THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

[Deleted User]

I adore olives, all kinds of olives but particularly those lovely wrinkly, salty aged ones!

I make jam, too much jam but I enjoy making the preserves and it's nice to use the home growns as well as going foraging for what nature sees fit to gift as well. I find it all a very enjoyable process from the growing, to the picking, preparing and cooking and the best bit is the end of the season when I can stand by the shelves in the store room and see all the jars of different coloured produce and know we're catered for until the next year, couldn't stop if I wanted to!

Nonnadiluca

C
Fuddle, I think you'll find that your jam isn't 'runny' but ' French set', which sounds far more swanky! I can't stand olives.

[Deleted User]

In Sweden the fashion is for an 'almost jam' which is made with less sugar than jam here and doesn't set solid but has a loose syrupy consistency. You have to keep it in the fridge and it will keep for up to a year and 6 or so weeks when opened. Scrummy stuff!

pineapple

VJsmum wrote: »

I had to turn out some stuff from my cupboard today - a carton of LL milk for starters. it was over a year out of date and was lumpy as I tipped it down the sink...

My manky old kitchen is being ripped out on Monday. I swore when I moved in that I couldn't put up with it for 5 minutes and it's been 2 years.....:doh:
So busy clearing out cupboards. Many of us have had that self service till message ' 'Unexpected item in bagging area'. Well here it's a matter of 'Unexpected item at back of cupboard'. :eek:

dND

fuddle wrote: »

Any idea why Americans appear to be so relaxed with canning while we run about screaming botulism? OK, I appear to have over reacted there and been pretty stereotypical but it's just the feeling I get about the issue. I would love to can.

Many contributory reasons I think - and don't forget the term canning is often used for what we'd call bottling. I personally think it's because in America the advice is pressure canning only - higher temperatures so even if you don't follow the requisite times there is a fair chance you'd kill off any nasties (along with taste and texture of some of the more delicate products) - think the litigation laws in the States.


There is also the slight hint of capitalism - convince people that they need to spend a reasonable amount of money on a specialised piece of equipment rather than use items they already have to hand etc


Here in France, it's usually hot-water bath for everything including the confit du canard and the homemade rillettes. But, the French tend to follow the immersion times to the letter as well as pass the techniques down through the generations.


The important bit is to understand the process and also what works best. For example, for my first foray into bottling, I chose tomatoes. Not only because I had a glut of them but because they have a high natural acidity which reduces the likelihood of growing nasties in the jars.


A word of advice to those starting out - always check that the bottle/jar is properly sealed. You can always re-process immediately if it hasn't and if the seal isn't fully intact and difficult to open when you come to use it - discard it.


Dxx

maryb

Le parfait have a site with lots of information
https://www.leparfait.com/how-to-make-your-own-preserves

jk0

THIRZAH wrote: »

No, I can't stand them either although the rest of the family including GS aged 6 love them.

I wonder if there's any correlation between not liking Kale, and Olives?


I hate both.

Mojisola

jk0 wrote: »

I wonder if there's any correlation between not liking Kale, and Olives?

I hate both.

Not here - I love kale but just can't eat olives.

GreyQueen

Cappella wrote: »

I live olives. Any olives. I have added some to my store cupboard today and I will toast GQ when we eat them

I've been stewing and freezing brambles and apples for the past two days and have also made a little bramble-and apple jam because I really like it though no one else does. There are more brambles here along the allotment edges, the canal bank and the rough ground next to railway bridges over the canal than I've seen for a very long time. And what puzzles/ worries me slightly is that in a very built up and rather poor urban area I seem to be the only person picking them. Even 5 years ago I would regularly meet people stripping the bushes but so far this year there's only been me. And so I'm torn between stopping - because truthfully I have MORE than enough - and not letting the fruit drop and rot. But surely free fruit should be a huge incentive to everyone? I'm obviously missing a point somewhere but I'm not sure just what it is.

In my area it seems to be a reverse trend. Say 5 + years ago, it was only me and a few other ecentrics picking blackberries along the cycle path but in the past few years there has been mucho competion. Including from family groups on bicycles, with the youngsters being taught how to pick without getting pranged, just as I was back in the day. A sight to warm the cockles of my cold and flinty heart.


I reckon feral fruits are probably less toxic than many professionally cultivated ones, frankly, but you can enjoy grossing out some folk by eating things off trees and bushes, 'cos real food only comes from supermarkets, dinnit? :rotfl:

jk0 wrote: »

Am I the only person on this thread who can't stand olives?

Possibly. I only started eating olives a couple of years ago, before they grossed me out so much I'd pick them out of any food they intruded into. Including the classic Greek salads eaten on holiday in Greece. I blush to recall my barbarianism.

mardatha

My granny used to make what she called "jeely". It was runny jam. Fuddle I add lemon juice and that makes the jam set nice and firm.