Off adventuring!

[Joeboy]

Sent the last of the apple & rhubarb sponge off in style with some raspberry jam and evaporated milk.



Also found a Thoms Rosenthal thick based dual lip pan and lid for £2 in a coastal market this morning. Its getting the soda crystal, bleach and washing up liquid soak in 80 deg solar heated water as I type. This pan will be great for both the WBS and induction hob.

Sometimes I like to boil my water for T on the induction hob just to watch it happen.

[Joeboy]

Well that's the new (to me) pan surgical clean. Amazing what you can get for a couple of quid and a little elbow grease.






All the pans in the picture are second life.

[Joeboy]

Went up North in the loan EV to collect an antique pine chest of drawers (£10). While on the drive the already excellent day got a little better. How you say?

Finally saw an honesty box and free range eggs!

Two dozen for a fiver, look at the size compared to shop bought! Had some scrambled on granary toast. Glorious.

[Joeboy]

Still tres solar here so went for an alt energy store. Batch cooked my pasta sauce while the getting is good.

6 tins plum tomatoes
2 tubes tomato puree
1/2 kilo bacon
2 large bulbs garlic
3 med red onions
6 homegrown scotch bonnet chilli's
4 tablespoons French mustard
1 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of salt.

Very glad to have the chest freezer for tomorrows splitting up. Will cook for about five hours.

[Joeboy]

Batched into reusable tubs and heading to the chest freezer. Enough for 18 people. Next up will be a chilli.

[AE-NMidlands]

Batched into reusable tubs and heading to the chest freezer. Enough for 18 people. Next up will be a chilli.

6 homegrown scotch bonnet chilli's, 4 tablespoons French mustard, 1 tsp ground black pepper

and that's not a chilli?

(We have weaned ourselves back off chilli after a spell of putting ever more in as we want the small grandkids to enjoy the same food as us when they are here!)

[Joeboy]

Batched into reusable tubs and heading to the chest freezer. Enough for 18 people. Next up will be a chilli.

6 homegrown scotch bonnet chilli's, 4 tablespoons French mustard, 1 tsp ground black pepper

and that's not a chilli?

(We have weaned ourselves back off chilli after a spell of putting ever more in as we want the small grandkids to enjoy the same food as us when they are here!)

Oh no, that's just pasta sauce. The chilli (con carne) will be a tad hotter. We have around a dozen cayenne and scotch bonnet plants on the go at the moment. Just starting to fruit. My morning ritual is to give them their first water of the day and a tickle on each flower to encourage pollination.

Regardless of size of crop we always seem to end up buying another 1/2 kilo of flaked cayenne to see us through.

Although Scotch Bonnet is my fave for the smoky umami they add along with heat.

I have one plant which is I think an Indonesian small finger chilli. It has taken off with literally hundreds of flowers. Will pot it up to a BIG pot to give it every chance.

[Mr Gus]

My concern over half filled trays is long term frosting & maximising use of space.
(there can never be enough sauce for a meal, pasta or otherwise imho)

Try those 2x seal clip lock bags joe, squeeze the air out of them (roll the air out) & freeze em flat (a quick hour or 2 in the ice cube section maybe?
I do many cook n' freeze of steaks for batch prep a week or 2 ahead & some of our bacofoil bags have been in there (stock for example for best part of a year, ..they are pretty darn sturdy & capable if you take sensible precautions as to freezing without too much downward pressure, i've never had leakage yet.

..seeing those containers, I use the same ones, bought a box of 1 litre for the kid so they are eminently stackable with a small footprint in her shared kitchen, it let loose a lot of recycling of lost lids & other containers elsewhere, they do last pretty as you are well aware.

Of course seeing as the tubs are being frozen you could use a divider piece of greaseproof or something to create 2 segments & then bang the one half out & pop the other back in the freezer maybe?

[Joeboy]

My concern over half filled trays is long term frosting & maximising use of space.
(there can never be enough sauce for a meal, pasta or otherwise imho)

Try those 2x seal clip lock bags joe, squeeze the air out of them (roll the air out) & freeze em flat (a quick hour or 2 in the ice cube section maybe?
I do many cook n' freeze of steaks for batch prep a week or 2 ahead & some of our bacofoil bags have been in there (stock for example for best part of a year, ..they are pretty darn sturdy & capable if you take sensible precautions as to freezing without too much downward pressure, i've never had leakage yet.

..seeing those containers, I use the same ones, bought a box of 1 litre for the kid so they are eminently stackable with a small footprint in her shared kitchen, it let loose a lot of recycling of lost lids & other containers elsewhere, they do last pretty as you are well aware.

Of course seeing as the tubs are being frozen you could use a divider piece of greaseproof or something to create 2 segments & then bang the one half out & pop the other back in the freezer maybe?

A lot of good storage ideas Gus.

[Mr Gus]

If you need more bags to try that with just ask..
The partitioning idea does need honing (due to the nature of defrosting iced material & peoples patience, so maybe find a cheapo silicone baking sheet & trying a gentle (minimal food agitation) half n' half barrier ..I cannot imagine you wanting to use / faff with clingfilm (a hated item here, despite it's recent acceptance for recycling as a soft plastic)

Some non greasy frozen food packaging might be a starter for ten (but would involve scissors every time, compared to a silicone "dam" barrier pouring a bit on each side, to equalise pressure, would suggest a longish piece of silicone material to sit & be weighted on one side, (which may also assist a frozen lift) ..following the ice cube tray stock portioning technique that I don't know anyone actually uses.