Cutting garden flowers
Ooh good, I can plug back in now. That was an awful lot of thunderstorm and drama for four measly mm of rain.
I meant to post news earlier. But you know how it is on your first day back anywhere. Too much to do all in one go.
I had to do groceries and errands in town. So that meant nipping out early so I could make up three bouquets of flowers. Two for the bakers and one for the butcher.
I forgot to take pictures of the finished product so I’m afraid you get the plonked in a bucket shot. Heaps of dahlias and zinnias and the last of the lovely crocosmia.
And some roses. That’s a treat for high summer. I am so pleased I moved them from the courtyard down to the potager where water is more plentiful.
His royal skinniness was thrilled to see me. And I can tell he hasn’t had anyone give him a good pat and stroke for six days. Most of his fur ended up on my pjs. But he looks well. If you look beyond the emaciated bits. And his fur shedding.
Right now he is guarding my sage and sedum cuttings up at the potting shed. And I swear he didn’t even hear the huge clap of thunder that felt directly overhead. Deafness has its plus points.
I definitely heard it and ducked. And did that quick audit of the person. Metal secateurs in pocket, mp3 player and earphones, metal belt buckle. Oh dear. Standing under the tin roof of the potting shed…. I bid a hasty retreat to a blissfully purring cat and went towards more solid structures.
And baked two chocolate and pear cakes and one batch of my cycle bars. I stupidly fell for that tray of pears last week at a roadside stall. A whole tray for three euros. (I was buying melons at the time.)
And now they have all ripened over the course of the absence and I’m over eating and trying to work out how to give them away. Apricots you can freeze. Peaches at a pinch. But pear slime once defrosted is not a winning formula.
And speaking of slime. The box caterpillar moth plague has not magically gone away. I need to give them a good inspection once I’ve written this. The view down in among the box leaves is Not Good.
And just when you thought one biblical drama was enough this summer. Have a look at the mystery rust on the oak.
Dear god is there no end to the attacks?
Apparently not. A quick look out onto the horizon and there’s a bushfire.
A plague upon our houses indeed. Best go up and cuddle the cat.
30th July 2017 @ 6:42 pm
Sorry, not much to offer re:plagues, biblical or otherwise, but I’d make Spiced Pear Butter with the pears. Or dry them. Very moreish…
30th July 2017 @ 8:43 pm
Ooh, do you have a dehydrator that you can recommend. I haven’t invested yet. but it makes sense with these gluts.
31st July 2017 @ 5:56 am
I took a deep breath and went for the Excalibur.. It’s the most expensive but it consistently gets the best reviews and I like the timer and the fan. I knew I’d never manage to come in from the garden to rearrange trays (or I’m at work or in bed when it’s running) so just being able to switch it on and leave it means I use it a lot more.
I make lots of fruit leather (and the youngest and her friends love it so much they get through an awful lot. I think she uses it as currency ) and I dry lots of apples and pears, plums, strawberries, elderberries… Last year I did apple cubes rolled in cinnamon for granola and muesli and I need to make more this year.
I haven’t got round to trying jerky but have dehydrated cooked pasta, cooked minced beef and made tomato leather for my eldest two’s D of E expeditions.
I also make not-sun-dried tomatoes, which you can put in oil and herbs and eat like those sun blush tomatoes from deli counters. I make little jars and keep them in the freezer until I need them as some of the paranoia on American food preservation sites has rubbed off on me 😉
31st July 2017 @ 6:15 am
Wow. this is a an inspiration and you are giving me great ideas. Excalibur it might have to be!
31st July 2017 @ 6:38 am
Youngest daughter and I went through a phase of dehydrating pretty much anything. She loved dried kiwi fruit, so I do dry some if they’re cheap or going soft. Dried banana was less successful because they were hoping for the nice sweet crunchy fried dried banana you get in trail mix! It works well as an addition in fruit leather though.
Dried peach is good, still haven’t tried dried melon. Mushrooms obviously dry well. I don’t bother using it for herbs unless it’s very wet outside as they dry so quickly anyway.
I’ve tried zucchini chips which were ok although not the crisp replacement the hype led me to believe and I do dehydrate some grated courgette for adding to stews and soups in the winter. I still freeze some for courgette cake.
What else? Morello cherries. Raspberries come out almost freeze-dried, at least they did when I did them. Youngest (again) would eat them as a snack but I preferred them in muesli. Blackberries I find too pippy to dry whole, but sieved make a good leather or grind when dry and use the powder to add to yoghurt etc. Elderberries I’ve added to pilafs and couscous after reading Alys Fowler and they work well.
For fruit leather, think jam making; adding pectin makes a better, more pliable leather. If you use apple puree it makes the berries go further too.
Happy dehydrating! And I think the dried pears alone will make it worth it!