Thread: Warning: Food talk inside. Kitchen Supply shops for Jam/Jelly/Canning supplies?

Cool....I was thinking the same thing. I'll PM Mini.

xx

The first batch of sponges are out the oven, looking fab, second batch due to come out any minute Scone mix made and in the fridge. It was such fun making it all, just the sarmies to make tomorrow and the decorating of the cake. The sister also made yummy cappucino brownies and orange and walnut flapjacks.

Jez
xx

Hey you little night owl you - baking at this time of night!!

That all sounds GORGEOUS. You have good resolve to do all that and not have any- kudos to you madam!

I PMed Mini and asked her to move the thread to MAINTAINERS. Then its fair game.

Can;t wait to see your pics of all this gorgeous fare!!

xx

Will take pix when it is all laid on the tea table. Resolve is strong because I am determined to get to goal and win the battle of the bulge, but in reality I work with food every single day so it really does not bother me in the slightest. The lamb at the wedding tonight did smell divine though, as did the cheese, must make a point of watching out for cheese when I finally hit that trigger week.

I am a night person as opposed a morning one, just don't have much choice in the getting up at sparrowfart currently. The great thing is, since starting LL, I sleep brilliantly and wake up feeling great so it is not half as bad as pre LL.

Baking late because I only got in after 9 and want a bit of a lie in tomorrow

Jez
xx

Mmm I love this thread.

I made some blaeberry (or bilberry or blueberry!) drop scones for everyone tonight with the blaeberries we picked out on a walk. Nice that some actually survived the kids and made it home. Seems everyone really enjoyed the scones. My sis included. The scones followed and apparently truely delicious cottage pie using homegrown carrots and courgettes and potatoes. Everyone cleared their plates which is very satisfying for a cook who can only watch!

And I just took an impromptu pineapple upside down cake out of the oven. We're off to meet friends tomorrow and it will cut into nice size chunks to go with the picnic. Smells great, but no problem not to eat it.

You two are motivating me to be more motivated in the kitchen. I have had to deal with food throughout abstinence and I think I am definitely ready to gear up and get used to cooking meals from fresh and healthy ingredients. The family seem pleased with most of my ideas.

Would love to get into jams and chutneys though. Never tried that. But some of your recipes sound scrummy. xx

TI, yay, I love other peoples cooking stories, and what you have made today all sounds divine!!!! Take some pictures and post them for us You are right, it is so satisfying to see people really enjoy what you cook - lol I must be hooked on it because I do it for a living <G>

I will totally admit to being really bored with food pre diet, but now am so motivated. I know that abstinence is not for everyone as a diet method, but I really think I needed to step completely away from food to start to appreciate it again. I am so glad I did,and cannot wait to start experimenting with healthy options instead of all the usually full fat stuff I usually cook. I was always a great one for butter, cream etc, rich rich stuff. Now I realise there is another way and food can be just as tasty without.

Jez
xx

Sounds yummmy TI! I must try scones - never had good luck with them, always ended up with a tiny amount of dough and tiny rock hard scones? Any ideas what I might be doing wrong?


Orange Marmalade on the go - and it smells like FLorida in here!!! Sunny inside - gray outside!! Lovin it!

FIngers crossed - I have no thermomemter so just waging it with myeye and the cold plate test!

That's Harvest Festival is coming up. It's the best time for fresh produce in abundance and affordable too.
Lovely pictures in my mind of everyone's kitchens full of lovely smells and bubblings, aromas of fruits and baking................just off to the garden to pick pears, some for a sort of chutney probably with plums and apples and ginger and I'll probably do some kind of relish with elderberries and pears. Pear jelly with baby basil would be pretty too..........oh, i hope everyone else stays asleep upstairs, just me cooking and my cats hanging around, Mayfair following and suprvising as usual and montague monitoring with his nose twitching at every new smell. Heaven.
Must check out the prettiest jars which I hoard all year in the garage. Bye.

That sound wonderful SB!! I love having my quiet house and all the goings on in the kitchen. Have always loved that.

Well - another success for me!

6 jars of marmalade! Certainly much more rewarding then the 1-jar yield yesterday!! LOL

I do though think I definately could benefit from a thermometer - certainly while I am learning. I am doing it my eye - and as I don;t REALLY know what I am looking for I think I may be boiling slightly to long. The raspberry is quite thick - its still spreadable, and the range seems think - but maybe as it cools it will be better. It certainly tastes lovely. Had to lick the spoon ya know.

I have enough raspberrys left to make one more pot, and will not cook as long and see if I cant get 2 jars.

Then its off to the ou-laws to pick blackberrys.

I love this - it just feels so....erm....."earthy"....taking what the soil give us, and putting it up - to have for a long time - I just love it.

I should have been a pioner woman I think, living off the lands of the plains!! Certainly would have saved money - no charity shops - just a few bolts of calico fabric and a needle and thread!!

Have fun in your quiet kitchen while it lasts!

XXX

I don't think Karen Millen has reached the plains yet. You wouldn't survive!
Did you ever see Felicity Kendall in the British TV series The Good Life? If not you can probably get it on DVD - worth a watch.

LOL - will look for that show SB.

Hey ladies - I need some advice.

I went Blackberry picking today withm y mum-in-law, and got 5 pounds of Blackberries!!!

