Mini-Wormery

TOP TIP from plot 130 (with thanks to Ray & Sue)



Start a mini-wormery at zero cost. Collect newspapers (avoiding multi-colour ones) and stack in a neat pile on the earth by your compost heap, kept in place by surrounding bricks and one on top. Wet the paper (or just let the rain do so) and in time the red brandling worms will move in and up through the pile. If you have a new compost heap and are impatient, scrounge a few worms from the owner of a manure heap (I have a good colony). The worms dessicate the paper eventually, and it can be torn into strips and added to the compost heap or put in runner bean trenches, etc. I started one in our first autumn in 2006 and it was very active the next year.

Gluts

Looking well forward to a bumper harvest this year, the trouble is that there is always too much at once. Yes freezers do deal with some of the over production and neighbours and friends and relatives also benefit, but there are alternatives and here is one from Plot 130 down by the pond:

Here is a great way of using up some of the runner bean glut. It is easy and delicious, and runner bean preserves are a bit thin on the ground, so may be of interest.

CUMBERLAND BEAN PICKLE

1 kg/2 lb 4 oz runner beans
2 medium onions
450 ml/3-quarter pint white vinegar
50 g/2 oz plain flour
1 level tablespoon mustard powder
half teaspoon ground black pepper
half teaspoon powdered turmeric
150 g/5 oz white suger
6 hot dry sterile jam jars with non-metal lids

Wash, string and slice the beans into thin strips. Slice onions finely. Cook together with a pinch of salt and just enough water to cover, until tender. Take a good tablespoon of the vinegar, put it in a large stainless steel saucepan with the flour, mustard, pepper and turmeric, mix to a smooth paste, start to heat gently and add the remainder of the vinegar carefully bit by bit, ensuring no lumps (as you would a Roux). Add the sugar, stirring well to make sure it is dissolved, and bring to the boil. It should be of a thick, shiny, sauce-like consistency. Drain the beans and onions well and add to the sauce, stir well and continue stirring until the mixture thickens again. Pot and seal immediately.

A very crisp, piccallilli-like pickle. Pleasant, hot and not too strong. Keeps well.

This is from one of my ancient books which is no longer in print, but if you feel you need a reference it is "Home-Made Preserves" by Jill Nice, Fontana/Collins, 1982. I make it every year, and it is in much demand as a stocking-filler, and much quicker than a chutney.

There are so many recipes on the interweb so if you have any for the blog they should be highly recommended or unusual in some way, such as using up gluts. Can’t wait for the courgette ones!!!

Thanks very much Sue for a very tasty and completely unknown (to me) way of dealing with excess runners.