Broccoli head from Spain priced 20p in supermarket.

[mudsticks]

I love making preserves with what I can forage and pick from the garden - or what I acquire on sticker or on good offers*, for that matter. I have won many a red rosette for them at local produce / agricultural shows.

Am of Polish and German ancestry on my dad's side, so sauerkraut and pickled cucumbers were always around. Have to say, I don't possess a great fondness for them, simply because I find them waaaaaay too salty.

Although a choucroutte garni with smoked sausage and bacon generally hits the spot once in a while.

* I made some fabulous marmalade that's half Seville oranges (bought off the market) and Navelina oranges bought on a clubcard offer in Tesco. I won't say no to 59p for a net of oranges, and will usually bulk buy as they keep well in my unheated utility room. The quality of the Navelinas this year has been absolutely exceptional - there must've been a glut for them to sell it at that price. I ate a fair few of them as well as I absolutely love oranges. I've had similar good buys on Lane Late oranges. They've been good too, very "orangey" but not as sweet as last year's crop.

That's about it for good Spanish oranges for the season. The clementines around Christmas were fabulous as well - I bought, and ate, with mum's help, seven and a half kilos of the damn things...

I'm not massive fan of salt myself either..
Maybe the old krauting techniques have been adapted to reduce it, in some way..
.
Garlic and ginger and other flavourings, such as turmeric and cumin are featuring large too .

Unfortunately marmalade just doesn't do it for me at all...

Glad for anyone else to be scoffing that.

Couldn't imagine life without marmite though - one of the few things I've never tried making.
Very happy to leave that to the experts..

 

[KnittyNorah]

I've really got into fermented veg of late ...

Kimchis and krauts really lift even a very simple meal...

I used to enjoy all the krauts, and lots of the Middle Eastern pickles, too - and I loved pickled herring - as well as the usual British preserves of all sorts.

However, when I was living in Auckland, I used to wait for my bus outside a Korean grocers which had the most FOUL fermentation smells emerging from it; one day it was all boarded up and taped off, and never reopened. There was quite a lot of (fairly discrete) fuss around how the environmental/food hygiene dept dealt with non-English language speakers; several Korean students and residents had apparently tried to report the place but had come up against barriers.
Ever since then, I've been squeamish about fermented and pickled stuff - even when I make my own yoghurt I have to be careful not to sniff at it or I'll start retching, and I don't think I could cope with opening a jar of sauerkraut - although when I was last in Germany I enjoyed some with a meal but had to very determinedly and deliberately not smell it until it was in my mouth and I could taste it.

 

[Reynard]

Unfortunately marmalade just doesn't do it for me at all...

Glad for anyone else to be scoffing that.

I had the same opinion about marmalade - until I started making my own. It's on a completely different *planet* to what you buy in the shops. That stuff's just horrible and way too sweet. And then when you look at the label, you can understand why. It's made predominantly with sugar and fruit juice (about 70% sugar) and very little of the actual fruit i.e. peel and pulp goes in.

Mine is made using a 1:1 ratio of whole fruit to sugar, which is a much more traditional ratio for jams and the like. And so you actually taste the fruit rather than simply overwhelming sweetness. And you can really tell what's in it. Tangerine marmalade is the sweetest, whereas 100% Seville is quite bitter. Lime is mouthwateringly zingy, especially with added ginger, and red orange is subtle and mellow.

Marmalade bread-and-butter pudding, and now you're talking... Especially with a splooshette of orange flower water whisked in with the eggs and cream...

P.S. I do like marmite. I will not buy things like marmite rice cakes or twiglets, because once I start, I can't stop...

 

[Reynard]

I used to enjoy all the krauts, and lots of the Middle Eastern pickles, too - and I loved pickled herring - as well as the usual British preserves of all sorts.

Have you tried the Listner-branded pickled herrings in cream sauce from the Polish aisle? They are very good.

Herrings a must-have for Good Friday / Easter Saturday here. The tub I bought went down without touching the sides. Still have some of the dressing left, which will be used to make some potato salad for tonight.

