Selling Jam and Chutneys

Food Hygiene

The next block in the building of the Auntie Allie Empire is to sell my own jams and chutneys, made from produce I have foraged, grown on my allotment or sourced from local, organic suppliers.  (Of course when I say ‘Empire’ I am just planning to sell a few jars at a local community market but, as they say, from small acorns…)

There are certain rules and regulations concerning the selling of your home made produce most of which can be found on the Food Standards Agency and your local council websites.

However, it can all be rather confusing and I believe the best approach is to make contact with people directly.  I phoned my local Environmental Health Office from the District Council and set up a meeting with them.

A lovely lady came out to my house (which is where I am going to be making my produce) for an informal chat and to pass on all the advice she could, which included:

• My kitchen didn’t need to permanently be at a business level of cleanliness in case of checks.  When I’m making produce for my business I need to ‘close it’ from being a normal kitchen, give it a top to bottom clean, ensure the surfaces are tidy, that any hand washing is done in the cloak room sink, that there is no other food preparation taking place.
• You should have a checklist for each batch made to show the cleaning and food safety checks you have done, which would need to be shown at any inspection.
• You should have good systems for stock control and logging of suppliers etc.
• It is fine to use an environmentally friendly multi-purpose cleaner, rather than an industrial strength disinfectant.
• That it was sensible to get separate ‘business’ equipment, including washing up bowl, a bowl for washing fruit, utensils etc.
• That the biggest problem they find is ‘foreign bodies’ in produce and so it is advisory, but not compulsory, to wear a catering style hat, as well as clean clothes and an apron.

If you are going to be selling your own produce you need to do a food hygiene course.  Because I am planning such a small-scale business, an on-line food hygiene course is sufficient.  The Environmental Health Officer also noted that I had demonstrated a sound understanding of food hygiene principles (or common sense as I like to call it) and she was therefore happy to recommend that level of course.

The visit enabled her to confirm that my kitchen is suitable for making homemade produce and the surfaces are a material, which they are happy with.

You hear some horror stories about how unfair the officials have been, but I believe that a face-to-face meeting is helpful in establishing a personal contact and opening the lines of communication.  Most of the complaints they deal with concern supermarkets and foreign bodies in food.  They get very few complaints about artisan producers because we take such pride in producing good food.  However, having met me, if there were now to be a complaint, she would be inclined to know it was a genuine mistake and feel happy to contact me informally in the first instance.

At the moment this visit is free, but with all the cuts taking place in councils, I don’t know how long this will be the case.

I was also given the phone number to order a useful document called ‘Safer Food Better Business for Caterers’, which is a jargon-free pack demonstrating what you do to sell food that is safe to eat and have records of this.  Again, this document is currently free, but it may not be for long.

So, that is now another step on the path to selling my own produce.

Right, must just wash my hands (again).

Preparing your beds

Digging is good exercise 

Which is lucky, as it is one of the key tasks on the allotment over the winter and not easy when it has been so wet.  However, I have been taking advantage of recent dryer weather and finally feel like the allotment is in some sort of order.

This is my third full year of having an allotment and it has been a fantastic experience.  It is immensely satisfying to grow your own food and I would recommend it to anyone, at whatever level you can manage - whether it be a few herbs on a window ledge, container gardening in the small yard of a town house, or having an allotment.

However, it does involve some hard work and commitment.  When you get an allotment you may be lucky enough to inherit a much loved plot, given up because of a move, or you may get what I did – a plot that was taken off the previous owners because of neglect (see picture).  I garden organically, so no weed killer allowed! 

I mostly have raised beds, as I find it easier to maintain the plot by taking one raised bed at a time to weed and dig over, rather than facing one whole expanse.  I must also confess to liking the ordered look of them (apparently that is to do with me being a Virgo?!)

I have had a rather productive couple of weeks and managed to crack on with digging over the beds and weeding them.  I have even tackled the bottom corner bed (which has remained a ‘wild spot’ for the last couple of years) and it is now ready for the rhubarb and various sowings:  

• First dig over a bed with a large fork, pulling out any weeds and couch grass roots (I know a nightmare!) and breaking up large lumps of soil.

• Controversially, if it is not a raised bed, I then add some horticultural sand.  We have very heavy clay soil in this area and I have found that it helps.  Last year I added some to what was to be the carrot bed and this year, it was by far the easiest one to dig over.  However, I have done some reading on this subject and there is some debate about adding sand or horticultural grit to your soil.  What seems very clear is that it is no good adding a fine sand (e.g. play sand) as this can make things worse.  If you do decide to follow this method then you should use horticultural grit or sharp sand. 

• I then do some ‘close quarter’ weeding using a small fork.

• I add in compost whenever we get a delivery at the plots and also dig in manure if the crop I am planning for that bed needs it.

• Finally I cover the beds with black plastic or weed suppressant, as obviously this helps hold back the weeds and also to warm the bed, ready for spring planting.

Over the winter months I am also doing a general tidy up around the plot (washing labels etc) and have thoroughly enjoyed planning what crops to grown in 2013.

Better late than never

I have finally managed to plant my garlic…

I know, I know it is very late to be planting garlic, but my excuse is that I managed to wrench my back in December, then I started to plant some in January, but was a bit concerned it would drown in all the rain we had.  I am just hoping that the guides saying you can plant up until late February are correct.

