A random thread for food things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

[Mrs Pingu]

Nothing got cremated. Whether it's actually cooked enough is another story...

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's grown to be dried and processed – like the field beans mentioned elsewhere, it's often left to dry in the field, so you'll see mostly dead fields of the stuff all the way into November. That's on purpose, it's not a lazy farmer.

Sweetcorn for human consumption has a far higher water (and non-starch sugar content) and is harvested earlier before it starts to dry out. There are other types that are only intended to milled, like the brightly coloured jewel corn. Don't bother eating it like sweetcorn, but it'll make a nice tortilla.

Left standing in the field is usually because its been grown as a cover crop for pheasants rather than for any harvest. Maize in the UK is largely for whole crop silage for cattle feed. The whole plant, not just the cobs are chopped and pickled for winter feed.

I've noticed that maize seems to like growing in very stony fields. Is that something to do with drainage? Or just that it will grow there so no point removing the stones?

[L CC]

I've noticed that maize seems to like growing in very stony fields. Is that something to do with drainage? Or just that it will grow there so no point removing the stones?

No. It's more that because there is a bigger space between the plants you see the stones. The stones are there among other crops too. Maize doesn't need as fine a seed bed as other cereals so there's an element of that, too.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Thanks.

[andrewc]

'Tis the season....

[T42]

I've noticed that maize seems to like growing in very stony fields. Is that something to do with drainage? Or just that it will grow there so no point removing the stones?

No. It's more that because there is a bigger space between the plants you see the stones. The stones are there among other crops too. Maize doesn't need as fine a seed bed as other cereals so there's an element of that, too.

In Germany at least it used to be said that they had so many pigs that the only place for the shit was on the fields, and maize was the only thing that would grow there; but that was OK because they could feed it to the pigs.  I can well remember the stinking fields.  In Alsace nowadays they don't reek. Dunno about Brittany, which used to be notorious for it, and for polluting waterways with the run-off.

[L CC]

Intensive pig farming goes hand in hand with anaerobic digesters these days.

(At least, when I last worked with pigs it was poised on the brink of doing so and I have no reason to think they didn't dive in)

[Mrs Pingu]

Got all the Usanians trying the Scottish delicacies at COP26
https://twitter.com/USAmbUK/status/1454404931763462144?t=eyebRWwQTLgM3qFox870-w&s=19

[Mrs Pingu]

The Daelmans Stroopwafels available at Sainsbos are too small, they won't rest on the top of my mug unlike the ones I used to get from Jumbo or Schipol.

[CommuteTooFar]

Oh dear, my first attempt at making ghee failed.  Its very dark because I  burnt the milk solids. Drat.

[citoyen]

Life is too short to make ghee. But if you are going to the trouble, there are only two rules:
1. Don't stir it
2. Keep the heat very low!

[hellymedic]

I thought ghee resulted when tigers chased their tails running round a tree and got so hot they melted...

[Feanor]

I thought ghee resulted when tigers chased their tails running round a tree and got so hot they melted...

Are we allowed to even mention that book these days?
I wonder if it's sill in print, under it's original name.

[sg37409]

My sister had that book with a 45rpm record too.    The wee song has lain dormant in my head till I saw this thread. 

[Mr Larrington]

I thought ghee resulted when tigers chased their tails running round a tree and got so hot they melted...

Are we allowed to even mention that book these days?
I wonder if it's sill in print, under it's original name.

Wikinaccurate suggests it is, but only in Japanese…

[SteveC]

We had the record as well. It was blue, which confused a four-year old me, considering the title of the story.

[hellymedic]

I never had the record but I had a small, square book, which had a pale blue frame enclosing an illustration with a white background, on the cover.

Would it be possible/wise to make ghee in a microwave? This could boil off the moisture without applying direct heat...

[citoyen]

Yesterday evening, I had some 'sea salt and chardonnay vinegar' crisps from Tesco. I don't know what weird shit is in the flavouring, but they made my lips go numb, and they still feel weird this afternoon.

[SteveC]

Would it be possible/wise to make ghee in a microwave? This could boil off the moisture without applying direct heat...

I have clarified butter, which is much the same process, in a microwave when I've only needed a small amount.
Melt butter, wait for 'bits' to sink to the bottom, pour off liquid.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Yesterday evening, I had some 'sea salt and chardonnay vinegar' crisps from Tesco. I don't know what weird shit is in the flavouring, but they made my lips go numb, and they still feel weird this afternoon.

I get that with plain old salt and vinegar crisps, though not with vinegar on eg chips. I don't know if salt and vinegar crisps actually contain vinegar.

[citoyen]

Yesterday evening, I had some 'sea salt and chardonnay vinegar' crisps from Tesco. I don't know what weird shit is in the flavouring, but they made my lips go numb, and they still feel weird this afternoon.

I get that with plain old salt and vinegar crisps, though not with vinegar on eg chips. I don't know if salt and vinegar crisps actually contain vinegar.

I don't usually have this problem with salt & vinegar crisps. Had a look at the ingredients list - after potatoes and sunflower oil comes unspecified 'flavouring'. Then rice flour, sugar, citric acid, sea salt, yeast extract powder, chardonnay wine vinegar powder.

I suspect the problem may be that the vinegar powder is essentially concentrated dehydrated acetic acid. Whatever it is, it's really unpleasant.

They didn't even taste good.

[ian]

I've never eaten a packet of salt and vinegar crisps and thought to myself if only this were chardonnay vinegar. This is aside from the fact that ready salted is the only true way (and none of that reduced salt nonsense, they're crisps, not health food).

I don't know what dried acetic acid is (pure anhydrous acetic acid is a liquid above about 17 degrees) - I presume in this case, they removed the acetic acid and water and left the 'chardonnay flavours,' leastways those that aren't volatile and they put the acid tingle back with citric acid.

While you might have had an allergic response to something in them, it's probably just the citric acid – it's what it says it is, and it's also going to dry out your lips and mouth. You can verify by buying a tub of food-grade citric acid and sticking your tongue in it. Or find an experimental (children might be useful, but remember to use all of them).

Also, sugar in crisps, good god. It makes me want to hunt down everyone involved the creation of that diabolical concoction with angry pigs.

[citoyen]

I've never eaten a packet of salt and vinegar crisps and thought to myself if only this were chardonnay vinegar.

Quite. It's a ridiculous affectation.

Besides, as any fule kno, Sarson's is The One True Vinegar.

While you might have had an allergic response to something in them, it's probably just the citric acid – it's what it says it is, and it's also going to dry out your lips and mouth. You can verify by buying a tub of food-grade citric acid and sticking your tongue in it. Or find an experimental (children might be useful, but remember to use all of them).

Yes, I'm fairly certain it was the acid rather than an allergic reaction, and I did wonder if it might be the citric - that does sound very plausible. And good knowledge about acetic acid - I would never have known that.

(I do have a tub of citric acid powder in the kitchen cupboard - might even try that experiment.)

Also, sugar in crisps, good god. It makes me want to hunt down everyone involved the creation of that diabolical concoction with angry pigs.

Indeed.

Suffice to say I won't be buying those again. I really should have known better and, like you say, stuck to the plain salted ones. I just fancied something with a bit more of a kick. But not that much of a kick.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Yesterday I had to throw away half a pot full of dhal. It had been standing on the cooker top since, I think, Friday afternoon, and had literally started to bubble.

Only after I'd chucked it did it occur to me I could have experimented with making lentil wine...

[Kim]

Sore Finger crisps should not have yeast extract in them. That makes them Marmite crisps, which are both wrong, and - crucially - Not The Same Thing.