Tuesday 25 November 2014

Sunny Tuesday.............

What a lovely sunny day it is but very chilly......I am off to have my hair cut soon but I found this in draft from 6 weeks ago......I must have started the post then had to leave it.

I have had a busy day making pickles and chutney ready for Christmas.
The house always smells wonderful for 2 days while this is going on..... they need to be made early for Christmas presents as they need to mellow and mature for 3 months before eating.
My shed looks as if I am stocking up for a famine with all the  mincemeat, jams, marmalade's,  pickles, chutneys and beetroots stacking up on the racking lol...........I top, tailed and peeled 5lb of pickling onions
I then soaked them in brine for 24 hours before putting in to sterilized jars



After bottling the onions, I peeled and simmered all the ingredients for the plum and tomato chutney, as it cooked for 2 hours I felt like dashing to the fridge to get the cheese out ready for a sandwich lol........unfortunately, it has to mature for 3 months for the vinegar to mellow.



I forgot to take a photo of the chutney before taking it to the shed so sorry for the sad picture. ( the back two have not got 'hats' lol)

I need to finish off some Christmas cushions and get them in the post for Oz..... not much use after the event till this time next year.
Thank you for your visit

Hugs Tilly x

7 comments:

Margarets designer cards said...

Tilly
You posted some of these pictures a few weeks ago, I am sure your house must have smelt wonderful.
Hooe you had a good day.
But it's wet here and the sun never came out to play.
Margaret

Mau xx said...

Hi tilly, looks like you have been busy busy!
I used to do onions and mincemeat too, but hate Chutney of any kind. These days its Christmas cakes Mince pies, gateaux's and anything else I can bake... all my own Jams and Marmalade in the season.
No I am not even started for Christmas...no gifts bought till Dec, its the earliest I have ever made a Christmas card in my life I think!
hugs Mau xx

JoZart Designs said...

Hi Tilly, You make me feel guilty as my onions are sitting looking at me on the kitchen worktop in a basket. It doesn't seem like 12 months ago that we were pickling.
The chutney sounds a nice mix! I bet your house smells pungent... I love it when it does.
Jo x

McCrafty's Cards said...

Yummy makes Tilly I fancy some of that chutney, *I dont really want to wait 3 months lol
Kevin xx

Whisper said...

Right i'm popping round for a few jars of goodies, ooo i so love all those fabby smells, Luv Sam x

coops said...

mmmmmmm yum.these look lush tilly.you can`t beat homemade pickles :D

xx coops xx

Hettie said...

You are a braver woman than me! I did onions for the first few years but hated my hands smelling for days and crying like a baby so I just buy a jar now!
I do like to make my own mincemeat as I don't like the suet so I use vegetable and only half.
Hugs
xx