THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

mardatha

Buy a few shop loaves to give you a breathing space, keep putting BM on every day, and that allows you to get ahead with home made loaves stacked in the freezer jk0.

Cappella

JKO - I make all our bread - well, the mixer makes it I now I suppose as my wrists struggle with the kneading. If there's just going to be the two of us I cut the extra loaves loaf in half, and freeze the halves as soon as the bread is cold. It freezes really well but I don't slice it any further it as it keeps fresher unsliced. I use two thirds wholemeal, one third white bread flour usually, though I'm making white bread today as my d-in-law prefers white.
The defrosted bread is lovely and fresh, but you do lose the crusty crust. Haven't found a way round that yet.

DigForVictory

My old University has a seriously keen botanist who posts on Fb - they have three sorts of rushes all growing & looking splendid. I think to get the chaps rush gathering this weekend. Which means I need to have chat with the local butcher about suet - the hard fat around the sheeps' kidneys that boiled & strained makes glorious tallow.

Then we can make proper rushlights. Why mess with stearin (I have other uses for beef, and disapprove of palm oil as it is dreadful for the local humans) or beeswax candles when rushlights are so simple & affordable?

[space in which I shall try to get Gilbert White's Natural History of Selborne to cooperate]

Letter XXVI

To The Honourable Daines Barrington

Selborne, Nov. 1, 1775.

Dear Sir,

Hic taedae pingues, hic plurimus ignis
Semper, et assidua postes fuligine nigri.
I shall make no apology for troubling you with the detail of a very simple piece of domestic Economy, being satisfied that you think nothing beneath your attention that tends to utility: the matter alluded to is the use of rushes instead of candles, which I am well aware prevails in many districts besides this; but as I know there are countries also where it does not obtain, and as I have considered the subject with some degree of exactness, I shall proceed in my humble story, and leave you to judge of the expediency.

The proper species of rush for this purpose seems to be the juncus effusus, or common soft rush, which is to be found in most moist pastures, by the sides of streams, and under hedges. These rushes are in best condition in the height of summer; but may be gathered, so as to serve the purpose well, quite on to autumn. It would be needless to add that the largest and longest are best. Decayed labourers, women, and children, make it their business to procure and prepare them. As soon as they are cut they must be flung into water, and kept there; for otherwise they will dry and shrink, and the peel will not run. At first a person would find it no easy matter to divest a rush of its peel or rind, so as to leave one regular, narrow, even rib from top to bottom that may support the pith: but this, like other feats, soon becomes familiar even to children; and we have seen an old woman, stone-blind, performing this business with great dispatch, and seldom failing to strip them with the nicest regularity. When these junci are thus far prepared, they must lie out on the grass to be bleached, and take the dew for some nights, and afterwards be dried in the sun.

Some address is required in dipping these rushes in the scalding fat or grease; but this knack also is to be attained by practice. The careful wife of an industrious Hampshire labourer obtains all her fat for nothing; for she saves the scummings of her bacon-pot for this use; and, if the grease abounds with salt, she causes the salt to precipitate to the bottom, by setting the scummings in a warm oven. Where hogs are not much in use, and especially by the sea- side, the coarser animal oils will come very cheap. A pound of common grease may be procured for four pence; and about six pounds of grease will dip a pound of rushes; and one pound of rushes may be bought for one shilling: so that a pound of rushes, medicated and ready for use, will cost three shillings. If men that keep bees will mix a little wax with the grease, it will give it a consistency, and render it more cleanly, and make the rushes burn longer: mutton-suet would have the same effect.

A good rush, which measured in length two feet four inches and an half, being minuted, burnt only three minutes short of an hour: and a rush still of greater length has been known to burn one hour and a quarter.

These rushes give a good clear light. Watch-lights (coated with tallow), it is true, shed a dismal one, 'darkness visible'; but then the wicks of those have two ribs of the rind, or peel, to support the pith, while the wick of the dipped rush has but one. The two ribs are intended to impede the progress of the flame, and make the candle last.

In a pound of dry rushes, avoirdupois, which I caused to be weighed and numbered, we found upwards of one thousand six hundred individuals. Now suppose each of these burns, one with another, only half an hour, then a poor man will purchase eight hundred hours of light, a time exceeding thirty-three entire days, for three shillings. According to this account each rush, before dipping, costs 1/33 of a farthing, and 1/11 afterwards. Thus a poor family will enjoy 5&1/2 hours of comfortable light for a farthing. An experienced old housekeeper assures me that one pound and a half of rushes completely supplies his family the year round, since working people burn no candle in the long days, because they rise and go to bed by daylight.

Little farmers use rushes much in the short days, both morning and evening in the dairy and kitchen; but the very poor, who are always the worst economists, and therefore must continue very poor, buy an halfpenny candle every evening, which, in their blowing open rooms, does not burn much more than two hours. Thus have they only two hours' light for their money instead of eleven.

While on the subject of rural oeconomy, it may not be improper to mention a pretty implement of housewifery that we have seen no where else; that is, little neat besoms which our foresters make from the stalk of the polytricum commune, or great golden maiden- hair, which they call silk-wood, and find plenty in the bogs. When this moss is well combed and dressed, and divested of its outer skin, it becomes of a beautiful bright chestnut colour; and, being soft and pliant, is very proper for the dusting of beds, curtains, carpets, hangings, etc. If these besoms were known to the brushmakers in town, it is probable they might come much in use for the purpose above-mentioned.* (*A besom of this sort is to be seen in Sir Ashton Lever's Museum.)

I am, etc.

[Triumph! l Though the bacon scummings do not burn anywhere near as well as filtered suet, and the smell, I'm told, is noticable.]

thriftwizard

Rushes are also very good to weave with; I've never got further than place-mats/pan-rests, but fully intend to go on a weekend's rush-weaving course as soon as time allows. It's a restful thing to do, as well as productive; doesn't fight back like willow does, and doesn't need warping-up like a loom!

jk0

Thanks for your suggestions regarding the bread guys. They worked very well.

I froze half of yesterday morning's bread around 10am without slicing it, and put it in the fridge this morning, as soon as I finished eating the other half. I just got the loaf out and sliced it ready for lunch. It was lovely.

mardatha

Grey Queen is having computer probs and will be offline for a day or so but back asap

herbily

DiggingforVictory, thanks for the detailed explanation - I think I might be a decayed labourer, so obviously I should start rush-gathering! I'll need the right sort of metal holder, though - can anyone advise?

maryb

Natwest online banking seems to be down. Tried another browser but no joy. Anyone else having problems?

ancientofdays

Apparently the end of the world is predicted for Sunday. Again.

Perhaps I won't bother tidying up then.

mardatha

It bloody well better not - I've got a heatwave forecast for all of next week!!!