Canning Cabbage Chow Mein

 Officially since Wednesday 7th, my birthday, I now enter the 6th. year of blogging, who knew? This will be the 317th post to date and today I am showing off the canning or bottling as known in Australia, what I have done with 6 cabbages, yep 6, picked them fresh from the garden and still 3 more growing. 

2 were over the kilo and the other 824g

One 920g the other two 725g & 750g mark.

Also picked another broccoli head several days ago, which have done extremely well this year. Can't recommend enough 1/2 cow manure and 1/2 mushroom compost for the garden. 

 I actually went out to count how many plants just now, and there were 7,  so I picked another and it weighs 472gms. not bad hey, 2 more left but will leave these plants in as they will start to grow side shoots, small like broccolini.

So my favorite meal for cabbage, and that is the only way I will eat it, is made up per 500gms(lb.) ground beef(mince), pkt. chicken noodle or french onion soup, onion, tsp curry  then one whole cabbage cut and mixed in, or half a one if not sure. I made up 2. 1/2 kilos with this lot.(5.1/2 lbs) which made up 10 quarts. 3 of the bottles didn't seal so I froze 2 and we had one for dinner. 

Yesterday I then did 3 chilli con carne and 3 shepherds pie mix, which I preserved two in a left over space, and the rest is now on the boil while I type. Always fingers crossed that they seal with mince as it is quite fatty and can mess the whole canning thing up. In which case I will freeze or if  one of the shepherds pie mix doesn't work that will be tonight's dinner.

Every now and then I turn them upside down so the liquid goes to the top, not that it matters much. When they are opened I heat for 10mins to be safe. We never eat anything cold from my pressure canned food. It may seem a lot of food but they keep at least 3 years for me, if they last that long. Often when we are late back from choir I open one, or if I have had a tiring day. So if I end up with 15 bottles it is only 15 meals. Easy Peasy.

 

If you remember several weeks ago I decided to close down some of the garden, a bit of a waste really and I suddenly had a thought that I could plant something that took time to grow and came up with beans. Now is the time to plant beans so I researched and found a company that specializes in DRIED beans, although you can eat them when green.

My own colourful collection now

 Before we weren't allowed to import seeds, Bob Reid came from Scotland and through his work collected seeds from all over the world. Hundreds of them. Pictures in this link. 

Bob Reids Beans Display

 So as one of the gardens hadn't been covered I was dumping the fire ash on, which is alkaline, which beans like, so decided to buy a few different colours as I use them or chickpeas a lot. They will grow right through to summer when they will dry out, probably till December.

One bed ready for planting.

 I am going to have to cover the beds though as I am having trouble with 3 bush turkeys who have taken to digging up freshly weeded and dug parts, including plants and seeds. Now that our dog EinstEin has gone, they are scared of nothing, short of running down to the garden via all those steps (ouch the knees) to shoo them away.

This is what they look like as high as your knee at least.

And the damage.

Last night or early morning digging around the rhubarb that I just split and Blueberry roots.

This garden growing so far Butter Beans and Pak Choy

The other half  Turkeys have dug up of beetroot, and lettuce seeds, some flowers. They have huge claw feet.

 So I think today's job when John gets back from the Community Garden is helping me cover this lot up with wire netting.

Anyway, my sister arrived yesterday with morning tea of my favorite bun of Apple and Walnut, and a variety of chocolate bars plus 4 microwave holders and 2 masks that she made, which is wonderful needed all of them. Love the yellow sunflowers as well

 I received a lovely birthday gift, in the mail, from my long time girlfriend of a felt kit that makes into a mug shape for holding sewing items, so cute and looking forward to making it.

 

Flowers from John, which had very long stems so cut them short to try and grow from cuttings. 

That was my week so stay safe everyone with covid on the rise in the Sydney area. 

Till Next Time.