Jam Time And Worm Time

In my opinion nothing beats home made jam, Yesterday morning I made up a batch of Strawberry batch, unfortunately it wasn't with our Strawberries we didn't have enough this year as my plants are only young plant from runners that I brought with us on moving and there isn't enough of them.

The strawberries were only £1 for 400g and British 

Making jam is so easy, 1200grms of fruit to the same weight of sugar, 

keep stirring until all the sugar has dissolved 

bring to a rolling boil and continue boiling until setting temperature has been reach 

pour into sterilised jars leave to cool and enjoy on fresh bread with butter.

Now the sugar I used was a Jam Sugar with added pectin, strawberries have low pectin and need that extra to get a set, while I was stirring the jam I was reading the back of the packet like you do there instructions for strawberry jam were slightly different and I must say if you were a complete novice you would probably fail to get a set and be disappointed and probably be put off jam making, they said more or less the same but when you get to a rolling boil just boil for 4 minuets then pour into jars, I have never had a set reach in 4 minuets so I tried it I took a spoonful out after the allotted time put it on a saucer, I knew it wasn't going to set, it didn't, I use a thermometer and the set temperature hadn't been reached in 4 minuets, it didn't set I continued until the set temperture had been reached and got a perfect set, if you are new to jam making invest a couple of pounds in a thermometer and your jam will be a success.

Now the worms, I invested in a wormery before we moved, and it was transported active with the worms doing there thing when we moved here, put in the corner of the garden and was duly forgotten about as there was other things to get on, sometimes I would spot and think I must do something with it and get it going again, the seasons came and went yesterday was the day I finally got round to doing something with it, my plan was clean it out re-site and order some new worms  and get it all up and running. Upon opening it up

I found a lovely worm compost and best of all it still had worms

the bottom basket

although being very wet was also compost and had worms, it was very wet because the tap underneath was turned off and the reservoir was full to the brim, so that was down to my neglect.

I re sited the stand and place the top basket on the bottom, tipped the bottom one out into a container and took out as many worms as I could find in it to give the wormery a fighting chance

I took out 3 large handfuls of worms added them to the empty basket that is now on top along with some cabbage leaves and few other bits.

It has now been sited behind the shed and is once again up and going, there are two more baskets yet to be added as and when they are needed, the compost I have taken I am going to mix with sandy top soil I have left and use it for potting on some plants.

The idea behind getting the wormery was to reduce the amount of compost I buy in and the liquid taken off from the bottom was to be used as plant feed. I hope now to keep it running properly.

I mentioned cabbage there 

here is Sol guarding our first harvested cabbage.