Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

Suffolk_lass

A big day preserving food, and dealing with three visitors in the midst of it.

My flour reserves have been exhausted and I can see I am only going to get one, or at most two more loaves from it. The subscription order was placed on 4th August and there is no word - so I went in and ordered two 15kg sack which are currently due for delivery tomorrow. Then I tried to cancel the subscription one. It remains to be seen if that is possible. I may end up with three sacks. 😕 I haven't told Mr Sl. It's on a needs to know basis. 🤐

I cooked some of the apples with bitter pit or cork spot (not sure of the difference) - they have struggled to take up calcium from the soil as we have (still) had no rain of any consequence. They are no good for storing but I can gently stew them and store them in (hot sterilised) screw top jars, and they will keep for over a year (I know this as I stored too many last year, and they are still fine) - I use them instead of buying berries for winter fruity vitamins and additions to yoghurt, porridge and for crumbles or a quick pud with ice-cream or custard. And once cooked, they are free to store. I did them with Victoria plums and will do more with greengages today (Mr Sl is on peeling and cutting duties while I bake bread - he forgot to feed the sour dough starter so yesterday) I made regular focaccias with flaked of salt and Rosemary - yum! - 2 in the freezer too.

I chopped and froze bags of courgettes, and picked tomatoes, cucumbers, plums and beans and watered in the greenhouse. I didn't water outside because clearly the forecast was for thunderstorms. 🙄😪😠 well that went well and now I need to do that next while the sourdough finishes proving!

Oh and I removed the blackberries I picked at the weekend from the freezer with the intention of making something with them. It was going to be blackberry vinegar (copying @foxgloves) but it might be blackberry and apple in jars as they look better than the raspberries, which need liberating from a freezer drawer. I believe the original recipe is for raspberry vinegar. I also found (as you do) a bag of blackcurrants so they were defrosted, cooked and put through a jely bag. I have 600ml of juice with which to make hm cordial. That will be great with some fizz at Christmas for those not wanting much alcohol, instead of liqueur.

I also had £6 in the crate for deliveries and one of my Kellys ice cream boxes returned - they are the perfect size to freeze a 1lb loaf - and when I make courgette cakes I make two and freeze or gift one to the community garden. I have been gifting as they have been offering coffee and children's activities on Saturdays throughout August.

Right, enough burbling from me - back to the watering cans…

foxgloves

Well, finally the rain actually appeared here, @Suffolk_lass , after barely a drip (well about 11 drips to be precise) yesterday. I can safely say that only the greenhouse stuff will need watering today. It's gone to drizzle now but was pretty heavy consistent rain since just after breakfast - exactly what our gardens & poor old farmers need. Hope it's heading east, though think it may have swept past us on its way further north.

Yes, the orig recipe in the River Cottage preserving book is for raspberry vinegar but I just swap out the raspberries which I don't grow, for blackberries, which I do. My friend makes the raspberry version & it's very nice. I also like making focaccia topped with sea salt & rosemary, sometimes either garlic or red onion too. Turns a simple bowl of home made soup into a tasty meal for very little outlay or effort.

Suffolk_lass

I am most envious @foxgloves. We have bypassed the rain and just had an hour's drizzle. Not enough to stop me putting the laundry out. Half of it actually. My collapsible laundry basket collapsed after catching one end and tipped the (white, of course) duvet cover part out, onto the floor. Just enough to look as though I washed the floor with it. So after the pillow cases and dishcloth, tea towel and face cloth have finished, I shall have to rewash that again.

Not cross at all & absolutely no swearing here but hang on, my pants just spontaneously combusted!

I have successfully moved the frozen fruit between freezers and frozen some apple as Mr Sl attempted to cram it all in the pressure cooker of lemon water, and all the protruding fruit was going brown. Some used with the blackberries and four jars now ready for labelling, once cooled. More ready just to stew, and another pot of gages, halved and ready to go. Blackcurrany Cordial bottled too.

My focaccia today is with salt, garlic and cheese. I'll let you know. We are having some with hummus for lunch imminently.