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Former-Member
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In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

Cooking up a storm in the kitchen can be very satisfying.

This week I dried some chillies, they will probably take me year or more to use.

@Former-Member @Smc

151 REPLIES 151

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

Awesome @Former-Member!  

I only managed to bring 1 of my previously many potted chilli plants with me to the new place. It is getting used to it's new home so not as prolific as it used to be in the other place.

I usually freeze them, drying sounds like a great idea too.  

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

I was impressed by your ginger and other preserves @Former-Member. I am slowly starting to get back into things after Mr D's major crisis.

Was even happy that I froze some lemon juice recently instead of the lemons going off - plan on making lemon cordial with it.

Have a big freezer now, but when I first had a good crop of chillies did not, was happy with the dried ones for the recipes I use so have kept drying. This lot were bought on sale - not home grown - really would need a glasshouse to grow them where I live now.

Would love to have a day soon cooking up a few soups and freezing them in single serves. @Smc gave me a link to a Chinese stock she makes.

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

@Carlachris
Do you make your own preserves?

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

Thanks for the tag @Former-Member, interesting thread. 🙂

Be warned that the Master Stock recipe is more intended as a poaching liquid for meat and some veggies. As the base of a soup, it could be overpowering, but you could use similar ingredients and tone it down a bit.

My mini-preserving achievement today was drying some mandarin peels in a low oven- for using to flavour the Master Stock.... 

 

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

@Smc@Former-Member@Former-Member Hi everyone unfortunately I cannot cook much .... but just wanted to say hello and wish everyone a good night.

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

Goodness, thank you for your kind words @Former-Member. I do these things because they help to keep me out of that pit of despair that I'm all too often skirting around lately. It is hard to do when one's focus has to be elesewhere, so good on you for being able to make the effort! 

I have taken to peeling the zest from lemons I squeeze for juice and freezing it between slips of baking paper. It's really useful in one of the quick pickle recipes I sometimes make, and also for other baking and flavouring too. 

HOme made lemon cordial is great! I also use the frozen lemon juice to make Lemon Butter when I have the inclination. 

I like your idea of freezing things for later, I sometimes make up a double or even triple serve of a soup and eat one/ freeze some, so I can have soup without the effort later on. The big freezer is a great help! 

When I put the ginger into the pantry last night I found the last bottle of Elderflower Jelly I made from the collected flowers from the Elderflower Tree at my last place. I had forgotten I still had one jar left so that was a lovely find. It looks like I'll have to make pikelets or scones soon, to make the most of it. 

@Smc @Former-Member would it be possible to share that stock recipe? @greenpea So lovely to see your new outfits! 

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

homemade Elderflower Jelly on pancakes or scones sounds reallllly yummy @Former-Member xx

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

Bonus re: elderflower jelly @Former-Member, we have a plant in our chook run that might be big enough next season to get some flowers from.

Not long back from the supermarket, inspired by your endeavours I picked up the ingredients for a minestrone style soup - will make up recipe as I go and hope for the best.

I am keen to make a Chinese style soup but think a bit more time will be needed to make the stock from scratch.

Re: In a jam, pickled, frozen, well preserved and other culinary triumphs

@Former-Member Hi SunShower you are the busiest bee on the board. I really think you should write a book like the Country Womens Association books (they are great books). Yes Zoe7 has gone outof her way to dress pea lately, she spoils the pea rotten 🙂 @Zoe7