We had a brilliant preserving day yesterday, in which 12 keen helpers did a lot of veg chopping, onion-crying, hot stove minding and glass jar washing to preserve our gluts. Rushmere church hall was jam-packed for a chutney marathon!
Using our tomato glut, some scrumped apples from friends and family, and some huge gleaned red onions from a local farm, our team of choppers managed to produce 52 jars of green tomato chutney and 21 jars of ketchup!
Chutney ahoy!
Lots of tomatoes
Eric slaving over a hot stove!
Chopping team hard at work
We also had a visitor from the lovely Andy, who came to show us how to make Korean kimchi (fermented cabbage), using salt to preserve it rather than sugar or vinegar, which seemed a cost effective and rather unusual way to preserve. Not too spicy and very tasty!
Chilli, onions, fish sauce and ginger – preserving cabbages was messy but fun.
Thanks to Andy for showing us a new skill, to our visiting helpers Duncan and Jill, and to our happy Oak Tree choppers Rose, Eric, Dave, Laura, Tom, Kirsty, Dave, Shirley, Anne and Kate. If you’re a CSA member and missed it, keep an eye out for details of the next session in the farm update emails.
We had a great day! Come the hungry gap these jars will be appearing in members’ veg boxes to see us through the winter, enjoy!
