Preparing for Winter V

Laura_Elsewhere

We still have (in Telford, Shropshire) our house martens (probably - they could be swifts - they nest in the eaves above our north-facing sitting-room window and all we ever see is an incredibly high-speed swoop as they come in at an astonishing speed, no chance of distinguishing which birds they are!)

I love winter and autumn - I am already wanting to fill the freezer's ready-meal drawer with lamb and beef stews again, and start wearing hats and fingerless mitts with a jumper! 

boultdj

Have you got enough sweeties in Mar for an early winter?    We don't want you running out of the essentials.

I asked my butcher for stew steak this week Laura, no such luck, he'd sold out! I think everyone is thinking the same about stews and miserable weather making them want more comfort type meals.

PipneyJane

boazu said:

If you're oven drying (I've never done it but I know the theory) it's on a very low heat and they recommend leaving the door just a tiny fraction open to allow any moisture generated to escape.  Apple rings were traditionally dried that way not on grids but hung on pieces of dowelling  cut to fit and hang across the oven on the ridges that hold the oven shelves.  People made wooden frames with calico/cheesecloth/old cotton net curtains stapled to the frame which also hung on the ridges that the shelves hang on in the oven.  In theory you can dry anything in the oven that you can dry in a dehydrator but it apparently takes much longer.

Primrose said:

I,ve dried small tomatoes, cut in halves and sprinkled with herbs in the oven in this way.  Takes a long time but worked ok for me.  Problem was storing them in oil in jars afterwards as they went mouldy despite me sterilising the jars so don't know what went wrong. They freeze well in small containers  though.  Just be prepared for the oil to congeal I to a solid  white frozen mass and allow the container to thaw through  until it becomes liquid again. Store in fridge afterwards.  Cut larger tomatoes Ito quarters or even smaller otherwise they'll take ages to dry.  I did try one year drying some outdoors on the patio In a heatwave but the weather here is too unreliable and you really need to cover them somehow to prevent flies and other insects landing on them. Those pop up Lakeland dish covers are good but not  really Big eniught.  A very fine net curtain might work though

Thanks Ladies.  If I grow enough tomatoes this year, I may have a go. (Everything seems delayed in my garden this year.  No idea why.)

- Pip

MingVase

boultdj said:

Have you got enough sweeties in Mar for an early winter?    We don't want you running out of the essentials.

I haven't had a sweetie for ages boultdj but I have taken up home baking ... and I have found out how to make ice cream...

boultdj

Enjoy the home baking.

MingVase

Victorian Nursery Cake,  Victorian Sugar Cakes for Tea.  Victorian Rich Biscuits,

Gorgeous wee recipe book full of Victorian cakies.

Suffolksue

any elephant recipes ?

MingVase

Oh that is uncalled for. I have paid my debt to society for the elephant! I mean, the bloody thing gave me heartburn for WEEKS and I couldn't eat any sweeties at ALL!

greenbee

Suffolksue said:

any elephant recipes ?

MingVase said:

Oh that is uncalled for. I have paid my debt to society for the elephant! I mean, the bloody thing gave me heartburn for WEEKS and I couldn't eat any sweeties at ALL!

😂😂😂

pollyanna_26

MingVase said:

Oh that is uncalled for. I have paid my debt to society for the elephant! I mean, the bloody thing gave me heartburn for WEEKS and I couldn't eat any sweeties at ALL!

Gotcha! Although you're only admitting to one Heffalump methinks you've forgotten one or two others.. Maybe they didn't give you heartburn though and the sweeties weren't affected.

I feel like Miss Marple it just proves wait long enough and the truth will out.

pollyx