Tuesday 11 August 2009

Be prepared........



........and expect the unexpected! Living the sort of life I do, when people get to know that you cook a lot and preserve, make, sew, etc, you very often find yoruself with unexpected gifts that can take on a variety of shapes and forms, not to mention amounts! One such gift last week was two giant cabbages, the biggest I've ever seen; also, one marrow, 4 very large overgrown courgettes and two rabbits. Now, when you get presented with things like this in the food line, you really do need to be able to drop things quickly and deal with them as soon as you can if they are likely to go off - it's a crime to waste food, so I find I need to be adaptable and put other things on the side for a while, while I deal with the priorities - fresh food being one of them. The rabbits were dealt with pronto, the marrow and courgettes and cabbages have kept fine, but I'm dealing with them today. Another thing that needs to be watched is your own harvests, so you can get the produce in at its peak and deal with it straight away - the picture shows my spectacularly laden damson tree (Merryweaather) as at yesterday. I check the fruit daily to make sure I can get it when it's exactly ripe for picking - fully ripe but beating the wasps to it! Once picked and in the kitchen, fruit needs to be dealt with, so things will get set aside whilst I stone the damsons for jam, wine, bottling, etc - probably most of a day's work, I should think. Same with the apples which will be ready very soon, although I need to get out and pick up the windfalls too.
I've often come home to find boxes and bags of stuff on the doorstep, or a pheasant hanging from the back door....... so often need to make the extra effort to get it processed/ used and stored away, even if it means working later into the evening than normal. Nature's bounty mustn't go to waste, especially if someone's taken the time, thought and effort to give it to you, and the unexpectedness keeps me on my toes.........LOL

3 comments:

Bovey Belle said...

I agree with you on the dropping everything to deal with produce which needs using straight away. I have tomatoes/peppers/courgettes which were on a special (well, courgettes out of the garden) today, so I shall make a huge vat of ratatouille and portion it in the freezer to brighten up those long dark winter days . . .

You have a LOT more Damsons on your tree than I have on mine!

Leanne said...

yes, natures gifts should never be wasted, I too will drop everything in order to process, process. I hate to see trees laden with rotting fruit, its criminal...

leanne x

MrsL said...

Damsons very few and far between last year here BB, so pleased with this crop. As I said, though, needs a close eye against wasps! Can't ahve too much ratatouille, it's a great standby.
Agree Leanne - next door has 4 or so old apple trees, good producers most years; the fruit falls on the ground and he goes over it with his lawnmower........ I coudl overcome my dislike of them to ask for the apples, but MrL not keen, and if they're not given with good grace, then I don't really want them. Shocking waste.