I left the pips in my Rasberry jams as I like them plus, picking raspberrys leaves the hard white center behind.

but what about wild blackberries? They tend to have quite tough pips, and the centers are not very tender. I was thikning I should probably puree and push through a seive? Or is something more drastic, like a food mill required? Not sure how to approach them? Woudl a jelly be better then jam? Any tips?

Do you think Blakberry and Blueberry combined would make a nice jam? lol, In my warped sense of humour, I rather like the name Black and Blue Jam.

Also - I have a pear tree that is laden with big beautiful pears. The only trouble - they never EVER go ripe. No matter what method - they stay hard as rocks and then rot. There is no middle ground. I don;t know much about pears but have decided they must be strictly cooking pears???

I would really like to make some pear jelly. Or Jam. Do you think I could cook these till soft, and then make jelly, etc?

And to cook them to eat, just as a cooked pear - how does one go about doing that? Would I need to make some kind of syrup?

Pears are one of my favourtie fruits and it kills me to see them drop and go to waste - I just don;t know what to do with them.

Will eagerly await any advise of rsuggestions you might have about both these wonderful fruits I have loads of now.

I am SO loving this malarky!!!

XXX

Oh my goodness, so many fabulous posts to reply to here, I hardly know where to start!!!

So glad your marmalade turned out fab BL. Have my lemons and limes ready for a batch to make this week.

SB, harvest time = TOTALLY AWESOME!! It's when I wish I had a huge freezer and could cook and freeze more And you are right the thought of so many people in the kitchen with things bubbling away on the stoves is amazing In retrospect, have been thinking that the fact kids don't learn to cook from a young age, and this is a perpetuating cycle, must surely be one of the reasons for so much obesity in kids these days. Let me know how the relishes and chutneys go. They sound divine!

BL, I have never used a themometre for jam, I suspect it could help, but I just make use of the cold plate thing and it seems to work fine. The earthy in touch with the seasons and the fruit and veg of them all is a great feeling It feels very mother earth <G>

Now re the jams and pears. I made blackberry jam with some I got from my supplier, they arn't very pippy, but tbh I really enjoy having the texture in the jam - maybe I am just weird. Otherwise, cook them up in a bit of sugar and water with a splash fo lemon juice, puree in the blender and pass through a sieve. You can use this in loads of things, as it is just a simple fruit coulis really. I think it would be divine swirled through some yoghurt, or even better on some blackberry buttermilk pancakes , would even be nice with banana as a smoothie. I would absolutely make a jam too though!!
The pears, to cook normally for dessert - I peel them, cut them in half and core them, then bring to the boil some sugarabout half a cup to a litre of water,you can add so many different things to it depending on what you want the flavour to be, cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, red wine, saffron, white wine is also fab. I cook them slowly on a low simmer, when the pear is tender and you can pierce quite easily with a knife, remove from heat, drain and chill, reduce syrup a little more and serve with the pears and some creme fraiche maybe add some toasted almonds. I know this sounds weird, but I love pears and blue cheese, so if you whizzed the tinyest bit of blue cheese with some low fat cream cheese, and piped that into the middle of a cold pear then sprinkle with some toasted walnuts, it makes the most amazing alternative dessert. Sorta sweet and sour in a different way.

Sorry I seem to be getting a bit carried away with myself here, but pear jelly would be great, there are loads of basic jelly recipes online, but I am sure SB has a good one, also nice with different herbs added. You could also cook them into a chutney. Again so easy to make and I can send you a recipe if you want one. I did once make a pear and ginger jam years ago, but can't remember if it was very nice or not, still could be good to go with meats at the festive period.

The tea party went really well, and I am about to post the pics, so have a look and let me know. I was soooooo please with my cake Really angry though, because my gbf (gay best friend) who was also supposed to be coming with his partner and gran, cried off at the last minute with a lame excuse, so we had way too much food, but I sent it home with James and his mom for James' brother Craig.

Ok have nattered on way too much here, so will end off. Heading for Westfield tomorrow, omg my bank account needs to be afraid, very afraid!!!!

Jez
xx

PS: Loving the pink outfits ladies!!!

Jez
xx

It's what I wore yesterdayto the family outoing to Eastbourne. OH took the photo and said he was very proud of me.

Thanks Jezz. Charity shop! Head to t oe!

You rphotos - man! I want to come to YOUR tea parties!!! SO much nicer then mine!!! LOL Beautiful hon - absolutely gorgeous table - your guests were spoilt for choice!!! Shame your friend backed out, but clearly their loss!!!

Got my black and blue jam on the go.....trying something, and just letting it soak in the sugar all night - so there is a nice gorgeous strupy bowl of berries in the kitchen. Now wheres the cream??? LOL That and then a round of muffins for the ladies at work: Rasberry and White Choclate. Yum yum.

I gotta take a week off though, allthe ingredients are costing a fortune!! I want to keep making jam - but need to find larger bags of sugar or its too pricey!

Have you ever cut the amount of sugar in a recipe? Will that affect the outcome?

I likeyour idea about the coulis - will make some - will that last on the shelf the same as Jam would? Or shouild it be frozen?

I did cook a pear last night, but there is just no pear flvaour in these??? Wierd pears.