Free Food - Blackberries

I can remember picking blackberries as a child during the summer, trying not to scratch my hands to pieces or to drop too many brambles in the process.

As an extension to my thoughts about blackcurrants, I think that brambling should be revived as an annual tradition, saving us all a few pennies on the way.

Blackberries grow wild, and can be found beside pathways and by roadsides. In the interests of safety avoid busy highways, and instead wander off the beaten track in search of untouched bushes. Don’t trespass on private property or farmland which may be gated or fenced off.

The berries are fairly easy to pick, but the bushes are covered in sharp spines, so be prepared to be pricked. Wear sturdy shoes and clothing, such as jeans, but don’t wear heavy gardening gloves as this will hamper your picking abilities. It takes a gentle hand to pluck perfectly ripe blackberries.  

The best and ripest berries will be dark, almost black in colour, and may be plucked easily from the bush using your thumb and forefinger. The berry should come away easily in your fingers, leaving the white coloured hull behind. If a berry does not come away easily with a gentle tug, then it is likely not yet ripe and should be left for a few more days.

Make blackberry picking more fun for the family by turning it into a competition. Each person has their own container, and then everyone competes to see who can pick the most berries in an hour, or in ten minutes if time is limited.

I find that blackberries keep quite well in fridge refrigerator for up to three days, but they also freeze well for use at a later date. After washing (the berries, not myself), I lay the berries out in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop the tray in the freezer. Once the berries are frozen, they can be placed into bags for easier storage in the freezer. I like to use blackberries in with smoothies, or with other summer fruits on top of meringue.

Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/

Green Gardening

I have recently been bitten by the gardening bug (not literally I might add), and I thought it would be a great way to save a bit of money by growing some of my own veg, but also reduce my carbon footprint. Now that I have a few plants growing merrily (weather permitting), I also find it immensely satisfying and am looking forward to literally harvesting the fruits of my own labour.

I thought I would start fairly small as I don’t have a lot of space, or very much time. I have a window box which now houses a few potted herbs, which I bought cheaply at a local supermarket.

I have found that strawberries are a nice easy plant to start with, since they can be bought quite reasonably, and then when established, they self-propagate. That means I will have more plants next year, without having to buy new ones. I also think that strawberries can sometimes be a bit on the pricey side in supermarkets, so it’s great to be able to pick them for free from my own garden.

Ideally, strawberries thrive in shelter and sunshine, but also need to have plenty of water. Aside from these basic needs, strawberries do not need to have special attention. However, just as strawberries are delicious for us, the garden pests enjoy them too. To counteract this issue I have raised up my large strawberry planter pots on a small section of decking. I don’t have a lot of birds visiting my garden (at the moment), but if and when I do, I may need to cover my plants with mesh so that the birds don’t get at my strawberries before I do. 

I am also contemplating potatoes, since I understand that can be grown almost anywhere. There have been occasions when I have found one or two potatoes left in the bottom of the bag and they have started to sprout on their own. If I find any such “plants” any time soon, then I plan to pop them in a large bucket. Potato tubers grow downwards into the soil, so I’ll plant them fairly near the surface. They also need plenty of water – no problems there.

In the interests of watching my weight (don’t we all!), I also plan to eat more salads during the summer months. I find that lettuce bought from shops can often go soggy quite quickly, and can also be fairly expensive. In the interests of saving money, I have bought some small lettuce plants and potted them up in a trough in my garden. I imagine they would work quite nicely on a window sill if space was limited. I suspect I am more likely to eat lettuce and enjoy it if I have actually grown it myself and it is super-fresh. I’m watering my plants regularly, and looking forward to harvest time. 

To compliment my lettuce leaves I have two tomato plants in pots, likewise bought as very small plants. I have chosen small cherry tomatoes this year, and have treated them to special tomato food and plenty of water so that they flourish. I have grown tomatoes in previous years, and so I know they will grow in my garden. Last year I put one of them in a hanging basket, and it produced masses of tomatoes.

If I had been more organised, I suppose I could have grown them from seed, and that would also have been more economical. Perhaps I will try that next year.

Cheaper Eco-friendly Cleaning

In the interests of making me happier, I think I'm going to start with making the environment a little happier. I've had some thoughts on cleaning, and how much money is wasted on cleaning products.

I find that I spend too much on cleaning products. They can be expensive and I always feel a little bit guilty when the excess bleach, cream cleaner or other such chemical is washed away down my drain. Surely when all of us are using chemicals in cleaning, it must be (just a little bit) harmful to the environment.

I’m planning to cut the cost of my shopping by trying to use vinegar in my cleaning routine. Vinegar is really versatile and can be used on many surfaces to get rid of grime, grease or mildew.

Starting with my drain, I have tipped a few spoonfuls of baking soda into the drain and then splashed down some vinegar. The mixture foamed up, and I allowed it to settle. I repeated the process a couple of time and then left the vinegar / baking soda cocktail for a few hours to do its work. Well pleased with myself, I now have a lovely fresh, clean drain, and have a few more pennies in my pocket.

Another area where I now like to use vinegar as a cleaner is on my kitchen work tops and the top of my cooker. I use a non-abrasive sponge and pour out a measure of neat vinegar. I simply wipe surfaces down and the vinegar cuts through the grease or grim. (Not that I have a greasy kitchen though!) There is no need to wait for a chemical product to work, the vinegar does the trick straight away.

I put my head in the microwave the other day, and instantly wished I hadn’t. I found caked on food residue, stuck firmly to the sides. Armed with my bottle of vinegar, my new weapon against grease, I set about cleaning up the microwave. I took a microwave-proof bowl and filled it halfway with water and vinegar, around 50/50. I put it in the microwave, turned on the power for about two minutes, and let the magic work. The acid in the vinegar sanitizes and eliminates odours while the steam from the water gets to work on the stubborn food residue. After the two minutes, and using gloves, I removed the bowl of hot water. I took a clean sponge, dipped it in the water/vinegar mix and simply wiped around the inside of the microwave. No scrubbing needed, and the surfaces came up gleaming.

I did read that vinegar should not be used on marble, and if using on wood or tiles it should first be tested in case of damage or staining. Common sense is also important, so use gloves when cleaning with vinegar and don’t get it in your eyes, as it will sting.

 
I hope that someone finds this suggestion useful, and starts saving pennies by cleaning with vinegar. I'd welcome thoughts from anyone else for other uses for vinegar (aside from splashing on a portion of chips!)