Small things matter

[Joeboy]

Apple cubed!

[AE-NMidlands]

Apple cubed!

I don't think there would be any point in us freezing cooked apple in cubes that small... we would use them all pretty well in one go! If we preserve pears by freezing they are quartered in 500g margarine tubs in thin syrup.

As we have full standard trees set in our lawn we get far more apples than we can use, so we store them in crates in the unheated garage. There is no room in the freezer anyway, as it is full of red fruit (at the start of the winter.) Why freeze apples when they will store? Very late in the "year," i.e. late spring, I have found that the stored Bramleys are sweet enough to eat but a bit bland, but apple sauce and pies can be improved with a bit of malic acid out of my winemaking stock.

What we do freeze in cubes is dill. Chop it fine and pack it into the tray, top up with water and freeze. The water eventually sublimes off (leaving the herb freeze-dried but not very tasty) so later you have to wrap them individually in al. foil. It might seem a bit of a faff but I love the strong flavour if we do fish cooked on foil parcels.
A

[Joeboy]

Apple cubed!

I don't think there would be any point in us freezing cooked apple in cubes that small... we would use them all pretty well in one go! If we preserve pears by freezing they are quartered in 500g margarine tubs in thin syrup.

As we have full standard trees set in our lawn we get far more apples than we can use, so we store them in crates in the unheated garage. There is no room in the freezer anyway, as it is full of red fruit (at the start of the winter.) Why freeze apples when they will store? Very late in the "year," i.e. late spring, I have found that the stored Bramleys are sweet enough to eat but a bit bland, but apple sauce and pies can be improved with a bit of malic acid out of my winemaking stock.

What we do freeze in cubes is dill. Chop it fine and pack it into the tray, top up with water and freeze. The water eventually sublimes off (leaving the herb freeze-dried but not very tasty) so later you have to wrap them individually in al. foil. It might seem a bit of a faff but I love the strong flavour if we do fish cooked on foil parcels.
A

Ah, the point of it is that we don't use a huge amount of apple sauce yet a few cubes would do if we are having pork and the volume is known. Also handy as single shots for porridge in the microwave.

Today's WBS cookout is a volume test of the Le Creuset casserole dish. 4 onions, 1 big carrot, 12 large sausages, a ltr of gravy along with a smidgen of dark soy, three drops of tobasco & Lea & perrins each. Finished with 60 screws of black pepper. Will cook for 4 hours today then again tomorrow for the evening. Hoping for a little reduction to put the lid fully on and keep flavours in. It's only 1/2 on now.

Winter red fruit eh? Now that's an evocative image, nice.

[Mr Gus]

Joe, I always loved lea & perrins worsc sauce, but when they started meddling with the recipe the flavour profile changed a while ago (salt at a guess as a govt farce of supposed healthy eating) ..one that also changed decent blue veined cheeses to bland, ..so I am npw a fan of "hendos" ..the more oniony & gentle but flavoursome alternative.

It was also the time they messed around with hp sauce.

All whilst ignoring the diabetes inducing (look at america) high fructose corn syrup, which should face a complete ban over here, but is found in imported supermarket sauces & the like.

Before govt got involve in salt reduction I was a moderate imbiber who never added salt to plated food, & as little as possible when cooking.

Now I stock around 14 different sea salt variants & sprinkle *some* food.

(the garlic salt mix from cornish sea salt compamy gets caned air frying baked spuds, I get antzy if it is used on anything else)

I finally got to grips with turmeric this week in a mainly veg stew, ...but the almost "fizziness" of it in flavour (to my senses anyway) had me wondering about it (whether i'd use it again)

[Joeboy]

Joe, I always loved lea & perrins worsc sauce, but when they started meddling with the recipe the flavour profile changed a while ago (salt at a guess as a govt farce of supposed healthy eating) ..one that also changed decent blue veined cheeses to bland, ..so I am npw a fan of "hendos" ..the more oniony & gentle but flavoursome alternative.

It was also the time they messed around with hp sauce.

All whilst ignoring the diabetes inducing (look at america) high fructose corn syrup, which should face a complete ban over here, but is found in imported supermarket sauces & the like.

Before govt got involve in salt reduction I was a moderate imbiber who never added salt to plated food, & as little as possible when cooking.

Now I stock around 14 different sea salt variants & sprinkle *some* food.

