A million and one storage questions

[Shortie]

Well okay, maybe only 3...

Does anyone know how to make Lazy Garlic at home? We love garlic but I hate preparing the stuff. So I guessed if I could make my own version of Lazy Garlic I'd suffer the prep just once off for lots fo lovely homegrown garlic

Also, does anyone know how to 'keep' a pumpkin that's gone bad? I have a huuuuuuuuuuuge pumpkin that's started to go bad on one patch already I dont' have the time to cook an absolute miriad of pumpkin recipies to freeze and we're not lovers of soup. Does anyone know if it can be frozen and if so how is best to do it?

And finally - parsley - we have an abundance in our garden that I never use as I don't know how what to use it in? And to store it (I guess as the weather change it will go bad..) can I just chop it and freeze it with a bit of water in ice cube trays?

Thanks as always
Shortie

[Birdie Wife]

Hi Shortie,

1. I think (but I'd have to check) that Lazy Garlic is stored in white wine vinegar. So in theory you would chop finely, pack into sterilised jars and top up with vinegar to just cover.

2. I think pumpkin can be frozen and it's not generally eaten raw, it should be fine for what you ned it for when thawed. I would chop it into chunks suitable for throwing in the roasting pan/boiling up for soup afterwards.

3. Yes! Although it won't be the same as fresh when thawed, but you could use it in cooking.

I love autumn, time of plenty

[Shortie]

Thanks Birdie Wife... guess what I'm doing this weekend then?

Freezing a pumpkin (plus the cabbages and cauli so far from the lottie) and planting my Garlic for a Lazy Garlic fest next year

[Comfreyfan]

You can just bag up parsley as it is before you freeze it, when you take some out for cooking just crumble it frozen - saves chopping it!

[Two_Sheds]

I've got a pumpkin glut, so I'm adding a discreet amount to each casserole/stew/pasta sauce that I make. Mr Sheds hasn't even noticed

[Two_Sheds]

And finally - parsley - we have an abundance in our garden that I never use as I don't know how what to use it in? And to store it (I guess as the weather change it will go bad..) can I just chop it and freeze it with a bit of water in ice cube trays?

My parsley is winter hardy ... I grow it for the guinea pigs - it's full of Vit C which they need fresh every day. Like us!

[Comfreyfan]

I've got a pumpkin glut, so I'm adding a discreet amount to each casserole/stew/pasta sauce that I make. Mr Sheds hasn't even noticed

Like it! OH is usually very appreciative of all my veg growing efforts, but draws the line at squash - your way, he may never know.
I don't know why I didn't think of doing it myself, I gave the same advice to my daughter to get extra veg into the grandchildren a couple of years ago!

[bobleponge]

Ok Ok clearly I am stooooopid but what is lazy garlic? I also love it and grow tons of the stuff. I just string it and leave it in my shed till I need it.

[Two_Sheds]

Ok what is lazy garlic?

[Stacey Steve]

OH makes Lazy Garlic, jars and jars of it!

She peels it all then passes it through a mincer.

Best part fill a jar with the mince and cover with white wine vinegar. Let this settle for a while, then top off with garlic and finally more vinegar, you must make sure that all the garlic is covered with the vinegar.

Be careful to use jars that are suitable for pickling (she once used a honey jar and the lid dissolved, lovely green colour though), sterilise the same as you would for jam.

She also does garlic pearls, basically just peeled garlic pickled in the same manner for when you need whole cloves in a recipe.

[HayleyB]

I bought some pumpkins yesterday , can't wait to grow my own next year. I love Pumpkin Pie, even the OH loves it probably because he's got a sweet tooth

[zazen999]

Well, I've just put all my [this year's] tiny garlic cloves in the kitchen and just use them as and when; they are open on a plate and don't seem to be drying out thus far.

Next year, when I harvest the - hmm - 100 odd garlic plants that I've/will have planted this year; I'll be [I was going to say mincing but perhaps not] bottling easy garlic and giving it all away for Christmas presents. That's the advantage of doing these moon trials - you have to plant alot of them to trial them, and I'm also growing the same amount outside of the trial 'just in case'.

My OH loves the Easy Garlic, he's a relative newcomer to cooking from scratch and was a bit upset when I threw the last lot away...it had 'gone over' as they say. I'm going to be saving all those little Sacla jars for next year's garlic and pickles - the big jars are too much at once for us. Just got to wait for the planning permission, for the garage to be knocked down, for the new garden room to be built and for my humungous bookcase to be fitted, then I'll have somewhere to start storing all these jars.