Preparing for Winter V

[Deleted User]

The cooked ones will come back to a cooked slice when they're rehydrated, I've never tried uncooked but I suspect they'd turn black the way that potatoes not quite covered with water do if they're left to stand in a pan before they are dry enough to store.  The method I found is American and the rehydrated slices are best very gently sauted or used in a gratin type dish.  Works well with the cooked ones though and when they're dry they're like glass, you can see through the slice.

The plans of mice and men etc. and cooks it would seem...the potatoes instead of cooking to sliceable were obviously too young and went to sludge instead which I've drained very well in a sieve and turned into 8 portions of mash which are cooling in ex-chinese containers with click lids and will go into the freezer for pie toppings instead.

Emptynester

Looked at the weather today and decided it was a good day to do things indoors!  I've applied Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof waterproofing to my shoes this morning.  I do this each winter, I'm just rather early this year.  I hate wet feet.

boultdj

Closest to winter prep I've done today is take cuttings of the geraniums, fingers crossed all 16 grow, as we want to fill the pot's on the front with home grown flowers next year.   

C_J

We’re making good progress with the latest of our lockdown projects - I am helping Mr C J build a ‘weathering’ in the back garden. This is a three sided shed, and ours is about six metres long. One part will be sectioned off to be a lovely new potting shed for me, complete with a sink hurrah hurrah (not quite as lovely as Monty’s potting shed, but I am still very pleased to be getting one!) and the rest will be garden storage and a massive log store. We have taken out three large trees recently (an ancient apple which was in danger of toppling, and two nut trees which had self seeded about 20 years ago and which had become too large for that space, putting a good veg growing area into deep shade). So we’ll be okay for logs in about two years’ time.

We were hoping to get it finished this week but the rain has put us behind schedule a bit.

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

We have 2 apple trees in our garden which are still young and whilst they do get apples on them, they stay very small and then eventually drop off. Ive taken them all off and i'm going to attempt to make a apple jelly with them. Fingers crossed it goes ok. 

MingVase

Just knitknitknit here 

Laura_Elsewhere

Emptynester said:

Looked at the weather today and decided it was a good day to do things indoors!  I've applied Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof waterproofing to my shoes this morning.  I do this each winter, I'm just rather early this year.  I hate wet feet.

I do a pre-winter overhaul of all our shoes and boots in late August too - I polish the leather ones well, and do any repairs needed; I buy rubber soles, the 'Klebfest' glue, and Blakey's non-metal segs online and do most of our cobbling. 

silvasava

Laura, we still have my grandads  cast metal ' foot' with 3 sizes on it.  Very handy for shoe repairs and banging segs into heels!  Our local hospice have a collection van on a Wednesday and I was going to give them a few bits but it was pouring with rain so I'll try to sort out some more stuff during the week. DH has sorted out his chains for his chainsaws that need sharpening ready to cut up the logs for the log store. We've been lucky in that a number of friends and neighbours have had trees felled so we have a good stock at the moment drying out for next year.

Laura_Elsewhere

@silvasava, oh you lucky thing! there were two kicking (oh ho) around the place when I was a kid, used as doorstops, but everyone denies any knowledge of them now. I just muddle through with the segs, but it would be far easier with a proper metal last! 

C_J

My dehydrator has been making itself useful every day this week, and I’ve now bottled another six jars of semi dried cherry tomatoes in olive oil with a little homegrown basil and garlic.

I have a very plentiful crop of beetroot, and was toying with cooking, slicing and dehydrating some of them to make a jar of beetroot powder - has anyone else done this? I’m assuming it would make quite a nice seasoning in my cooking (soups, stews etc), but would be grateful for any other ideas.