 

[mudsticks]

I had the same opinion about marmalade - until I started making my own. It's on a completely different *planet* to what you buy in the shops. That stuff's just horrible and way too sweet. And then when you look at the label, you can understand why. It's made predominantly with sugar and fruit juice (about 70% sugar) and very little of the actual fruit i.e. peel and pulp goes in.

Mine is made using a 1:1 ratio of whole fruit to sugar, which is a much more traditional ratio for jams and the like. And so you actually taste the fruit rather than simply overwhelming sweetness. And you can really tell what's in it. Tangerine marmalade is the sweetest, whereas 100% Seville is quite bitter. Lime is mouthwateringly zingy, especially with added ginger, and red orange is subtle and mellow.

Marmalade bread-and-butter pudding, and now you're talking... Especially with a splooshette of orange flower water whisked in with the eggs and cream...

P.S. I do like marmite. I will not buy things like marmite rice cakes or twiglets, because once I start, I can't stop...

I promise you I've tried them all.

The delectable offerings, of very dear friends who are incredibly talented in all other crafts of the kitchen .
I just can't get on with the stuff.

Even in bread and butter pudding, which I've had as well, I'm still thinking..

"Hmm quite nice, but it would be even nicerer without the marmalade in it..".🤔


It's only really that, that I can think of that I don't like, or eat..
So I'm not tooo hard to please - honest...😇

But yes ..
Bags of twiglets , which are allegedly 'sized for sharing'... ???

I don't think soo, actually...

Just had a very nice crab sandwich by the sea, got a bit rained on on the way home, but still the ground does need it..

We're nearly at 'peak hedge' hereabouts.

Alexanders, and stitchwort in full bloom.

Give it another week or so, the campions, fiddle heads, and bluebells will all be out as well - quite glorious .

 

[Reynard]

Ah, I'll let you off this time @mudsticks If only because it means there's more marmalade for me. I have the same opinion regarding marmalade as Paddington Bear.

TBH, I'm very unfussy when it comes to food, there's very little I don't like / won't eat. Sardines are my bugbear, horrible things. And I can't eat some seafood as I'm allergic.

It's one of the reasons I yellow sticker - I just love the unexpected variety.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Have you tried the Listner-branded pickled herrings in cream sauce from the Polish aisle? They are very good.

Herrings a must-have for Good Friday / Easter Saturday here. The tub I bought went down without touching the sides. Still have some of the dressing left, which will be used to make some potato salad for tonight.

I'm sure they are but since the incident in Auckland of the 'kimchi-gone-wrong-smell', my stomach turns at almost all fermented and sour-pickled foods nowadays. It was quite difficult even to get myself back to yoghurt and decent cheeses. I used to LOVE pickled herring on strong, dark rye bread - the sort of thing you can get everywhere on the Baltic coast.

 

[mudsticks]

Ah, I'll let you off this time @mudsticks If only because it means there's more marmalade for me. I have the same opinion regarding marmalade as Paddington Bear.

TBH, I'm very unfussy when it comes to food, there's very little I don't like / won't eat. Sardines are my bugbear, horrible things. And I can't eat some seafood as I'm allergic.

It's one of the reasons I yellow sticker - I just love the unexpected variety.

Plus you're using up food that would otherwise go to waste..

Fill your boots with the marmalade..

Urrggh - sticky 😕

 

[KnittyNorah]

Ah, I'll let you off this time @mudsticks If only because it means there's more marmalade for me. I have the same opinion regarding marmalade as Paddington Bear.

TBH, I'm very unfussy when it comes to food, there's very little I don't like / won't eat. Sardines are my bugbear, horrible things. And I can't eat some seafood as I'm allergic.

It's one of the reasons I yellow sticker - I just love the unexpected variety.

Ah, I love sardines! I can eat them with my fingers straight out of the tin! And as for fresh sardines grilled on cheesey flatbread .... mmmmmmmmmm!