(the garlic salt mix from cornish sea salt compamy gets caned air frying baked spuds, I get antzy if it is used on anything else)

I finally got to grips with turmeric this week in a mainly veg stew, ...but the almost "fizziness" of it in flavour (to my senses anyway) had me wondering about it (whether i'd use it again)

I'm glad you mentioned that about HP, I thought it was my taste buds! Why did they mess with that?

That's a mighty impressive array of salts, I had no idea....

[Joeboy]

Had a great start to the day, autoignition in the WBS this morning, such a small thing yet so excellent to see happen.

At the moment the cooking surface is maxxed out. Sausage & onion casserole is finally on that back right hand corner and will cook for the next 5 hours. Tatties are cooking for mustard mash as is a whole chopped cabbage in the green pan which will be buttered pepper cabbage. Last thing is the day kettle. It's all beautiful.

[Bugtownboy]

Something primitive about getting the fire going from the previous days burn

We never aim to do it, ie, never ‘slumbering’ the stove, but often, particularly if there’s a good bed of ash, there’s enough glowing embers to start again if needed.

You’re certainly maxing the output of the WBS’s, Joe

We’re having a simple pasta bake with some sautéed Turnip tops for lunch - be finished off/gratinated on the WBS.

[Joeboy]

Something primitive about getting the fire going from the previous days burn

We never aim to do it, ie, never ‘slumbering’ the stove, but often, particularly if there’s a good bed of ash, there’s enough glowing embers to start again if needed.

You’re certainly maxing the output of the WBS’s, Joe

We’re having a simple pasta bake with some sautéed Turnip tops for lunch - be finished off/gratinated on the WBS.

Sounds good BTB, don't think I've tried turnip tops? I have taken to maximising the firebox last thing at night and also have some smaller logs to ensure I fill the gaps. I then run it on low air but not slumber. I keep about a 3" ashbed and the next morning I have a clear out of the top fluff then run it full tilt for an hour to burn off any remaining fuel from the previous night and get that day off to a flier.

With these adjustments the storage brick thermal store is warm to the touch in the morning and we go again. I love cooking on this unit,it's very relaxing and I enjoy it while taking a wee bit of the load off of SWMBO. Its a good combo, enjoy lunch!

Also, it's early days but we seem to be using less fuel through the days this season. I think its the actual storage heater effect.

[Bugtownboy]

Sounds good BTB, don't think I've tried turnip tops?

First year I’ve grown Turnips - wanted another fresh Autumn/Winter veg. Turned out really well - had the turnips roasted last week - excellent.

Also wanted to maximise the ‘crop’ - you get a good growth of leaf. These can be used as any other green - we like some of the greens lightly steamed then finished off frying/sautéing with a small amount of oil that you’ve previously sweated a crushed garlic clove and chopped fresh chillie.

We’ve done well with leaf veg this winter - the turnips are the only root. Will plan to improve on that for next year - oh, we’ve got our winter tattie crop we’re harvesting too.

I’ve always liked the idea of the WBS as an overnight thermal store/storage heater. Think you’ve achieved a half way, practical approach to a masonry stove.

[Mr Gus]

Joeboy,
Changed in 2011 to a low sodium version which doesnt keep anywhere near as well as its predecessor & with it the flavour degrades, whereas previous it could & would keep for years as I used it for many a rib sauce as maybe a 16+ other ingredient reduction with the nipper

HP sauce is a sorry tale of being flogged off from Nottingham factory to the bloody nether where production has resided for approaching the worst part of a decade now, wife occasionally buys it forgetting that it tastes disgusting nowadays, its just another heinz product.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Sauce

She likes the bbq sauce, tbh we favoured branston sauces for years but for the argy-bargey of pay to place product that broke in the news some 14? years back as part of the nastiness of Tesco along with their 90-120 day payment for producers goods, lost market share & branston ketchups disappeared.

Ditto the cheese, choice of proper tastey blue vein now often means an import due to lower sodium demands for compliance by govt food ministers, ..so much that I gave up xmas cheese about the time bland & often flavour rinsed (smoke) started to dominate from the likes of Arla To every supermarket cheese counter & seasonal selection box. ..yo'know, the ones with a bland white stilton & sugared cranberries for colour & sweetnes

Britain leans towards being absolute cheese muppets nowadays compared to how it used to feature on a table / shopping list, making it specialist & expensive to boot (less likely carried) uk has had a great regional cheese history.

Now on its arse!