. Most of the people I know of who have done this have done it mainly for ideological reasons - my financial situation is such that I have to know its not got a very long payback time. I obviously want to "do the right thing" for ideological reasons - but I cant afford to unless it makes financial sense to do so. So - like various other people I know I'm waiting to see what the Green Deal the new Government is mentioning is going to mean for this/whether they will honour the "25 year commitment" on feed-in tariffs. There is a group of us basically waiting to see what (if anything) they come out with in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

One thing we think would be worthwhile anyway and shouldnt cost too much money is putting every bit of insulation possible on the exterior walls (both internally and externally) - sort of like "putting a teacosy" on the house as someone put it...:rotfl:

zarazara

Ceridwen,thanks for the linky re fish,I wonder what they tadte like? I like trout and salmon. I wonder if they are similar.

zarazara

For Mardatha AND OTHER WOULD-BE BACONERS you need a cool room eg unheated porch out of direct sunlight. DRY CURE =
Get a large piece of belly , belly pork or preferably from a bigger pig. Dont have it rolled and tied.leave flat. remove any rib. put large plastic bag or sheet of plastic on a table, put of layer of salt on the plastic 1 to 2 cm deep. place meat on salt,cover meat with more salt [about 1 cm] rub all over surface areas. leave 2 or 3 days. reapply salt where it has soaked in. after another 2 or 3 days if its still taking in the salt apply more and leave 2 days,but if its not then put a hook in it and hang up to drain and dry in a cool room. If you can get saltpetre add half teaspoon to final salting and rub over the meat.[its a dessicant] The salt must be pure salt with no additives ie NOT the free flowing salt sold for table use. 100% sea salt [ground finely] or rock salt .
The bacon is lovely,wrap in a muslin and leave hung up,just carve away what you want to eat. only problem is its very salty,i usually rinse mine and then pat dry.
Same principle with ham but being thicker ir takes longer to salt.You need to put a little straight salt petre where the bones come through ,eg round the knuckle. Theres also wet cures eg in brine I keep meaning to try them but havent got round to it yet.

ceridwen

zarazara wrote: »

Ceridwen,thanks for the linky re fish,I wonder what they tadte like? I like trout and salmon. I wonder if they are similar.

I like trout and salmon too - but have never had tilapia - so dont know how they compare.

Anyways - another link:

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com

NB: Think that website might be having connection problems at this moment - so you might need to google it for a cached copy right at the moment.