really old style living?

Gigervamp

mardatha wrote: »

ok ta. Please tell me Agatha isnt your MIL.

Lol, no! She was our favourite chicken. You can see a video of her here. Agatha's the one wandering around.

Patchwork_Quilt

Have now finished jamming and chutneying for this year, unless the tomatoes stay green. I reorganised the pantry into year groups so that I can see what needs using up. Then, I worked out how much jam and chutney we actually need in a year -

12 chutney
12 'best' jam for sponge cakes and guests
12-15 ordinary jam for stirring into porridge and butties
12 jars pickled beetroot
12 jars pickled something else for variety - think it could be plums when the season starts.
3 jars marmalade - only DH eats it
7 elderflower champage
2 elderflower cordial
6 lemon curd
6 blackberry vodka

and as many bottled fruit purees as possible, depending on the apple crop.

So, I don't need to go to the supermarket for any preserves. The only trouble is that we need a lot of space for all this. Where do people envisage storing all their food when they buy in bulk?

ginnyknit

Dropped a stitch on my latest sock:(:(:( Bu**er Bu**er bu**er below the heel and had to pull it back. Dd and co going blackberrying in a minute, hoping to stay here as Im not well (cyst -euch) Am hoping to make lots of jam tomorrow.

Getting good at bread making in Bm now my foccaccia is really nice so thats saving a lot of money - good job cos we have none:rotfl:Got to laugh or I would scream. Dhss have lost 300 quid, its floating around in the ether somewhere. Yesterday they said they had posted me a cheque despite it being a Bacs transfer, now its gone in my account but they used the wrong sort code. So plans to go away for 2 nights have now been shelved.

Still trying to keep positive cos things could be worse!

Winged_one

We have large cupboards in the kitchen, and I store bulky things on top of those also. And I have a cardboard box full of HM preserves kept in the guest wardrobe. And I keep soft drinks with the alcoholic ones in the Sitting room (between the drinks dresser, and hidden behind the bay window curtain). I use glass jars for things I use regularly, so I don't have open packets lying around, and it means that I only need to go rooting for larger packs occasionally (so careful stacking and piling things on top of each other doesn't mater too much!!)

ThriftyFelicity

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

Have now finished jamming and chutneying for this year, unless the tomatoes stay green. I reorganised the pantry into year groups so that I can see what needs using up. Then, I worked out how much jam and chutney we actually need in a year -

12 chutney
12 'best' jam for sponge cakes and guests
12-15 ordinary jam for stirring into porridge and butties
12 jars pickled beetroot
12 jars pickled something else for variety - think it could be plums when the season starts.
3 jars marmalade - only DH eats it
7 elderflower champage
2 elderflower cordial
6 lemon curd
6 blackberry vodka

and as many bottled fruit purees as possible, depending on the apple crop.

So, I don't need to go to the supermarket for any preserves. The only trouble is that we need a lot of space for all this. Where do people envisage storing all their food when they buy in bulk?

How do you bottle your fruit purees and what kind of jars do you use? Do you do apples on their own or mixed with other fruit?

We have a "pantry" in the garage... a few wall-mounted cupboards and a shelving unit. It's amazing how much can be stored when everything is organised (unfortunately, organisation is not my strong point, but I'm getting better )

tessasmum

Thanks for the reminder about WHSmith, ThriftyFelicity - I was in there the other week so that must be where I got it from! I see what you mean about the "kingdom" wheat, now, so will have to think of planB if I'm going to have a go at that.....the chickens' mixed corn grows well when they don't eat it, so I wonder if that would be any good? Doubt it somehow - probably been 'dressed' with something or other.

mardatha

The horrible thing about ME is that you can lie onna couch and plot & scheme & plan....but when it comes to getting off the couch and doing something, things turn to custard.
I'm having a very custardy day ! But love reading what you're all doing. And thanks to the support, inspiration and backup in here, my freezer is full for the first time ever since I had one

Janebo12

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

Have now finished jamming and chutneying for this year, unless the tomatoes stay green. I reorganised the pantry into year groups so that I can see what needs using up. Then, I worked out how much jam and chutney we actually need in a year -

12 chutney
12 'best' jam for sponge cakes and guests
12-15 ordinary jam for stirring into porridge and butties
12 jars pickled beetroot
12 jars pickled something else for variety - think it could be plums when the season starts.
3 jars marmalade - only DH eats it
7 elderflower champage
2 elderflower cordial
6 lemon curd
6 blackberry vodka

and as many bottled fruit purees as possible, depending on the apple crop.

So, I don't need to go to the supermarket for any preserves. The only trouble is that we need a lot of space for all this. Where do people envisage storing all their food when they buy in bulk?

Hi, would you mind telling me how you pickle your beetroot - I am totally clueless on pickling. I go to a community allotment and we have lots of nice beetroot on there for sharing out - I brought one home the other week and cooked it (peeled and simmered in a pan - is that right?) but that's as far as it got!

Hope you can help - thanks!

RAS

mardatha wrote: »

Is anybody doing sq foot gardening ? is there a UK site for it ? I think next year that's what I will do. I've had tatties int he same spot two years running and cant do that again, so will use the space & put my big one-ton builders bags in there, and try more intensive sq foot gardening inside the bags.
I would also like a site that tells you how to work out how many tatties one person needs per year, and the same for onions etc.

Dio you know about John Jeavons?

read a basic intro her http://articles.sfgate.com/2002-04-13/home-and-garden/17541149_1_organic-gardening-farming-food-shortage

http://www.johnjeavons.info/

and book http://www.amazon.com/How-Grow-More-Vegetables-Possible/dp/1580082335

includes a lot of information on yields.

ceridwen

ThriftyFelicity wrote: »

The only retail outlet for Home Farmer that I know of is WH Smith.

I tried googling Kingdom wheat, and found out that the company that bred it is Syngenta. I can't find out where to buy it, though. I was going to email them to ask, until I read this. Although Kingdom does not appear to be GM, I don't want to support a company that is involved in GM and GURT crops (that latter of which stands for Genetic Use Restriction Technologies, which "enables biotech companies to retain control and ownership over their products even after they have been sold to farmers").

Ceridwen, are you able to get on the list for an allotment where you are?

Re an allotment in my area - ummm...well..it comes into "pigs might fly" territory - there is such huge demand....

I have been out today and duly ordered myself a copy of "Home Farmer" for a look though - as I couldnt find it in WH Smith - so have ordered it from another shop.