A bit of #allotment glut preservation happening today, which is otherwise a low simmer day of gentle downtime, slow fettling, and more thinking about tidying than tidying itself... with the odd YouTube intermission. Our first batch of passata of the the year is on the stove. And I've boiled, sliced, and popped beetroot into a sweet vinegar mix, just bringing that to a simmer before jarring it. I used the leftover pickle liquid from the jalapeños, which adds a kick of spice:

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Yvan (@yvan@toot.ale.gd)

Attached: 1 image Managed to knock up four little jars of pickled jalapeños whilst making dinner. Not bad going. Approximately this recipe: http...

Managed to knock up four little jars of pickled jalapeños whilst making dinner. Not bad going. Approximately this recipe:

ChilliChump

Honey Pickled Jalapeño Recipe & Pro Food Processor Tips

If you love the bold flavours and heat of jalapeños, you're going to enjoy this honey pickled jalapeño recipe using my very own CC Jalapeños.

It seemed apt since the jalapeños we are growing are Chilli Chump's "CC Jalapeño":

ChilliChump Seeds

CC Jalapeno: ChilliChump Exclusive Seeds

CC Jalapeno is a large Jalapeno, with GOOD amount of spice! It fruits early and continues for a couple of months. Expertly grown by ChilliChump

We have two of these plants at the #allotment, with one in the greenhouse, and one in the polytunnel, plus another at home in the porch (an overwintered but somewhat neglected plant.) #chillis #peppers #chillipeppers #preserving #GrowYourOwn #GYO

First #allotment pardons of 2025 on the BBQ

The "pickle factory" is in full swing. Though unfortunately my first jar seems to be bad, unhappy aroma, odd taste, and if it doesn't taste nice it goes. (I am the taste tester lol, if I am horribly ill we will know not to eat those pickles... though TBH I think the smell alone rules those ones out. I only nibbled a tiny bit, which I spat out.) I make all these at 2% salt by weight (solids + water). The established three are filtered tap water with some "Himalayan pink salt", the latest one at the bottom is bottled Co-Op water with Maldon sea salt. I pretty much always add fresh dill if I have it, some chilli, and some garlic... I like the garlic in there but it can also produce concerning aromas 😂 #allotment #fermenting #fermentation #lacto #lactoferment #pickles

Going to try some beach #fishing again… primary target is mackerel. We bought rods & reels a decade ago and have used them twice. Caught one small fish. It is very different to back home, where you pop a little sinker or float on a line, a hook or two, bit of prawn for bait… cast… catch… cast… catch… bucket of herring, some whiting, maybe a gardie or two. Nom nom. Here all people seem to catch at the beach is sand fleas. But I hear it is possible to catch a fish if the wind blows the right way, Jupiter is in Mars, the moon is retrograde, and it is your lucky day. I've done some research, the FishMag website seems a particularly clear non-slop website, i.e.:

Bot Verification

UK fishing equipment is all so much more complex and larger than anything I ever used back home! Also so much talk of "sport"… the concept of "sport" in killing animals for food never really existed in my world back'ome. (Catching fish just for "sport" and then throwing it back is so alien to me.)

Meanwhile, Amazon is advertising me a "lawn mowing simulator" ... 🤷 This is what people do with their time?

We picked our first ever Petit Gris de Rennes melon at the #allotment today.