THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

tori.k

Living_proof wrote: »

As there seem to be so many preservers about at the moment on here, could anyone advise me on the best way to do runner beans please?

Salting is the traditional way of preserving runner beans, i've never done it as im the only one that eats them in our household so a bag in the freezer is enough, but have salted other things like bacon its probably the easiest way of preserving.

DigForVictory

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Aside from romantic meals, has the candle become obsolete, as a method of lighting?

Not round my way. In part as if the power goes, the young head like lemmings for their little "power banks" to maintain mobile comms (I have bought a second hand cranked radio for them to bicker over, which has phone charging capability) whereas my husband & I pick up projects we were going to get around to & then sort lighting to taste. Knitting, reading & embroidery usually mean a full five branch candlestick in play but centrally positioned so we can all read by it if we choose (and we lower & light the 8 candle chandelier if we have visitors who seem flummoxed by low light levels) but baths are rushlight jobs as that speeds things along & makes sharing a bathtub less open to bickering about people's dirty water. (Guests get a candle stub & privacy.)

I'm one of those swingeingly privileged few who has access to real raw beeswax though, as a godfather volunteers at a local park with hives & is getting a lot better at the beekeeping lark. Result, we are getting kilos of comb (with the honey centrifuged out) & also odd bits with dead bees in - all still usable but the filtering results are pretty odd. Think Giger jam... Plus research historian husband who is dashed competent with a candle mould.

My blackberries are small & green at present, but if this wet forecast delivers, I forsee thick black tasty goodness and severely purple fingers. As for jars, if I absolutely must, I'll buy supermarket ultra cheap stuff for the jars & lids at 20 pence a time & donate the gloop. Not before I've tried my scouts though. A recycling challenge is always good for glass jars of all sorts & then a bit of scrubbing & sterilising & measuring for wax discs, cellophane & may even the pinking shears for the gingham tops and lo - gifts & (some) jars that reappear in the Christmas Hamper.

thriftwizard

What part, Thrifty? And do you still have your accent?

A little west of Yelverton, Jojo. And no, sadly I lost that somewhere between an unhappy 4 years at boarding school (scholarship girl) and 3 years in Scotland, where some words/pronunciation are the same or similar (rolled Rs, short As, "aye/arr") but mostly very different!

The feral blackberries here have shrivelled & died on the vine, in the places I've looked so far. The thornless one at the end of the garden is doing OK, as it's been watered, but usually they turn to a soggy mouldy mess as soon as it rains; luckily they're not ripe yet so we may still get some after the weekend. There are masses of grapes on the vine, and the cherry plums are ripening & are nice & sweet this year. Our enormous kiwi vine has excelled itself and produced more than ten fruits, some of which are slightly bigger than marbles! Wonders will never cease...

Living_proof

tori.k wrote: »

Salting is the traditional way of preserving runner beans, i've never done it as im the only one that eats them in our household so a bag in the freezer is enough, but have salted other things like bacon its probably the easiest way of preserving.

I am trying to avoid salt, although I have done some fermented cucumbers recently. I suspect I will have to rinse them before I eat them though as I don't like salt except on chips! There is also some proof that eating salted veg. regularly can cause nasal cancers so maybe best avoided if like me you have had sinus issues.

Live_laugh_love

Decided to go blackberrying down by our local canal.
Saw some lovely ripe looking ones 5 minutes from our house but thought, no I'll walk another 1/2 hour in the heat and get some where there's less traffic, to find there were none ripened and ended up picking half a tub full on the way back where I saw them in the first place!
Very hot and sweaty now and off to prep them for the freezer!

Mojisola

Living_proof wrote: »

I am trying to avoid salt, although I have done some fermented cucumbers recently. I suspect I will have to rinse them before I eat them though as I don't like salt except on chips!

I salted beans, once, years ago.

Even after rinsing and soaking, all I could taste was salt so I didn't bother again.

[Deleted User]

I've tried, salting beans, freezing beans and drying beans in the dehydrator and liked NONE of them, the best way for runners is to eat them fresh BUT if the pods get old and the beans inside them harden off don't pick them off, leave then to dry on the vines then pod them out and let them dry to hardness on a tray in a warm part of the house and you've got home grown pulses that will make casseroles, soups, chilli and bean hummus in the winter. Just soak them as you would any pulse and simmer until cooked, very useful!

If you really feel the need to make something with them then a runner bean pickle is perfectly OK, just not brilliant!

tori.k

Living_proof wrote: »

I am trying to avoid salt, although I have done some fermented cucumbers recently. I suspect I will have to rinse them before I eat them though as I don't like salt except on chips! There is also some proof that eating salted veg. regularly can cause nasal cancers so maybe best avoided if like me you have had sinus issues.

I always soak anything that been in brine for a few hours to remove the salt because of taste, never heard of the Cancer thing but I suppose everything turns out to be carcinogenic in quantity, and I like to keep my diet pretty much unprocessed and balanced so don't tend to worry. im dying a little everyday anyway

THIRZAH

My grandmother used to salt runner beans. The only good thing I can say about them was that they were a change from the sprouts or leeks that she served up every other day in the winter!

ancientofdays

I find runner beans freeze quite well but you do need to open freeze on trays, otherwise you will find that they all glom together.

Yesterday I was picking blackberries and a young chap with two children asked me what they were, were they some form of fruit. I was a bit surprised but explained and told him you can buy them at the supermarket, but I am not paying for something that is available for free.