Been a busy bee today

[Winnie]

Had a really good day today, the weather was fine dry and cool, got some gardening done this morning, Then on the pooter to work and then the good bit, pickled some onions, salted down more runner beans and made a blinding apple plait for dessert, It was YUUMMY!
The weekend is planned out, christmas pudding and mincemeat making ready for xmas. I also plan to go on a blackberry hunt, it'll be a few weeks before the sloes are ready for the gin treatment tho:)
I really feel like I achieved something.

[oldsoldier]

Had a really good day today, the weather was fine dry and cool, got some gardening done this morning, Then on the pooter to work and then the good bit, pickled some onions, salted down more runner beans and made a blinding apple plait for dessert, It was YUUMMY!
The weekend is planned out, christmas pudding and mincemeat making ready for xmas. I also plan to go on a blackberry hunt, it'll be a few weeks before the sloes are ready for the gin treatment tho:)
I really feel like I achieved something.

WW ya know you are going to have to share some of the recipes with us yanks don't ya??:innocent:

[Winnie]

It would be my pleasure OS which one do you want??

[oldsoldier]

It would be my pleasure OS which one do you want??

blinding apple plait sound interesting:drool::munchies:

[Winnie]

Sorry a coloquiolism(sp?).. blinding= very good.
It's basically an apple pie not in the pie dish. seems to help prevent a soggy bottom..... and there's nothing worse than a soggy bottom! Pastry rolled out in rectangle aplples sugar and cinnamon placed down the middle, make cuts in pastry either side of apples at an angle then criss cross like a plait. Bake as for apple pie. Simples!

[oldsoldier]

Sorry a coloquiolism(sp?).. blinding= very good.
It's basically an apple pie not in the pie dish. seems to help prevent a soggy bottom..... and there's nothing worse than a soggy bottom! Pastry rolled out in rectangle aplples sugar and cinnamon placed down the middle, make cuts in pastry either side of apples at an angle then criss cross like a plait. Bake as for apple pie. Simples!

Sounds simple enough I'll try it and let ya know. Oh did ya see the soup recipe I posted??

[nell67]

Explain salting down the runner beans for me,I have dried them,and placed in a pillow case with plenty of pepper added (to keep the bugs away)and stored hung in a cool dry place. When cooked,these are known as "shucky" beans.

[Rick]

And what are sloes?

[nell67]

And what are sloes?
I'm gonna guess the puddings,but I could be wrong!

[Winnie]

Nell- Salting down beans is a method of storing beans in their green state. Just give them a quick rinse, slice them up, and then to each 3lb of sliced beans use 1lb of sea salt. Then using large canning jars, start with a layer of salt, then a 2 inch layer of beans and so on. The beans will make their own brine and after a few days will reduce considerably. You can keep adding to the jars with the same salt and bean layering. Make sure you push them down before adding another layer, you can use the same method for French beans and Kentucky beans too.

Rick- Sloes are a type of wild plum. very small and bitter as he!! But a truly magical brew can be made by pricking them all over and steeping them in gin or vodka with a few tablespoons of sugar for 6mths, then decanting into storage bottles and storing for another 6mths(just in time for christmas):innocent:

[Ken]

Refreshing!

http://www.mixeddrinkrecipes.net/recipes/display/29408/

http://www.drinkswap.com/drinks/detail.asp?recipe_id=6882

[Winnie]

Crikey Ken, that sloe gin fizz is a bit mean on the old measures isn't it?

Over here, it's a favourite in the hipflask, and as a "cold" remedy(you know one of those medicinal purposes)

[Rick]

Winnie, you can store lemons, limes and oranges in much the same manner as salting beans. Green limes will turn brown and then almost olive drab green but they are fine. I have lemons and oranges in the ice box that I salted over six months ago. As you remove a fruit from the mix, you can add additional ones into the same jar.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5081927_preserve-oranges.html

[Rick]

Here's a couple of jars I did in March of this year. Just turn the jars over occasionally so the liquid gets to all the fruit.

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q348/safe_zone/IMG_1742.jpg

[Winnie]

Ooo what a good idea Rick! Do you make a brine to preserve them in ?

[Rick]

Yes, follow the link in Post 13. It's a nice step by step.

[Winnie]

Thankyou!why do I have to type a min of 10 characters??

[Rick]

Because that's what the forum is set at. :innocent:

[2dumb2kwit]

Why are we whispering?

[Winnie]

Because it's dark outside, and I don't want that bigfoot bloke to knock on my door.

[2dumb2kwit]

Because it's dark outside, and I don't want that bigfoot bloke to knock on my door.

Oh...sorry. I wasn't thinking about the time difference.:blushing:

[Winnie]

Oh...sorry. I wasn't thinking about the time difference.:blushing:

Yup it's 20.30hrs here, and dark! (no street lights) Getting a bit chilly of an evening too, soon be time to light the fire of an evening.

[2dumb2kwit]

Yup it's 20.30hrs here, and dark! (no street lights) Getting a bit chilly of an evening too, soon be time to light the fire of an evening.

5 hours diff. I'll try to remember that. LOL
It's cooled off just enough to tease us here. It got into the mid sixties for a couple of nights, but the next few are only going to get down to around seventy.(I don't know what that is in C.) Highs today.....low eighties.

[Winnie]

Autumns definitely here down to 35-37f at night now. It got up to about 70f today.

[2dumb2kwit]

Autumns definitely here down to 35-37f at night now. It got up to about 70f today.

Now that's my kind of weather!:clap:

[Winnie]

Now that's my kind of weather!:clap:

Winter drawers on!:innocent:

[wildWoman]

I dried a lot of broccoli this year, curious to see if that's a good way to preserve it (and still semi-tasty later on).

WW, do you know how to make spotted dick?

[Winnie]

Oh yes WW. Give me a mo, need a cuppa.

[Winnie]

Right, I'm back WW. I'd be interested to know how your dried veg is too, you'll have to let me know.

Recipe for spotted dick(no smirking)

There is a small adjustment you'll probably need to make as we have self raising flour over here, so add the reqiured amount of raising agent.

4oz flour
4oz fresh white breadcrumbs
4oz shredded suet(fat from around the kidney) but you can use chilled grated butter or shortening, I know you've a limited cupboard.
pinch salt
1/4 pint water
4oz dried fruit(either currants, sultanas , raisins, or mixture)
1/4 tsp mixed spice if liked.

Mix flour, breadcrumbs, raising agents, fat and salt together in a bowl. Add sufficient water to make a soft elastic dough. Roll out to form a rectangle about 6inches by 12 inches. sprinkle over fruit and spice if using. Dampen edges with water and roll up to form a sausage pressing edges together. Wrap loosely in greased tinfoil and steam 1 1/2 hrs.

You can substitute jam for the fruit to make a jam rolypoly.

Any questions please ask!

[oldsoldier]

But a truly magical brew can be made by pricking them all over and steeping them in gin or vodka with a few tablespoons of sugar for 6mths, then decanting into storage bottles and storing for another 6mths(just in time for christmas):innocent:

Sounds like cherry bombs!!! After new years Take a jar of marachino cherrys drain the juice out refill the jar with rum reseal the jar and put it in the panrty and forget them until next new years eve:innocent:

[Winnie]

Ooo.. cherries,yum!

[wildWoman]

Thanks so much for the recipe! Will try it out on an appropriately gloomy day that calls for using the wood cookstove.