 

[Reynard]

Ah, I love sardines! I can eat them with my fingers straight out of the tin! And as for fresh sardines grilled on cheesey flatbread .... mmmmmmmmmm!

Well, if i have your herrings, you can have my sardines. Deal?

The trouble I have with sardines is that I eat them, and then several hours later, I'm still eating them. A cheap lunch, I suppose...

 

[Reynard]

Plus you're using up food that would otherwise go to waste..

Fill your boots with the marmalade..

Urrggh - sticky 😕

I wear crocs mostly, so it'd leak out of the holes...

I picked up a lovely big whole salmon for half price on yellow sticker on Saturday. Just finished "processing" it. A friend took half a side, half a side is in the freezer, half a side is in the fridge for tomorrow (going to bake it with a lemon, parsley and parmesan crumb topping) and the remaining half is sitting in the fridge under several cans of beans in a cure of salt, sugar, pepper, allspice and brandy.

The head, tail and bones are simmering away for stock, and the trimmings from those are in the fridge. I shall be making salmon, potato and sweetcorn chowder.

So everything gets used. No waste here in that respect either.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Well, if i have your herrings, you can have my sardines. Deal?

The trouble I have with sardines is that I eat them, and then several hours later, I'm still eating them. A cheap lunch, I suppose...

Yes, they do rather repeat! I have a similar problem with cucumber.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

No news from the supermarket veg war today: 20p offerings are still offered, the Spanish Broccoli isle seems more depleted than the British carrot one.
I went to see if I could find some cheap post Easter chocolate, no luck in Asda, will try Aldi tomorrow
@mudsticks got a phone call today, a tree man is dumping a load of woodchips for free at mines tomorrow!
Happy days! I'm sharing with other gardeners from my community, hopefully they'll leave me some by the time I get home from work. I have planted a little wildflower patch last year, want to extend it a wee bit, but need to build a woodchip path first to be able to access the food growing area behind.
Because of the building works around us, we have access to a vast amount of pallets.
I have researched a simple pallet planter to make with my group. The idea is to position them in communal areas, some filled with cooking herbs, some with flowers, some with salad veg.
This time I'm not asking for Council permission, hehe.

I don't think I could cope with opening a jar of sauerkraut - although when I was last in Germany I enjoyed some with a meal but had to very determinedly and deliberately not smell it until it was in my mouth and I could taste it.

Strangely, the one you make yourself does not smell as the one you buy in the shop, ime.
I only started to ferment foods in lockdown, wasn't really sure if I liked ferments.
Turns out that I do, apart from the Kombucha: more vile than Irn Bru imo
I gave the jar away, mega scooby and all: the jar cost me more than the homemade Kombucha itself, felt sorry to give it away ... should have thrown the Kombucha down the drain instead

Have you tried the Listner-branded pickled herrings in cream sauce from the Polish aisle? They are very good.

Oh yes! I am supposed to eat plenty of oily fish.
Having it smothered in a cream sauce is acceptable, no?

Sardines are my bugbear, horrible things.

I like them, mixed with a pasta sauce, on top of a baked potato, or with rice or quinoa.
One of my cats likes sardines too, hence it's a difficult to eat food for me

 

[Reynard]

I like them, mixed with a pasta sauce, on top of a baked potato, or with rice or quinoa.
One of my cats likes sardines too, hence it's a difficult to eat food for me

Mesdames Poppy and Lexi have the same opinion of sardines that I have. Namely that they are the work of Beelzebub. I trust the girls' opinion on foodstuffs.

Do you want some forget-me-not seeds for your wildflower patch? If so, give me a reminder about July time, and I'll stick some in the post. They're all flowering now, and I've massive drifts of wee blue flowers...

 

[KnittyNorah]

Strangely, the one you make yourself does not smell as the one you buy in the shop, ime.

Sorry - even the yoghurt I make myself can no longer be sniffed without making me throw up a little into my mouth. Oh the stink of that shop, I will never forget it!