The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

DigForVictory

SiClist, um, it may be a bit late. Singers have followed me home from carboots for years. When I excavate the front room there will be at least 4 and I lugged a pretty one (that had had its wires lopped) in December last year.

Mrs LW love Operation Squirrel!

Lad & I got the weeks shopping in today - he is the physical presence in one supermarket where spacing is more optional (I am in the car on the phone talking him through the shopping list - crazy but it works for us!).

Husband remains adamant that he can strip the turf off the back garden & build a thick turf wall, add two layers of manure over a year & it'll be wonderful Next Year. At least he's planning a solid plastic box for the tools...

[Deleted User]

Operation Squirrel produced 4 large trays of dried 'carrot goldfish' (cut on the slant in a long oval and christened so by young daughters and 2 jars of spiced pear jam which has set beautifully.

DD2 mentioned anything they have that looks to be going past its best is made into Kimchi so tomorrow I shall be bending her ear for the 'how to' on that and as I've a big kilner type jar empty at the mo' I'll be giving it a try.

This year I'm going to make a Rumtopf which is a German way of preserving fruit all through the season and is chunks of/whole soft fruit (as long as all is the same size it works) and sugar covered with white rum starting off with berries and currants as they come ripe and going through pitted cherries, apricots, peaches, plums etc. through to blackberries at the end of the season.  After the last sugar has been added all is covered with a last pouring of white rum, sealed down and put into the back of a cupboard until Christmas where it is served as pudding over ice cream or plain cake and it's well worth the effort and the wait as it's delicious!

I was reading the instruction book for the dehydrator and found that in tomato season I can brittle dry tomatoes and grind them to powder and that apparently makes soup? worth a try in the fulness of time and in tomato season as we're going to grow as many as we can this year and make oodles of chutney and freeze loads too.

Nargleblast

My first attempt at Rumtopf last year was beautiful, so I will definitely be doing it this year. Last year I didn't start it till August, this year it will be started with strawberries on 1st June and I will have two large Kilner jars on the go. 

MrsCD

jamanda said:

MrsCD said:

Could anyone tell me if dried peas would grow, please? I mean the sort that you make mushy peas from after they've been steeped overnight. Thanks.

Yes, they will.  I'd forgotten about that.  Might do same.

I'm so excited! They've started to grow! I have ten little shoots so far. 😁
How long do I wait to put them outside, please?

jamanda

Well done!! Wait until frosts gone.  You want to get them 3 or 4 inches high (ish).  Beware - when you put them out every pigeon in the area will tell it's mates you have put food out, so protect them until they are bigger.  Anything will do to keep them off, as long as rain and light can get at them.

euronorris

Mmmm spiced pear jam. Sounds amazing!! Now eyeing up the glut of pears on the side.....

srn

I rarely post (too slow with my answers!), but wanted to say to Mrs LW that I dehydrate tomatoes until they are totally dry and brittle, then grind them and use them instead of tomato puree in recipes, add to gravy, casseroles etc.  It adds a lovely depth and doesn't give my husband heartburn as tomato puree does.  Great way to use up a glut of tomatoes.  I also do the same with onions (but in the garage due to the smell) and it makes a wonderful, concentrated onion powder.

[Deleted User]

Spiced Pear Jam
4 cups of pears peeled, cored  and chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
juice of 2 lemons

everything except the lemon juice into a heavy based pan, keep stirring over the heat until the sugar is dissolved( you can feel it 'crunching' under the spoon as you stir) and the pears have put out juice then simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.  Then add in the lemon juice and put in the whole halves of lemon skin too and cook for another half an hour or slightly longer until the whole thickens and the pear pieces left are translucent.  Pot up into sterilized jam jars and screw on the lids tightly and they will 'click' as the jam cools inside.

Take out the lemon rinds before you pot up the jam!

The easiest method ever and this made 2 ordinary sized jars of jam.

thriftwizard

I'm fairly bouncing with excitement! A small (6x6) polycarbonate greenhouse is making it's way towards us. I thought I'd missed the boat, as everywhere was sold out of the most suitable model, but when I started my search all over again, the least expensive supplier (who was first to sell out) had just one left; maybe someone cancelled an order? Anyway, I snapped it up & it's on its way. I'm really looking forward to being able to grow some stuff without fretting about blight or giving up some of our living space!

daz378

As ive been working all  week ...managed  my first shop in a week   fultons in gtr mcr  have hp beans for 39p each...been stocking up on porridge oats....also buying tinned tomatoes....also ordered hair clipper from amazon...being unsure  when barbers open again....stay safe