Preparing for Winter V

MrsCD

Yes, I also read that silk inserts in cotton masks were more effective.

cornishchick

MrsCD said:

Yes, I also read that silk inserts in cotton masks were more effective.

ohh I think I still have my late husband's silk handkerchief, I can repurpose them 

Islandmaid

cornishchick said:

MrsCD said:

Yes, I also read that silk inserts in cotton masks were more effective.

ohh I think I still have my late husband's silk handkerchief, I can repurpose them 

Oh that’s lovely, it’s like he’s helping keep you safe 😊

C_J

Oh yes, that is lovely. Keeping something of his so near to you.

My winter preps so far have been to get all the kilner jars out of the larder and give them all a good hot soapy wash. Everything is growing so well in the garden this year, it will soon be crazy preserving time. This year I have one of those electric water bath canning machines to play with, and I want to preserve more in jars in case there are problems with the freezer due to power cuts. We have a generator, but I'd still feel more comfortable knowing we have back up jars of fruit and veg. I am busy reading up all the canning instructions to make sure I don't kill us with botulism

I have also made a start on some Christmas gifts.  Shortly before lockdown, I bought a child's wooden doll's house for £5 in a charity shop. The box was extremely battered but the pieces inside are perfect - it had to be constructed and painted but nothing is missing so it has been a nice little lockdown project for Mister C J. It's not one of those fancy Dolls House Emporium 1/12th scale ones (I do actually have one of those myself, I must get on with some more decorating at some point!) but it's good quality, solid, and was probably quite expensive originally. It's going to be for tiny granddaughter for Christmas - she will only be 18 months old so perhaps a tad young, (but for a fiver, hey ho!).

Laura_Elsewhere

On Tuesday I picked a few wild/ornamental cherries (not sure which!) - normally they aren't worth bothering with as the fruits commonly are very small, mostly the stone - but these turned out very juicy and flavoursome, just small. As I hadn't died in several days ( ) I went back this morning and picked a bag - I've just dyed my hands dark purple de-stoning them but now have 300g of free cherries to make delicious black cherry conserve with, hurrah! This will be for my breakfast on Christmas morning, with homemade "Aberdeen butteries" which are the NE Scottish version of croissants, only richer and more buttery  

PipneyJane

C_J said:

My winter preps so far have been to get all the kilner jars out of the larder and give them all a good hot soapy wash. Everything is growing so well in the garden this year, it will soon be crazy preserving time. This year I have one of those electric water bath canning machines to play with, and I want to preserve more in jars in case there are problems with the freezer due to power cuts. We have a generator, but I'd still feel more comfortable knowing we have back up jars of fruit and veg. I am busy reading up all the canning instructions to make sure I don't kill us with botulism

Does your machine work at pressure?  I have a 10L pressure cooker and use it to "can" things.  From my reading, as long as a pressure cooker can get to 15lb pressure, it will match the "pressure canners" used by our American cousins.  If not, then you need to keep it at pressure for extra minutes.  (Mine only gets to 13lb, so I add 10 minutes.) 

HTH

- Pip

[Deleted User]

I didn't know that Pip and that is a really useful snippet of information to have as I have a Prestige High Dome Pressure Cooker and some smaller kilner jars that will fit very nicely in it, many thanks xxx.

[Deleted User]

Rhubarb from the garden in a big enough quantity to make some rhubarb and ginger jam this afternoon to cheer up winter cakes and breakfasts.  I really enjoy making preserves and pickles from homegrowns  and it helps through the colder months because when I open a jar I can usually remember the day I made it and pop back to the summer just for a smidgeon of time.

cornishchick

https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2018/08/24/courgette-pancake-recipe/
I do something like this, only I don't bother with the squeezing and then adding water, lol I just let the grated courgette sit in the mixed gram flour for a bit, delicious and freezable. 
I'm on my third lot of seeds, first two lots were ether eaten before they sprouted or just after the leaves come out, I was very frustrated, I love courgettes, 


no idea how this posted on here lol should have been on the courgette page. 

[Deleted User]

8 jars of rhubarb and ginger jam all potted up and cooling in the kitchen, labels written and taste test was very nice.  I used some frozen ginger sticks instead of powdered dry ginger and the taste is altogether brighter and more zingy so that's a good thing to find out.  I'll wait a couple of weeks and then see if there's another picking to make some rhubarb chutney which is lovely as a side to a curry.