really old style living?

mardatha

What amount of fruit bushes do you need for one jar of jam ? Is there anywhere online that will tell you that ?

Zazen999

mardatha wrote: »

What amount of fruit bushes do you need for one jar of jam ? Is there anywhere online that will tell you that ?

difficult as it depends on so much other than the actual bushes.

Strawbs; I bought 3, 3 years ago and 18 miniature cheap from the co-op 2 years ago. Them and the resulting runners give me enough strawbs for 2 large jars of jam and a gallon of wine. Plus the first few harvests get eaten with ice cream. The minature ones haven't started fruiting yet.....they usually get eaten by the nieces a bit later on.

Rasbs; I bought 12 summer fruiting canes and 6 autumn fruiting canes; last summer was their first year and this is the second. We have made 4 gallons of wine [another gallon tonight] and I suspect we will make at least another 8 gallons....and there is 1.5kg of rasps per gallon - so 12 x 1.5 - 18kg ish minimum of rasps just from the summer fruiting ones. It is hard to say as last year we were still picking rasps in Nov and I made late jars of rasp and mixed berry jam which we are still eating.....plus eating loads every day and giving jam away for Christmas pressies.

mardatha

So you dont need tons and tons then ?

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

The reason for the kale is that in the old days, it was the mainstay of the Scots diet. its tough and indestructible and grows anywhere...so I thought it made sense. It must be good for you, because I have been sneaking it into all soups and stews, just to get rid of the bloody stuff - and I had bloods done last week & the doc said " and you're CERTAINLY not anaemic !"
I did plant swiss chard somewhere but it seems to have got lost in the jungle. If I knew what it looked like it might be easier to find ...LOL!

Perhaps you could try using up (aka disguising) kale in some veggieburgers? and have them with some tomato sauce (ie saute bit of onion and garlic in oil and cook some canned tomatoes with salt/pepper/any herbs required)?

Can I ask you (or anyone really) - to give me an idiots guide to another Scottish staple actually? - ie oatmeal.

What exactly is the difference between all the different types - eg oatmeal, rolled oats, etc?

I've got a recipe I'm looking at for oatmeal bread and she says to use oatmeal - can I just ask for any type of oatmeal in the shop and that will be what she means? On the other hand - could I just blitz up some of my rolled oats I keep in for porridge in my electric coffeegrinder and that would do the trick if I want? She's also got a recipe for oatcakes - and specifies just "oatmeal" for the ingredient (I thought there were several different "grades" of "oatmeal"???)

ceridwen

I'm trying to remember now where I came across a free Google "tool" - I think its called something like "Google Sketchpad".

I would think one could use it to "sketch out" online a variety of possible layouts for the garden - in order to work out the best possible layout for maximising "food production". If I recall where I spotted mention of this - as someone HAD used it to work out their garden layout - I'll fetch it here.

'Fraid I only thought at the time "That might come in useful for planning/replanning/replanning again for the new kitchen I will have at some point - I'll wait for it to become well-known because of other people having tried it first before I have a go......"

EDIT: Ah-ha...I found it:

http://sketchup.google.com/

(not sure if this is the free version - the place I'd seen it was using a free version...)

Bitsy_Beans

I've love tolive a more self sufficient lifestyle but considering I can't even afford any land for a small holding there isn't much chance of that happening any time soon
Have enjoyed reading the thread though

ceridwen

I couldnt figure out how to do a direct link - perhaps someone else can please?

But try googling for:

http://sketchup.google.com + "Permaculture Planet"

and then click on the first link Google provides. The first picture that comes up is one of the designs by "Permaculture Planet" and in the bottom right section of the screen there is a link to click on other models by this designer.

mardatha

Hi Ceridwen, am not an expert on oatmeal but I do eat tons of it Porridge oats is rolled oats, which is fine for flapjacks and breakfast. Oatmeal is much finer and is used for baking, and is terrific as porridge, I much prefer it, but it takes a lot longer to cook. I dont know if nuking rolled oats would do . Just buy a bag of oatmeal and try the recipe. I have a recipe too for oatmeal bread but havent done it yet. A magic food - so cheap, filling, and good for you I also want to make oatcakes , superb with thick salted butter.. yumm

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

Hi Ceridwen, am not an expert on oatmeal but I do eat tons of it Porridge oats is rolled oats, which is fine for flapjacks and breakfast. Oatmeal is much finer and is used for baking, and is terrific as porridge, I much prefer it, but it takes a lot longer to cook. I dont know if nuking rolled oats would do . Just buy a bag of oatmeal and try the recipe. I have a recipe too for oatmeal bread but havent done it yet. A magic food - so cheap, filling, and good for you I also want to make oatcakes , superb with thick salted butter.. yumm

Thanks..

In the event - shall we see who gets round to making that oatmeal bread and oatcakes first - and what we think of the recipe when we've tried it.#

The recipe i have for oatcakes sounds simple enough:

180gr oatmeal
30gr wholemeal flour
pinch of salt

- Mix all.
- Add enough water to make fairly stiff dough.
- Turn onto well-floured board and roll out very thin.
- Cut into rounds and bake on lightly-greased moderately hot griddle (or iron frying pan) till very slightly browned each side.
- Remove carefully with fish slice and cool on wire rack.

***************

Hmmm...think you would be making the oatcakes before me at that rate - in view of the fact I have not yet used my cast iron griddle pan I bought recently - so have got to look up the instructions on it (make sure I dont ruin another cast iron saucepan........:o).

tru

Ceridwen, I love MyZeroWaste, they live about 10 miles from me

Our garden is 60' x 30', has 2 sheds, 2 greenhouses (all approx. 6' x 8') and a veg patch. Last year, we picked 251lb of fruit and veg from the garden, plus stuff we didn't weigh like chard, spinach, spring onions, salad leaves, sprouts, chillis, celery, bay leaves and herbs. We also foraged about 65lb, mostly cooking apples. Our chickens gave us 106 eggs.

This year, I'm not weighing any of it, it's too much of a faff TBH. But the veg patch is bigger than last year and since january, we've had 424 eggs :j

We're learning about bees ATM, I'd like a hive.

I go shopping every tuesday (and that's only cos mum is retired and bored, she asked if I wanted to go with her every week), the bill is getting smaller every time I go. I still need to buy milk and the ingredients for recipes - though if I could find a local farmer who will barter or sell milk,flour etc. then that's what I'd do. I suppose that still counts as shopping regularly though? And I won't give up my bananas

We can't afford to move for quite a while yet, so we're doing the next best thing - selling and bartering our plants and eggs to people we know. Does that count?