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As it's the first year I have been in this position, I'm really not sure how to effectively harvest & feed one person without a lot of waste. Do I pick as I want it or do I blanche & freeze. Thanks in advance.
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sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
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Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
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KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............
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Cook for two and freeze half. But it really depends on what specific food thing you're thinking about. -
I try to pick what I need. Obviously if something is in danger of "going over" then I pick and freeze. I never bother with blanching. As far as meals go, when I make chilli or stew I make a panful and freeze in meal size portions.Comment
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I try to freeze as much as I can in a ready to consume mode if possible- ie veg into a ratatouille format ,casseroled,curried or as a quiche. Stuffed courgette or cabbage are really handy- esp if you have a bit of spare rice to hand.Soups too!Basically we have ready made meals for when we're tired- just freeze yours in single portion sizes as VC suggests!
Saves on washing up in the long term and more importantly it's nice not to have to cook every meal from scratch!
If you have a glut then I reckon blanching and freezing is the way to go if you don't have time to do anything else with it."Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple
Location....Normandy FranceComment
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cook for 2 and take some to work the next day, saves soo much money.
I cook for 4, and me and the wife take a portion to work the next day most of the time.
I vary it sometimes, like at night we have it with potatoes, and rice with it for the next day lunch.
DChilli Grower
mmmmmm Spicy Chilli.....
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Depends on the veggies and your ability to harvest when you need. For example in winter I can't get to the plot in the week so pick enough for the week but eat the stuff that won't keep first. Like others I bulk cook and have today cut up the last of the carrots from last year and frozen in portions for putting in things like caseroles and cottage pie - rare to freeze things like this as I prefer them fresh out the ground but had to clear that bed last week for something else. My summer veggies tend to need picking as they're ready regardless of what I need so I eat when I want and then preserve the rest either by freezing, bottling, drying or the likes of chutney. Things like red cabbage will get made into side dishes (either with apple of balsamic vinegar) and frozen in small portions as a quick mid week veggie.
Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.
Which one are you and is it how you want to be?Comment
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i always found cooking for one was a chore .... always a lack of enthusiasm ....
in fact, i hated being single, so lots of things were a chore ....
i found it easier to harvest in bulk, blanche and freeze .... it was partly decided by my mood at the time and partly by time ....
likewise with cooking .... i would cook in bulk and freeze loads of portions .... and then i wouldn't need to cook on the "off" days ....
i actually ended up with tons of frozen fruit for jams that i rarely had the enthusiasm to make ....Comment
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I batch cook everything, depending on what's ready on the plot. This week it's loads of winter radish, so soup will be made (lots of it) and frozen into individual portions.
I'm having a lot of cabbage, some leeks & kale too, which I make into a pasta sauce and freeze that.
I did have to buy a chest freezer, but we are able to eat out of that all winter. Then it's defrosted and turned off until the glut comes in the summer, in the form of beans, beans, squashes, more beans ...All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
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thanks matey, you just reminded me I have frozen roasted tomatoes with garlic in the freezer and I'm making pasta for the tea. Yummy yummy yummy
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yes to batch cooking and freezing for 'ping' meals later
The summer veg gets eaten fresh where possible - but if it's a glut then it's frozen as individual portions.Comment
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Thanks so much, looks like I have quite a bit to consider. When I first got the lottie, my intentions were to give it all away as it is more a hobby than anything & i wouldn't have much of a clue where to start anyway but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to enjoy some of it myself. Thanks again as always for your ideas.sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
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Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
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Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
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KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............Comment
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You could tailor what you grow towards what you eat and enjoy. So smaller quantities of each thing but greater variety spread out throughout the year. Avoid gluts, then you don't have to worry about how to store it. Or concentrate on the things that are easy to store, like tomatoes for example. They're so versatile, easy to cook down for the freezer and be turned into pasta sauce, chillis or curries etc.
I still haven't learnt how much to cook for one and always make too much - eat for two as well sometimes!Comment
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Although there are 3 of us at home most of the time, I cook more and then when someone doesn't feel like cooking (usually when it's son No2's turn, OH often orders takeaway when it's his turn) we have 'leftovers' from the freezer. It can take almost as long as cooking from scratch though if 3 different meals need microwaving.
Didn't work tonight though, son No2 had 3 helpings of chilli, its all gone!Last edited by BarleySugar; 27-04-2012, 07:57 PM.I could not live without a garden, it is my place to unwind and recover, to marvel at the power of all growing things, even weeds!
Now a little Shrinking Violet.
http://potagerplot.blogspot.com/Comment
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It just seems a bit of a chore when you are the only one to prepare, cook & wash whilst working full time. I have been living off micro meals which is the easy option but not necessarily the best.sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
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Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
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Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
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KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............Comment
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It is a chore when you do it every day. Try making batches of stuff, and get some foil or plastic trays from the supermarket. Divide up into meal size portions and freeze. Lasagne, chilli, shepherds pie, stews etc.Comment
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