Monday, February 7, 2011
We've got mould...
Well mold (or mould depending on your spelling) - for making dive weights. Peter's container is finally here, and we went and gave him a hand to start unpacking - and with it lead and weighbelt mould. I am so glad we were able to borrow a belt from AJ for James to use, as James has already left! Getting anything to the island is a circus (and the clowns are not funny). Still it has been rather like Christmas, helping unpack, getting our oats, flour, rice and best of all, Polenta. It's bizarre that mielie meel (corn meal AKA polenta) is only available in little 300 gram sachets at a wicked price here. As we have porrige every morning (usually oats) it's a nice change. We now have 10Kg - by Finnegan's Wake standards (where M'fanjane used to order 'i-eighty' (80kgs) about once a month) about 3 days worth - probably last us a year. Freezer space is limited, but I might try putting 5kg in there. Anyway, some serious re-organisation is called for - wetsuits (I have yet another - almost pristine that Peter found at a garage sale, an a BC. Now an Octo, and I am rigged), dive gear, fishing gear, dry-goods and tools are starting to overwhelm me for lack of organising - anyway - when this book is done and I must do some serious organising. If real life lets me have long enough...
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I've heard of people canning grains and meal. Might try looking it up on the web. Maybe Jackie Clay.
ReplyDeleteI think the trick is keeping the bugs out of it. I've heard of putting dry ice in the bottom of a sealable container, and leaving it barely ajar until the CO2 has sublimated, and hopefully displaced anything the critters could breath.
ReplyDeleteI'll look, Quilly. MataPam - the buckets we have them in are REALLY tight seal. Really really 2 man close ém and open them (with special kneel-points on the lids) so hopefully will keep bugs out as dry ice is not available on island.
ReplyDeleteHow do you cook/serve polenta for breakfast? Does it take more than 30mins to cook, with constant stirring?
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Cairns where everything degrades quickly - or sprouts, grows mould, births bugs - and we kept our grains/flour in the freezer.
Sue, I pre-soak all the porrige and good stir and leave it - when I get up and make coffee around 5-5.30 With the polenta I add a bit more water and stir violently when I make porrige and do all the other faff in the kitchen (make rolls, make this make the next - usually something needs doing) at about 8.30 - then the polenta gets stirred as I rush around. The good Italian mama would die of horror, and there are sometimes lumps. But hey, I don't have 30 spare minutes.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin does it in a double boiler - apparently no stirring, no lumps. I teased her about calling it polenta instead of good down-home "corn meal mush" which is what I (and she) grew up on. She defended herself - "Well, I lived in Berkeley for twenty years!"
ReplyDeleteCan you get bay leaves? A few bay leaves in with the grain seems to do very well at keeping the bugs out.
AbigailM - thanks for that! 1)Double boiler... have one and nothing could be easier in winter when the combustion stove is heating the place 2)I Have LOADS of Bay Leaves. We bought a big bag along with the bulk ginger, and Bill dried us a bunch.
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