It may be late, but I certainly didn't want to miss out on planting this most important crop.  I love home grown garlic, it has a much nicer flavour than anything you get in the supermarkets (although if you aren't growing your own I recommend you go to a farmers market or local supplier – in fact all food is much nicer from these local and artisan suppliers, especially in light of recent news stories).

Garlic is a wonderful addition to any plot or garden, not only as produce, but, as part of the alliums family, it is the ideal companion plant to carrots (the smell deters carrot fly) along with fruit trees, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and brassicas.  However, it seems to restrict the growth of peas and beans.  You can also plant cloves next to roses to protect them from aphids. 

There is a lot of folklore that surrounds garlic and its ‘magical’ properties.  It has a reputation for curing anything from the common cold to the plague!  It is certainly a natural antibiotic that bacteria don’t seem to build up a resistance to.  Studies have also shown that it has a powerful antioxidant effect.  There are suggestions that it may assist in managing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Garlic has always been seen as an important ingredient, though it was rare in English cuisine.  However, throughout Europe it was believed to be a powerful ward against demons, werewolves, and vampires.  To ward off vampires, garlic could be worn, hung in windows or rubbed on chimneys and keyholes.

In Egypt the builders of the pyramids were said to have eaten garlic on a daily basis to increase their strength and endurance.

The ancient Greeks would place it on piles of stones at cross-roads, as a gift to Hecate.

The Roman Emperors were big fans as it was considered to be an antidote to poisons – rather useful in those turbulent times.  However, it seems to have offered no protection to being stabbed countless times!!!

In Spain they have long used garlic as a preservative because of its anti bacterial properties and have dedicated whole books to its health benefits.

If you are worried about bad breath after consuming garlic, chewing raw parsley is said to help…

Bee Kind…

…Take action and let your MP know you care, by following this link http://ow.ly/hv46g 

On the 25 February the EU member states will vote on the proposed suspension of three

neonicotinoid pesticides, which are widely believed to be one of the key reasons for the dramatic decline in bee populations over recent years.

The Soil Association are amongst those calling us to action in asking Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to stand with the majority of other EU states, including Holland and France and to vote in favour of a suspension.

Otherwise the UK will be standing with Germany, as both countries are reportedly reluctant to pass the proposals…

The Soil Association has drafted some text.  This is a good starting point, but I recommend you put your own personal touch to the letter, as many different letters has more of an impact than reading the same text over and over.

Info from the Soil Association:

Please help to save the bees. On 25 February 2013 the EU will decide whether to suspend the neonicotinoid pesticides clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam. These pesticides are damaging bee populations across Britain and Europe, as evidenced by the EFSA report and evidence given by the Soil Association to the Environmental Audit Committee. Please ask Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to stand with the majority of other EU member states and to vote in favour of a suspension.

One of the letters I sent:

I am writing to ask you to back the campaign and ensure that we stand with the majority of the other EU member states and to vote in favour of a suspension.

We all know, despite the efforts of the chemical companies, that the chemicals are damaging to bees.  We also know how essential bees are to our world.

Please, you have taken a position of power, but with that comes responsibility and your biggest responsibility is to protect our world.

We all have a role to play in this, but you are in the enviable position of being able to make a real difference - don't blow it!

Hello Winter

Nice of you to join us at last

I for one was very pleased when the frost and snow arrived in earnest.  Yes I know it can cause problems and send news broadcasters into a frenzy, but I like to have proper seasons.

From an allotment point of view, I have always believed that deep frosts through the winter are a key part of our year.  They kill off the bugs in the soil (much needed after last year’s wet and mild summer) and help to break up the soil – something my back is very grateful for.

The cold weather can also help kill off our bugs as well.  The trick is, when the cold weather hits, not to turn up the heating and just wear a T shirt as this is unhealthy and rather costly.  Instead, keep the heating where it is and just wear extra layers – I tend to make sure I am wearing a couple of pairs of socks around the house, as this keeps me feeling cosy.

I have worked for both the NHS and local council and noticed that both organisations have their heating up so high in the winter that members of staff are in shirt sleeves and even having to open the windows – they are also both making cuts and redundancies because they have no money.  Hmmm I wonder what they could do about that….

First Rule of Foraging…

‘If you’re not sure, don’t eat it’. 

Part of the joy of foraging is that when you meet a fellow forager you are sure to learn something new and often useful.

I was out picking blackberries with my brother who mentioned there are plants that looks rather like wild parsley, but are poisonous!

Look up ‘Fool’s parsley, Water Hemlock or Poison Hemlock on the Internet to do further research. Hemlock is fatally poisonous and is infamously interwoven with history, most notably because when the Greek philosopher, Socrates was declared a heretic he was forced to drink it.

There are similarities to wild parsley, but Fool’s parsley emits an unpleasant smell when bruised and has white flowers. Hemlock also has an unpleasant stink - a warning from Mother Nature.  It also has red spots on the bottom half of the stem.

Now don’t hang up your foraging bucket in panic.  This is just a warning to be careful. There are plenty of things you can forage for without fear – I have yet to hear of a lethal blackberry, though I am expecting my blackberry vodka to have quite a kick.

Auntie Allie