Biltong, a South African speciality

Tags

beef, bicarbonate of soda, Biltong, coriander, coriander seeds, food, jerky, pepper, pestle and mortar, recipe, saltpetre, spice mixture, sugar, vinegar, wire hooks

There are seemingly endless theories as to how biltong is best prepared . When making biltong choose good cuts of meat. The usual preparation time is 3 days, and the biltong should be hung until dry.

You will need the following ingredients to yield 4,5 kg of biltong.

10 kg meat (game, beef or ostrich)

2,5 cups brown vinegar

75 g Brown sugar

8 ml saltpetre

8 ml bicarbonate of soda

10 ml pepper

3 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

275 g salt.

Cut the meat into suitably sized strips and rub thoroughly with vinegar, ensuring that all the meat is coated. Next mix sugar, saltpetre, bicarbonate of soda and pepper, set aside.

Roast the coriander in a pan over a medium heat, remove and mince, or pound with a pestle and mortar until fine. Combine with the sugar mixture.

Place the thicker biltong strips at the bottom of an enamel container, cover with a layer of salt and then a layer of the spice mixture. Repeat the layers until the thins strips are on top and add a final dressing of salt. Leave for 12 hours.

Remove the thinner strips and dip them quickly in hot water.

Dry the strips very well, then hang on S-shaped wire hooks. Take care to hang the pieces of biltong well apart so that air can circulate between them.

Here I have place it in the drying box. The drying time depends of factors such as temperature, air circulation and personal preference.

For serving, cut the biltong into slices and serve as a snack! Enjoy!

Citrus fruit, 27 uses

Tags

citrus fruit, clean windows, cleaning, furniture polish, household tips, ink spots, laundry, lemons, limes, mildew, oranges, polish copper, stains, underarm stains, vinegar

Citrus fruits are some of my most favorite things in the world – their color, their taste and their association with sunshine does it for me.

But these tasty little fruits also have some incredible uses around our home  – particularly for cleaning, freshening up and deodorizing foul odors.

A staple in most homes, citrus fruit, including oranges, lemons and limes, makes a beautiful, fragrant display that can piled in a bowl. We also like to use them in a flower arrangement. Peeking out from the bottom of a clear glass container, they serve a dual purpose: beauty and as an anchor to an arrangement. They’re also handy to have around the house for the reasons we’ve gathered together here…

If you don’t have the citrus suggested, use whichever one you have on hand (although we’d suggest sticking with lemon juice when the objective’s bleaching):

 

• Polish copper by rubbing it with a lemon juice soaked cloth and buffing it dry.
• Brass and aluminum can be polished with a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Another way to polish brass is by sprinkling salt on half of a lemon and rubbing it on the brass item. This method works on stainless steel as well.
• Rub lemon on your faucets to remove lime scale, hard water stains, and soap residue. It also works on porcelain.
• Whiten tennis shoes by spraying them with lemon juice and placing them in the sun
• For a mild, stain-free bleach, soak your delicates in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda for at least half an hour before washing.
• Boost your laundry detergent’s power by adding lemon juice to a wash cycle for fresh smelling laundry, to brighten whites and remove rust and mineral stains.
• For ink spots on clothing, apply lots of lemon juice to the stain as soon as possible. Wash the garment in normal cycle in cold water.
• Remove unsightly underarm stains from shirts and blouses simply by scrubbing them with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice (or white vinegar) and water.
• To get rid of mildew on clothes, make a paste of lemon juice and salt and rub it on the affected area, then dry the clothes in sunlight. Repeat the process until the stain is gone. This works well for rust stains on clothes too.
• Grind citrus through the garbage disposal to get rid of nasty odours and freshen the drain.
• Add half a lemon to the dishwasher load for sparkling spot-free clean smelling dishes.
• Make your own spray cleaner by mixing two tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap, 1/2 teaspoon washing soda, and one teaspoon Borax into two cups hot water. Mix until dissolved.
• Another all-purpose cleaning solution: combine lemon juice, vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
• Add a nice clean scent as well as cleansing power to all liquid cleansers by adding two tablespoons lemon or orange juice.
• Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut section. Use the lemon to scrub dishes, surfaces, and stains.
• Use as a natural furniture polish, combine 1 part lemon juice with 2 parts olive oil.
• Create a wonderful natural air freshener by mixing lemon juice and water in a spray bottle.
• Place half a lemon or an orange in a dish can help freshen a room. You can also boil up the peels to freshen up the whole house.
• Humidifiers can pick up unwanted scents. Freshen up the aroma by adding 3 to 4 teaspoons citrus juice to the water.
• Clean your windows and glass by rubbing straight lemon juice on them and then buffing dry with newspapers.
• Dry lemon or orange peels can be used to freshen drawers
• Stud an orange with cloves and hang it in your closet to keep moths away.
• Rub fresh orange or lemon peels over your exposed skin to keep away mosquitoes and gnats.
• Puree orange peels in 1 cup warm water. Slowly pour the solution over and into anthills to get rid of them.
• To keep cats from using your lawn as a litter box, mix orange peels and coffee grounds and distribute it around their favorite spots. If they don’t take the hint, lay down a second batch and try moistening it with a bit of water.
• Certain people are having trouble with their barking puppies. Train them to stop by getting a squirt of lemon juice in their mouths.

