Making chicken feed of my mortgage

muddywhitechicken

Thanks Mrs Money Penny, Tilly & emmita

I don't think I have enough hedgerow jelly so I will probably make another batch next weekend. I have enough blackberries, bullaces and sloes in the freezer, plenty of crab apples so I'll just need to pick a few elderberries and buy another bag of sugar.

I've bought some more fabric on ebay to make jar toppers so that'll arrive whilst I'm away and I can finish them off next weekend

Then I'll start on the rest :rotfl:

Spicy pear pickle
Chutney (probably Nigella's Christmas chutney)
Christmas puddings

Followed by chocolate-dipped candied orange peel, bramley lemon curd, and cranberry, pecan & white chocolate cookies in December

And not forgetting bottling the sloe gin, red gooseberry gin and blackberry whisky!

Mr MWC will probably make some piccalilli as well

I need to make a list of who is getting what as I reckon I will need 19 hampers :eek:

Fortune_Smiles

muddywhitechicken wrote: »

I need to make a list of who is getting what as I reckon I will need 19 hampers :eek:

20 - don't forget me

Fortune x

muddywhitechicken

Here is the spicy pear pickle recipe (I've posted it in greent's diary but thought I would save it here as well) - it is Jamie Oliver's mum's recipe published in Sainsbury's magazine a few years ago.

3 tbsp sunflower oil
4 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tbsp crushed black peppercorns
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, crushed to a powder or ground fenugreek (much easier!)
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground turmeric
4 cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground
4 red chillis, de-seeded and finely sliced
½ bulb garlic, cloves finely chopped
A large thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 large red onions, finely chopped
2 kg pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 kg cooking apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
500 g dark muscovado sugar
500 mL cider vinegar
Sea salt

Put a very large pan on a medium heat to get nice and hot. Add the oil and mustard seeds and,once they start to pop, add peppercorns, fenugreek, cumin, turmeric, cardamom and 1 tbsp sea salt. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes until smelling fantastic!

Add chilli, garlic, ginger and onions, adding a splash more oil if necessary. Cook gently over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened.

Add pears, apples, sugar, vinegar and 100 mL water. Bring it all to a simmer over a high heat, then turn down to a low heat and leave to cook for 3-4 hours with the lid on,stirring occasionally. Towards the end,when it gets lovely and sticky, remove the lid and stir frequently for 20-30 minutes, until the vinegar has evaporated and you have a beautiful jammy pickle.

While the pickle is cooking, sterilise your jars and lids.

Once cooked, carefully spoon the pickle into your warm sterilised jars. Leave with the lid off until it has cooled right down, then cover, label and store in a cool place until ready to use. It should keep unopened for a few months. Once opened, store refrigerated and use within 1-2 weeks.

muddywhitechicken

Eggs IN 5
Eggs OUT 0

Mr MWC has excelled himself in the kitchen again :T:T:T

Using mainly stuff in the fridge/freezer/larder (only needed to buy yogurt) he rustled up:

Lamb chops marinated in garlic & rosemary
Falafel
Tzatziki
Roasted peppers with garlic & pinenuts
Potato croquettes (using leftover mash)
Corn on the cob
Salad

muddywhitechicken

PS I didn't spend too much on clothes this morning (1 shirt, 4 vests, 4 pairs of magic tights) but I did splurge on 2 new suitcases as I had a 20% discount voucher however I did resist new towels :A

greent

Your preserves look fantastic, MWC - what a great start towards Christmas!:j:j:T:T

muddywhitechicken

I've had to put the heating on
Not because it's cold but because my cardigan was still a little damp :rotfl:
Only for 15 minutes though

Off to the US today, back on Friday!

Have a good week
MWCx

misscousinitt

Love the display of jars - you have worked so hard.

Safe trip.

MCI

muddywhitechicken

Thanks MCI

I had a free Sisley facial at Heathrow :T although she didn't use the cream that costs £465 :eek:

Mr MWC reports:

Eggs IN 5

shala_moo

Hi mwc, can I be cheeky and ask how you package your hampers?

OH has decided that we are doing Xmas hampers this year (although it involves me doing most of the making!) and although I usually gift lots of chutney etc it's usually just given to the recipients in a bag.

The boxes/ hampers we've looked at are a bit more expensive than I'd like to pay!

Love all your matching jars by the way:smileyhea it's the OCD in me!:rotfl: