Preserving what we produce

Heck my christmas pippin are ready a whole month early, I picked them and they came off easily, I left the 5 smaller ones which were reluctant. The season is definitely changing and the apples are safer off as strong winds etc are due in a few days again. The 10 good blemish-free pippins are in a drawer in my apple store in the garage, the other 10 are in, they have codling moth (emerging) holes and will not store but will make perfectly good (cut up) eaters in couple of weeks

Its always best to go with the flow, calendar dates are no good, its the weather feel that counts

I never thought I would get so many apples, I removed at least half in june. Next year will see a big harvest, grease bands all around to protect the crop. I have done a little summer pruning and will do a little more for winter. My youngest tree, bought as a whip, has two stems and that needs to be cut by half its height, in a place where more stems will grow, so that I end up with several stems and an open shape. That one is a very good keeper with a good protective skin, it is called pigs snout and is a rarity from ian sturrock who grafts unusual or rare apples. One of my best allotment apples was bardsey, massively productive, he grafted it from an apple on bardsey island

I didn`t have room for another apple here, I have three, howgate wonder (cooking and later for eating), christmas pippin and pigs snout. I also got a crab apple called jelly king for pollination and for relatively large attractive crab apples which will hang and feed the birds for a long time

unblanched green beans are slightly drier and that is exactly why I prefer them to blanched. All mine are young beans, probably half the mature size, very tender

I am about to let a few of my courgettes grow on to slightly larger size, not big but bigger than finger sized. I feel like making some tubs of ratatouille, which I love on a hm frozen pizza base. I can use my ripened tomatoes, shallots and herbs.

I have been watching Ruth Mott on youtube, everything then was bottled, dried or salted. We have it much easier with a freezer. Mine is packed full, also for the reason that a full freezer will stay frozen for a very long time in a power cut.

With regards to jam - I usually make jellies as well as jam, but find the straining through jelly bag quite tedious. However, some years ago we bought a small apple press, so a few days ago I decided to make "summer jelly" - blackcurrants, raspberries, gooseberries and apples. After cooking, I put fruit in double net bag and transferred to press. It took a while to press out all the juice, but much less messy than jelly bag. Despite advice that squeezing the bag will lead to a cloudy jelly, mine is pretty clear with a lovely colour and flavour.

Callistemon I experimented with unblanched runner beans years ago, and now always blanch. I use basket from pressure cooker, or if small amounts, just direct in saucepan and drain.

This year I've been doing more open freezing - on a baking tray, then transfer to large ziplock bag. (Ikea do great bags - some very large strong ones which can be used many time). It's easier to do a small amount every day, than wait to process a lot - the ziplock bag fills up quite quickly. I've open frozen all soft fruit as well as French and runner beans.

Now I've got to find homes for all the jam accumulating in shed! I usually give to parish sale but I don't know if that will happen this year.

Green bags are good, I had some from lakeland quite some time ago, I just wash in between uses. They help to give me some time when I have a glut in the fridge

I did a bit of garden tidying today, picked some bottom leaves off purple sprouting and watched the snails looking forlorn underneath. The plants look better, airier

I planted 2 x red drumhead cabbages without net, not needed because the heads are so tight, one looke green not red. I have dug it up, composted all the outers and have a beautiful compact green cabbage which will obviously last a long time in the fridge in a green bag. To keep it nice, I will just pick off outer leaves as I want them, rather tham use a knife to cut. It was big enough at 1.2 kg

What next?There are loads more bean flowers on very healthy plants. I am keeping on top of the courgettes and cucs, picked the last howgate wonder apple 2 days ago, it will keep nice for a few weeks, was handled carefully and has no insect marks. It feels like the transition to autumn

Preserving for now will be just veg juicing and making juices to freeze, I have beets, carrots, cucs. Tomatoes are doing lovely in dark paper in the kitchen, I cannot keep up by eating, so just simple freezing whole for the rest of the season

OK ????

BBbevan, save me a bottle please!

Craftygran. Yes, damson gin on the way, 9 jars of Damson jam made ( 5 given away). Two large Tupperware boxes of damsons at the bottom of the freezer until I need them Apples to sort now .

Has anyone watched Nona Gina on the Abundance of Tomatoes thread? There is a link by another poster.
She's a joy!

Beauregard

Callistemon I blanch French beans, as well as most other vegetables except peas. I just drain everything on kitchen roll until fairly dry and freeze in bulk bags. I might regret not open freezing when it's all stuck together when I try to use it ?

That's how I used to do them but we haven't had such a glut for years. Probably that's the best way I think.
I had a blanching basket but it got thrown out ages ago.

My mother used to salt them down in jars, phoenix

I've picked more produce today than we've ever had. Now to do something with it.

Thank for the tips re tomatoes. I have now made Passata. Also some figs in syrup. The surplus syrup is gorgeous over Greek yogurt.

BBevan what about damson gin? Very nice

'Scuse me, scuse me!

Tomatoes...blighted out again this year, so disappointing. I won't spray with chemicals. Can anyone recommend any way of dealing with this? Any seeds that really do ward off blight I could try next year?

A branch broke off under the weight of our little pear tree so we had plenty of slightly under ripe pears. I could have made chutney but then we wouldn’t eat it so I have spent the afternoon poaching them in red wine. Now they are bottled.
I hope they taste as good as they look in a few months time.

My grandmother used to preserve runner beans by salting them, in those salt glazed jars.

They stored well, but took a heck of a lot of rinsing!

I must admit, I am not a gardener in any way shape or form. Unlike my greenfingered sister, everyting I plant usually fails!

I have found this thread interesting though and am quite envious. (Should try better)

I keep potatoes in the fridge. They keep very well and don't sprout.

Many thanks Craftyone

Callistemon I blanch French beans, as well as most other vegetables except peas. I just drain everything on kitchen roll until fairly dry and freeze in bulk bags. I might regret not open freezing when it's all stuck together when I try to use it ?

A question re blanching:

I have frozen runner beans blanched and unblanched over the years but found unblanched beans did seem more dry.
Do you open freeze on trays then pack into bags or boxes or freeze in individual portion sizes?
I've never tried open freezing.

And French beans. Blanched or not?

This week I've pickled beetroot and onions and made caramelised red onion chutney.

Freezers already crammed full of cauli, broccoli, peas and French beans, so no room to freeze potatoes too. I just store them in paper sacks in garage. They'll keep for ages there.

yes they need to be blanched. I did my charlottes, which are waxy and don`t fall apart. I blanched for just 4 minutes and peeled all the potatoes, then cut to roasting size. I would have lots more ice in the freezer next time, to cool quickly. I froze in single layer on trays and then bagged, they look amazing

Craftyone, do you freeze potatoes raw or do you have to blanch them first?

We have lots of apples. I shall purée some, but thought I might have a go at apple wine