Journey through January



The big Garden Bird Watch

The weekend started of with the Big Garden Birdwatch

We provide food all year round, we have noticed that the bird that visit our garden like mealworms, they pick these out from the other mixes of seeds, even if the mealworms are within a suet mix. They throw the other 'rubbish' to one side.

To take part, you have to watch for one hour over this weekend then submit your results. I watched whilst making bread and butter pickles.

I counted the following, Blackbird, Collard Dove, Robin, House Sparrow, 2 Feral Pigeons, Starling and a little Jenny Wren.

Results duly sumitted.

Onto Bread and Butter Pickles.

Cucumber, Onions and Pickling Spice in Pickled Vinegar.

According to instructions, 1 tbsp of spice per pint of vinegar, I had half a pint of vinegar, so half tbsp boiled then left to cool for 2 hours.

Its the first time, so I'll let you know.

The first days of autumn

I always feel that Autumn is the start of the gardening year. Its time to gather the final produce from the allotment and clear and prepare for the coming year.

I started last night by preparing the spring bulbs. This is the start of the bulbs, I do the layer method with tulips at the bottom, here is the start.

This autumn for the first time seems to be filled with jam and jelly making, and pickling. The first of the red cabbage was picked yesterday. I intend to pickle this being as we have had a good year "on the plot" and really really do have quite enough veg to see us through.

As you can see from the picture above, I think I shall be making green tomato chutney as well ;-)

The start of pickled red cabbage

We also have more and more plums to deal with.

A vase of flowers all from the garden.

I bought the jam pan into action again, and made allotment soup for lunches next week.

Onions, Garlic, Parsnips, Broad Beans, Carrots, Courgettes - of course, Potatoes and veg stock

And to finish, cake

Rather a good day. I wonder if all of September will be the same.

Pickling

I've read alot about pickling and jam making and always wanted to have a go. So at the nursery where I work I was given an home grown cucumber, weighing in at 1lb. (A few thousand £s of hot house helps) Now we like cucumber as much as the next man, but we can only eat so much!

So, having tasted pickled cucumber before and finding it rather nice, I decided to have a go myself.

So I had a quick read in my Farmhouse Kitchen Cookbook, the receipe called for a number of spices, all of which I didn't have.

So I used good old Google and found you could get all ready spiced vinegar. Wonderful.

So off I popped to Tesco and did indeed find some ready spiced vinegar, which came in a jar suitable for pickling 2lb of winter veg as well, bargin.

Saved jars and sliced cucumber



Cucumber previously being soaked overnight, I think I might have overdone it on the amount of salt I bought, enough to last a life time there.

The finished result, I expect it will still be as nice without the fancy gingham covers.