Apartment Therapy

Some handy household tips

Tags

bicarbonate of soda, Boiling, cooking, home, household tips, Parboil, shopping, Sodium bicarbonate, Soups and Stews, Stainless steel, Toilet, vinegar

1. Roasting potatoes – Parboil, roll in oil, then in flour, roast. Result lovely golden outer crust.

2. Sprinkle a little bicarbonate of soda under paper lining in bread tin and bread will remain fresher.

3. Add 1 tsp vinegar to water in which you wish to poach an egg if you have no poaching pan. It helps coagulate the white neatly.

4. Cream that is very thick can be brought to pouring consistency by stirring in a very small amount of iced water.

5. Slightly old cream is freshened by adding a little bicarbonate of soda.

6. To crisp wilted lettuce stand it in a little water in which you have placed a piece of coal.

7. Ants, sprinkle a little borax around, or some baby powder.

8. To remove ballpoint or koki pen – moisten with methylated spirits and wash in cold water.

9. To remove ink – soak in sour milk or lemon juice and salt.

10. To remove coffee stains – use borax and boiling water.

11. To clean tarnished brass – soak in brown vinegar over night, wash in cold water.

12. If a saucepan has been burnt – pour in cold water and vinegar and boil slowly for 1/2 hour. The surface will then clean easily.

13. To remove smells – baby vomit of fridge odors – wipe with a mixture of 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda to 600ml water.

14. Before cutting onions, dip your fingers in vinegar to prevent the smell from adhering to your hands.

15. Vinegar mixed with lukewarm water is excellent for washing down leather, carpets or upholstery to remove unpleasant odors such as baby’s vomit or cat’s wee.

16. Blunt scissors? Cut through a piece of sandpaper to sharpen.

17. Too salty soup? Slices of raw potato added to the soup absorbs the saltiness.

18. Shoes pinch? Place a freshly peeled potato in the shoe and leave overnight, helps the leather expand and shoes to fit better.

19. To keep stainless steel in tip top condition rub with a few drops of baby oil or olive oil on a soft cloth.

20. To remove chewing gum from fabric or hair – soak with a little paraffin and rub between the thumbs. Wash out with soap and warm water.

 

Raw pickled Beetroot

Tags

Apple, Apple Cider Vinegar, Beetroot, Cook, dinner, food, home, home grown, honey, olive oil, organic, pantry shelf, pickled beetroot, raw, recipes, vegetarian, vinegar

After looking around for a recipe for raw pickled beetroot and finding no recipes like this I invented my own…

 

Wash and peel beetroot, slice into thin slices. Place in glass jar, cover with Apple Cider vinegar, add 1 teaspoon of Honey, close lid tight and store for a month before eating.

Delicious and one for the pantry shelf