Aargh! My freezer is full

[joyceybabe]

What can I do? My house freezer is full so I got a small chest freezer on Freecycle originally to use as a spare over Christmas when I usually run out of room. Well it is now full to overflowing with all the veggies and fruit from the garden. We have been foraging for elderberries and blackberries and have about 16lbs of each plus all the runners and green beans and mangetouts. Not forgetting about 30lbs of victoria plums! I need to get the elderberry wine on the go before I try to get the next picking of runner beans in there. Anybody got a good recipe for runner bean chutney?

[mrswadders]

I'm at work at the moment but i've made Delia's runner bean pickle this year - very nice. I'm sue if you look online you'll find it, there's also a very similar one in my goodhousekeeing preserves book. If you can't find it i'll post it later when I get home

[Guest]

Unfortunately I do not have any of my tried and tested chutney recipes anymore

However, my Dad does a nice preserve but I think it is similar to what is described as 'dilly beans' as it is more beans in a thick tumeric liquid. That really doesn't sound as nice as it should. I have not met anyone yet that does not like them, put it that way.

I shall try and get the recipe and will post if you are interested.

[Penellype]

Do you have a relative or friend who may lend you some space in their freezer for a few months until you eat your way into your own store? For a share of the stored produce, perhaps?

[Kristen]

Are you going to be able to eat the whole contents of your freezer before next season? If not then perhaps best not to freeze / process any more!

[Chippy Minton]

I need to get the elderberry wine on the go before I try to get the next picking of runner beans in there. Anybody got a good recipe for runner bean chutney?

We had a recipe for Elderberry and Runner Bean wine which may help solve the problem. I realise it sounds disgusting but I seem to remember you boil the RBs and use the water to make the wine, took some of the sharpness away from the wine. Might be a recipe on t'interweb?

[pigletwillie]

Buy a pressure canner and start bottling.

[Guest]

Runner bean chutney

2lb runners
2lb onions
2lb demera sugar
1.5pts white vinegar
1.5 tbsp turmeric
1.5 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp dried mustard powder

*String and chop beans, chop onions. Boil til soft in salted water
*In a separate pan boil sugar and vinegar for 15mins.
*Blend dry ingredients with vinegar mix.**
*Then add strained beans and onions to vinegar mix and boil for a further 15mins.
*Then put mix in clean sterile jars. (should make 5-6lb of chutney)

**Tip: Remove a little of the vinegar mix and blend then return to the rest of the mix.

Apparently this is an old Norfolk recipe and it is taken from The Millenium Coursing Cookbook (good luck ever finding a copy tho, it is a bit like rocking horse poop!)

I hope this helps let me know how you get on if you do make it (good or bad, I am a big girl I can take it )

[Thelma Sanders]

Make a few batches of jam - that'll free up some space ............it's what I've got to do when I finish decorating my granddaughter's berfday cake

[Bill HH]

When we finaly got to the bottom of our freezer there was a piece of pork sent over from America on the lease lend scheme in 1942.

[joyceybabe]

I am sure we will eat most of it! I usually make some of the plums into plum sauce which is yummy. I also make home-made wine which is why it is full of elderberries and blackberries - just haven't the time to do it at the moment. I also give loads of preserves and chutneys away. I had a jar of runner bean chutney given to me last year which was delicious. Quite sweet and I'm sure had turmeric in it so would love a similar recipe.

[mrswadders]

Spiced Pickled Runner Beans - Preserve - Recipes - from Delia Online


this is the delia one - if the link works!

[ancee]

I've been busy too - our freezer has 3 large drawers. The bottom two are full of tomato sauces, carrot soup, mixed veg bags - to put in soups sauces stews etc. Bags of raspberries and blackberries. You can't get any 'proper' (as my kids call it!) food in there at the moment! I've also got 9 jars of green tomato chutney. 8 jars of various jams.... The tomatoes are still going strong, so are the peppers and chillies (-no idea what to do with all of them as my lot don't like hot chilli!) We are over run with eggs as the girls seem to have a factory farm going in in their run! Ah, I love it

[Scarlet]

We are over run with eggs as the girls seem to have a factory farm going in in their run! Ah, I love it

I freeze mine Ancy, in bags of 4 or 2. Ready for cakes or yorkshire puds etc to we used during the winter when they don't lay.
2 draws full in my upright freezer.
My 5ft chest freezer stores my fruit, pasta sauces, etc.

[ancee]

You freeze eggs? Er, in their shells or not? Sorry if I'm a bit thick!!
What a good idea!
I, to be fair have forced eggs to death on my kids hahaha! I have run out of ideas.
Although there is a fab Iranian dish called cuku-sabzi which uses them up and they will always eat that no matter how many eggs I've fed them!