Decluttering Preserves & Pantry Cleanup

After the Preserves Workshop I realised that we had so much stored away, but also the time of when we made it was getting a bit long. Most likely nothing would have been wrong with it but after a certain amount of time preserved fruit goes browner due to the sugar. Then there was the amount of jam which we don't eat anymore and the amount of pickles, sauces, relishes same thing, that I decided to only keep 2019 and one of each 2018 and throw the rest. Keeping track of this produce also is hard as everything is kept downstairs where it is cooler.
 

And so it began, up and down the stairs, empty the jars, wash in dishwasher fill it all back into a basket, box or a bucket and cart it downstairs again.
The jar mess went into the wheelie bin, my composts are so full now and I wasn't sure about the sugar content. Luckily my son came over and wheeled the thing out as I couldn't move it with the weight. John has been in Sydney doing some brickwork and minding the grandchildren when the parents were working.

All Clean

 I am still sorting out what and where but the little 125ml jars on the top...over 100. Wow even I couldn't believe that. My niece is very keen on starting her journey into the preserving and jam making world so when she comes down in a couple of weeks we will set her up for life!! Will also give her my electric Vacola Unit as well, that once did belong to my sister anyway. Then I started on the Pantry.

Before Mess

Ok same deal here, it is a big walk in Pantry and quite a few years since I did a radical clean. Being so big when you don't know where to put stuff or in a hurry just gets placed on the shelf for later which never happens. There were lots of out of date stuff, more jams and pickles, dehydrated things that although ok if we haven't used in 2-3-4 years out it went. Cleaned every shelf as if mice come in to this house (usually every winter) they always head for the pantry.

Filled up canisters, discovered never to buy tea of any sort ever, ( don't blame me for that) there is so much. Moved a few electrical things in the cupboards to the kitchen and visa versa. Besides doing an hour of gardening every day this has been my week. Sick to death of looking at jars I might add.

Any bulk stuff I vacuumed packed it, or filled containers from the ones already done.

Well Done Me!!

Ta Da finally finished  today and space to spare. Will still keep an eye on some jam and relishes I made, but hopefully will use them up.
In the meantime for a break and between the rain, planted some squash, more bok choy, pulled down the first of the Pink Lady Sweet Peas, and weeded like mad.

This has now gone

Potatoes doing well in their pots.

Pulled up one of the russian garlics to see how they were going as now starting to go to seed. So I broke each plant in half.

Apparently a little early to Pick, Nov. is better

Purple water iris starting to flower.

But these were in a bucket for the Community Garden, ages ago. Oh Well

Square Foot Garden of  9 squares. Better start on the next lot.

So once more that has been my week, and more decluttering to come. My sister is having a big, big garage sale end of Oct. so want to downsize a lot, we have way too much stuff for two. Thanks to those who commented on the shop also, working on some dolls now.

Till Next Time.