General Chat Thread II

igCorcaigh

I find Lidl veg are usually quite close to turning. I've never seen best before dates on them. But, you get what you pay for I suppose.

caviardreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209303#Comment_120209303

Should I be cutting the bag open? I keep them in a cool dark press.

I guess maybe with the lack of dates now, in the past I would have picked out a bag with a longer shelf life - now there is no way to tell so it's pot luck which is newer stock and which is older I guess and I might be just missing the newer bags. Saw some bags in SV at the weekend that looked very discoloured and very soft - unlike SV usually!

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212697#Comment_120212697

Make sure you're not storing them alongside onions too, they don't like eachother.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219734#Comment_120219734

Never heard that before. They’ve always been in the same cupboard - potatoes, brown onions, red onions and shallots. What should be happening?

Dial Hard

Onions are high ethylene producers and will cause the spuds to ripen/sprout. And spuds have a very high moisture content and can turn the onions squelchy. Keep them completely separate. I keep my spuds in a cloth bag in a drawer and my onions in a basket on the countertop.

Gloomtastic!

Thanks DH. The spuds are kept in their original plastic bag so obviously keeps any vapours away. Onions are just stored in their nets.

Dave_The_Sheep

Friend of mine mentioned he was making hot honey, so decided to look into it. I've two batches made now, one fermenting, one by heating and infusing. Will leave the fermented one a few weeks in the press after burping a bit.

Fermented:

.Infused (habanero/de arbol fresh and dried guajillo, garlic thyme, lemon zest, juice and cider vinegar).

Going to let this one sit a while before using properly. I had initially intended it as a gift for my grandmother, but I might hold back on that one. It's got a real kick to it. Very tasty so far though.

Dial Hard

The people behind Cluck are opening a new bricks & mortar place around the corner from me, called Ian's Kitchen. Dying to see what the menu will be like.

Muahahaha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220439#Comment_120220439

Id say it would be fine so long as the bag of potatoes hasnt been opened. But I used to store potatoes & onions in the same press until last year when I read about what Dial Hard was talking about, the onions release a gas that turns the spuds quicker.at least after the bag has been opened. Once I moved the spuds to a different press away from the onions they lasted a good bit longer.

woodchuck

Random question - how do you all dispose of old pots and pans?

My understanding is that they're not meant to go into general waste because they're made of metal. I know you can go to the dump, but they charge by the car load, so it's a waste of money just for a few small items. Am I missing something though?

New Home

If they're casseroles, more so than pans, you could pierce the bottom and use them to plant herbs or individual heads of lettuce, or even succulents. Otherwise, the dump is your only option, if they're in a bad way and not suitable for a charity shop.

Are you upgrading your toffee fudge pot? 😁

woodchuck

Lol I've upgraded the fudge pot alright, but I'm keeping the old half broken fudge pot purely for fudge making cause (1) it still works for that and (2) I don't want to risk wrecking a new pot making fudge 🤭

We've gotten a few new pots and pans though. Unfortunately the old ones are no good for plants or charity shops though. Wondering if I just need to start a junk pile and eventually go to the dump or get a mini skip when the pile is big enough. Really can't justify the cost of a dump run with just a few pots 🙈

sammyjo90

Do you have a civic amenity centre near ye at all? That would be cheaper than the dump

woodchuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233400#Comment_120233400

I thought they were the same thing 🤔 It's a civic amenity centre I meant, but they charge by the car load.

the beer revolu

My local on will charge as little as €5 if you don't have much stuff. €20 for a car load.

sammyjo90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120234963#Comment_120234963

I'd ring and ask em, my home one is also like a fiver

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120235569#Comment_120235569

Where would that be TBR? I live in Cork city centre, but don't drive.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120241101#Comment_120241101

Kinsale Road (Link Road) Public Amenity Site

igCorcaigh

I find that broad beans have a very tough chewy skin that I don't like. Any recommendations for making this? I've tried the canned variety, but hoping that the fresh should be much better:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/ful-medames

New Home

For "normal" beans, a trick to soften their skin is to cook them with some sodium bicarbonate dissolved in the water and to salt them only after they're almost cooked. It'd be worth a shot, I'd say.

the beer revolu

A lot of recipes call for peeling the outer skin of broad beans off.

Tesco or M&S usually have frozen baby broad beans. They're pretty good.

Graces7

Broad beans with skin are a firm favourite with me me A lovely texture and taste to the pods too

Planet X

There’ll be other recommendations, however, unscented Baby Oil works fine.

Every six months or so, oil my Teak Offcut chopping board. Overnight. Prolongs the life.

Mystery Egg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120310234#Comment_120310234

I know nothing about this, but would it not make sense to use a food grade oil, like walnut or olive?

Planet X

Certain oils can go rancid. I think Olive could be one…….short of Googling it.

Baby oil is a mineral oil so suitable. Some recommended oils are quiet expensive so I went with baby 😀

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232538#Comment_120232538

You can use them entire as a "nest" for existing potted plants. Makes watering easier.

Planet X

The next day…….

The Black Oil

Bought Jamie Oliver's 'Together' and am going to return it as it's a US version. Should have copped it when I saw the cups, etc. Didn't see Fahrenheit until I looked at it at home.

eeepaulo

Going to have braised beef ribs in red wine tomorrow, got some polenta, never cooked it, seen it done on tv often enough so thinking of using some light homemade chicken stock, then a bit of butter and parmesan to finish.

I got this - biona organic polenta bramata from dunnes

Doesn't say how much is a portion, what do you reckon? Also it says 750ml water to 120g polenta, be better to stick to that ratio rather than a generic online recipe?

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120313963#Comment_120313963

EDITED: If it ISN'T the quick-cook version of polenta, it'll require at least 40 mins of constant stirring while it's boiling. Watch out because it'll bubble like lava in a volcano and burns can be very serious because it sticks like glue.

It's 4 parts water to 1 part flour. Usually you bring the water to the boil, salt it a fair bit like you would for a soup, taste the water to make sure you've salted it enough, then add the corn meal by sprinkling it over the water a fistful at the time. If you drop it in instead of sprinkling it you'll get huge lumps. It's usually cooked in a cauldron (I'd avoid a non-stick pot unless you like eating teflon flakes) and stirred with a thick wooden spatula that looks like an oar. You can use a whisk to amalgamate it first, but then use the wooden spoon to stir it (and make sure you stir everything, down to the bottom, because if it sticks it burns very easily and it'll ruin the lot). As I mentioned, you'll need to stir it for at least 40 mins but if you can continue for an hour to an hour 10 mins it's even better. You can see it's ready when it begins to detach itself from the sides of the cauldron. Some of it will stick to the sides and bottom of the pot, you can then scrape the "flakes" the next day, they taste like plain doritos.

A portion is usually a ladleful. You can leave it quite soft and spoon it on the plate (it'll have the consistency of a thickish porridge but will set when cool). You can also pour it into a mould (make sure it's greased) or a very, very large large wooden chopping board (it will spread out like lava) and leave it to set. You can then slice it (usually the next day) and "roast" the slices on a very hot griddle pan.

I definitely wouldn't use stock, just plain water. You can add a knob of butter at the end, but you really don't need it.

I think that's about it, if I remember any more I'll let you know.