[John]

Harvested the last of the parsnips. Normally I’d expect them to keep for at least another month or two even. The problem is that it’s been so warm that the parsnips are regrowing already. The only thing to do is use them or lose them. About 3 kilos which is a fair amount.

Cleared a carrot bed from the polytunnel. Lots of very little ones but quite a few decent sized. I really should have thinned them out months ago but I didn’t so we are where we are. All in all, about 4 kilos of usable carrots, not too shabby!
Diary post here

[New shoot]

I quite often get a freebie stew pack from work (reduced not sold) and make a mixed root mash for the freezer.  It is a great standby.

As for gadgets - I have an old fashioned pressure cooker but I am a bit afraid of it    I must make an effort to use it more. My air-fryer is used a lot.  I have to say it makes sublime croutons from a dash of oil, seasoning and any old stale bread you want to use up. Worth bearing in mind for all that soup 

[John]

I know a lot of people are saying positive things about air fryers so we may get one sometime.

[snowdrops]

John, did you know you can can in a high dome pressure cooker? I now can most of my stocks & soups so they are shelf stable. Saves freezer space for other stuff and a jar can be reheated quite quickly, I can even just take a jar to the plot & reheat there 

[John]

John, did you know you can can in a high dome pressure cooker? I now can most of my stocks & soups so they are shelf stable. Saves freezer space for other stuff and a jar can be reheated quite quickly, I can even just take a jar to the plot & reheat there 

Yes, surprisingly we did know that.
https://www.allotment-garden.org/recipe/bottling-canning/pressure-bottling-canning/
and we covered it in more depth in our book How to Store Your Home Grown Produce
Having a large chest freezer as well as an upright we're not too tight on space and freezing is less faff than pressure bottling. If we got a long power cut the freezers hold for 36 hours and we've a small genny to keep things ticking over.

[snowdrops]

Lol, John, should have checked my copies of those before posting  but I was being lazy & couldn’t be bothered to go upstairs, that’ll larn me as we say oop north