Quick update.. I have copied the blog entry here to save ppl having to click on the blog link in my sig. There are couple more updates before this one too.. mainly about poly tunnels!;)
The Pantry Journey 2011
Well it’s a new year and most of the plants are well on their way to producing generous amounts of colourful yummy dinners and puddings. There is not much to do in the way of preserving yet from the vegetables and fruits planted this year, but there are a good few plants producing enough now to consider some early cupboard preparation!
My back garden rhubarb plants have been busy for the last two months. We’ve eaten all we can eat for a month in the way of hot puddings so its time to get on and do some early storing. This week I have made a lovely recipe of mine, Rhubarb and Pear Chutney. Making it now ensures a semi decent time for it to mature for cheese and crackers at christmas this year, if I can manage to save it till then!
This week I started my elderflower picking. The first batch this year has made just under 4 litres of Elderflower Cordial. I picked the Elderflower heads at the local village cricket ground. It has Elder growing almost all the way round the grounds, so next week I will return for the next batch of lovely fresh Elderflowers to make a batch of champagne ready for summer BBQ’s. Any more batches, I might try some Elderflower wine, though I know 4 litres of Cordial isn’t going to last long, so I may need to concentrate on more of that!
The strawberries at the allotment that belonged to the last tenant have been incredibly generous in their production so far. Aren’t strawberries ripening early this year! So far we have been pretty greedy, taking them home washing them and eating them on the spot. Taking delights already in what the allotment has to offer us as a reward for our hours of hard work.
So just incase the rest get eaten, even though there are about 30 plants there, and I have since planted another 50 ever bearers so we have a mix of June bearers, day neutrals and ever bearers. Hopefully strawberries in all seasons with a bit of luck.. or erm some rain.. oh how I wish those clouds would stop teasing my plants, and drench them till the ground can soak up a months worth of water! I’ve not seen a decent puddle for weeks! Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. Strawberry Jam and Strawberry Syrup have been made with a single crop of strawberries, as has a small strawberry flan which was eaten as soon as it had set! One pot of Jam is already open, and the other has been moved to the cupboard for safe keeping, along with three pots of strawberry syrup waiting for a yummy pudding to pour them over. I do love syrups!
Syrups are those kind of things you can look at in the cupboard in the depths of winter and take yourself back to those smells and reminders of Summer. Simmering Strawberries and sugar on the stove, it’s just the most wonderful smell!
So we have currently, as well as a few frozen fruits left from last years pickings, a start to our late summer and winter stores, already, and it’s only the end of May. I feel very productive at the moment! Lets hope that this summer, with the new allotment brings a bigger freezer. I have a small built in freezer in the kitchen and one of those slim chest freezers in the garage. I’m thinking as I do find looking through the chest freezer rather an effort, I may get myself a larger stand up freezer with drawers. I tend to bag things that go together up in large’ish carrier bags, put a pice of string on the handle with a parcel label at the end. that way I can easily find things in there. But as organised as that sounds, it still doesn’t help trying to get to the bottom of the thing!
I went bargain hunting yesterday at a local Focus DIY branch, as they have gone into administration, there was 20% off most products to be had. So I came away with a potting bench, which they used as Point of Sale furniture. It's the first thing I have bought for the poly tunnel which will arrive sometime next week, so I am getting very excited!
It looks fab 
You sound so excited, I can't wait to follow your blog!
so pots are the only thing I can manage, at least I can cover them in copper tape and wear thick gloves and hope for the best. I will be attempting to grow a few things this year too, like you say it pays more to grow things that normally cost loads or that you cant find in the supermarket. It would be cheaper for me to buy potatoes than grow them, but I have great plans for unusual squashes, beans and purple carrots. Hurry up, Spring!!
