Tuesday 15 November 2016

Bits of This and That

We have been dashing about the past couple of days, with a few personal things to see to, more on that in another post.
The pigs have settled in well, Martin got this photo of them all snuggled up in the pig ark waiting for breakfast.
 Over the week end I have been busy in the kitchen, I needed to get some more bacon on the go.
It is so easy to do anyone could do this at home
This is the usual recipe I do, I have followed this one for about 7 years now, I first started doing it with a bought in piece of loin I use to look out for it on special offer in the shops.


 I needed to make up some more brown sugar to go with the recipe, 1 over laden tablespoon of molasses to about a pound and a half of white sugar
 mix together then get your hands in to combine it all thoroughly
 There you have it brown sugar
 I made up my cure divided it into 5 packs
 Each day for 5 days rub in the cure all over draining of the fluid that collects in your container, then day 6 give it a good wash in cold water to get rid of the salt, wrap in muslin and hang some-where cool for at least a week then it is ready for slicing and eating, if possible leave to hang for 2 weeks for an improved texture and flavor. When you cook it you wont get any of the white scum like you do from shop bacon that has been injected with sugar water and nitrates.
 When I picked up the animal feed on Saturday I popped into the fruit and veg wholesaler and got this box 2.75kg of Blueberries for £2
 I got the steam juicer on the go
 and before long a couple of bottles of lovely Blueberry juice.
After juicing the berries went into the dehydrator 
and will be used in baking at some point in the future.

 I picked up a side of salmon the other day using my Tesco's vouchers of £10.50
It is in a cure and being made into gravlax
following a recipe from my new curing book, the recipe uses vodka something I have never added before so we will see how it goes.
 
Diary
Wednesday December 1st 1982
Had letter from mother,  John gave Magic more sulpha tabs and a drench of glucose, egg and salt.
Put more drops in Teddy's eyes.
Made 4 loaves of bread and 6 rolls.
Gordon phoned about 12-30.
All went logging in the afternoon, flock of sheep on road not ours, John went round in pick up to try and find owners did not succeed.
entered all the invoices up to date in VAT book.
John still has his cold about him, he phoned around about some bedding straw £55 a ton and rolled barley, not much luck.


PS just had a phone call from the solicitor we have finaly completed on the land its all ours 
😁😁😁😁😁😁

 

22 comments:

  1. The piglets look so cute all huddled up together. Congratulations on the land purchase completion, it's been a long time coming.

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  2. Dawn - I am amazed at your industry and drooling over the photographs - it all looks so appetizing.

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  3. Your steam juicer looks interesting... Think when I make juice concentrate this year, I'll pop the remaining youngberry pulp in my Foothills DryAway :D Thanks for the idea!!

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    1. I have dried the grapes blueberries apple and pear pul all for adding to baking

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  4. Congratulations on completing your land purchase Dawn.
    Looking forward to seeing what you are going to be up to with all that space.
    The piggies look well snuggly....little cuties-x-

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  5. Yeeha!!!! Congrats on the land. Your pigs are adorable. Well done Martin on the fab photo!

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  6. Great bargain blueberries. Wonderful news regarding the land.

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    1. I have blueberries in the freezer but this was a bargain

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  7. Welcome piggies, they look very snug in there. Great news about the land xx

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  8. This took me straight back to my childhood, we raised 2 pigs for the table most years and cured and smoked bacon. You can not beat the taste.

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  9. Congrats on the land news! I bet you'll be celebrating!
    I really like to make my own brown sugar, too. It's easier to just make what I need on the spot than to store it.

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    1. yes it is easier to keep one sort in stock and use it make others

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  10. Congratulations on the land purchase!
    Looking at your cure recipe for bacon, sorry, couldn't read the ingredient between Brown sugar and juniper berries, it's 6 bag something? I would love to be able to cure my own bacon!

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  11. Really interested to read the bit abuot using the dried flesh in baking or such like. Using every inch, this is what it's all about. Hat's off to you and I will remember this when I start again.

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