Feels like winter is arriving

Frozen cobwebs through the chives.

It feels as though winter has arrived, we have had varying forecasts for the end of the week from -10°C overnight on Friday to one forecaster telling us we should consider ourselves lucky to be below 1000m otherwise the freezing rain of the past couple of days would have fallen as snow.

Luckily the rain clouds have cleared and yesterday was bright and sunny - albeit not very warm - it did however mean that I could get outside and catch up on some of the outstanding pre-winter jobs.

I had to write a list otherwise I would forget what I had intended to do

Over the afternoon:

fennel was cut for drying inside and the root balls transferred undercover in the hopes that they may regrow next year,

dried on the vine haricot beans were collected in,

broccoli heads cut for the freezer,

red and white cabbage cut for the freezer,

bean canes taken in and the twine rewound ready for next spring,

red tomatoes in the greenhouse harvested,

five jars of passata cooked,

last of the patty pan squashes cut and cooked for dinner,

dill seeds collected, dried and bottled,

field mushrooms chopped and left to dry in the warming oven overnight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrolepiota_procera

thanks again wikipedia 

I have just scrubbed the caps, removed the stalks and roughly chopped, then laid the pieces out on  baking trays and I will leave them in the warming oven of the Rayburn overnight and probably most of the next day.  Once dry traditionally they should be strung up to use, but I think I may put mine in a dry sterlie kilner jar.  To use they need to be soaked for about 4 hours before adding to a dish, but you can then use the soaking liquor to add flavour to soups and sauces too.

I have at least another two large bowl fulls of plum tomatoes to ripen, not sure if they will do so before it gets too cold in the greenhouse.

This time I just used the plum tomatoes and a little olive oil, salt and pepper, left them to simmer for 40 minutes then into some sterilised jars.  I make various flavoured sauces and a plain mix too to use for soups and as a base for ketchups.

Free Foraged Food - Ash Keys - Pickling

I am lucky enough to have several ash trees in my garden, although they are unlikely to be cut down for firewood use (they are one of the best trees to use for firewood as the logs don't require lengthy seasoning), they do give the garden some much needed shelter from the sun, as well as providing me with ash keys to pickle.

I have to say this is a new one on me, so I can't tell you what they taste like, but as I have a bountiful free harvest of these I though I would try this out.

The best keys for picking are at the debut of summer when they are fresh, green and non-fibrous.  Too old and they are too tough.

Pickled Ash Keys

Ingredients:

§  2 cups of Ash Keys without stalks

§  1 tsp ground cloves

§  1 tsp ground cinnamon

§  4 bay leaves

§  8 peppercorns

§  1 tsp allspice

§  1/2 tsp ground ginger

§  1 tsp salt

§  3 tbsp brown sugar

§  2 cups cider vinegar

§  water (for a bain marie)

1.    Wash the keys, then place in a pan covered with cold water and bring to the boil, simmerfor 5 minutes.

2.    Strain off the water and return to the pan with some fresh water, then bring back to boil and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

3.    Drain the keys through a colander and shake well to get rid of any excess water, and once dry pack into clean dry jars, but allow an inch of space from the top of the jar.

4.    Put the spices, salt and sugar into a bowl and add the vinegar.

5.    Warm the spice mix in a bain marie – which is just a fancy way of saying – put the bowl over a saucepan of water then bring the water to a boil.   Allow the pickling vinegar to simmer for about 5 minutes, then leave it to cool by placing the bowl into some cold water, or you can leave it to cool by itself but it will take longer  (– in fact if you are horribly organized you could prepare the pickling vinegar and then go out and pick your ash keys – if only I had thought of doing it that way round earlier).

6.    Strain the liquid through a sieve into a jug and pour over the keys filling the jars right to the brim, and secure the lids well.  As this is a pickling vinegar there is no need for sterilization - if you have them kilner jars are ideal for this.

7.    Store in a cool dry place to mature for about 3 months.

8.    Apparently they have a taste reminiscent of capers and can be used as a caper replacement – will just have to wait and see.