Keeping it Local
Many of you will know that my blog started life as a directory of local food producers in my home county, Leicestershire. Although I no longer maintain the directory, I'm still keen on 'keeping it local' whenever possible. To me, it's nothing to do with the environmental issues, it's because the quality of the food is so much better. There is a dividend because food miles are low is great, but that's not the main issue for me. I'm no food saint, if there's a great deal at the supermarket, I feel no guilt and buy in bulk. However, I usually check that it's at least British.
This is just my long-winded way of getting around to telling you that I've put a piece of ham in to cure in local cider and honey. The cider was kindly donated by Mark Shirley at Rockingham Forest Cider. Mark's in Middleton, some 30 odd miles away, but given that he visited his in-laws who live in the next village to me when he delivered it, I'm only counting it as 3 miles! The honey's from Englands Farm which is on the edge of the village where I live - maybe 300 yards away from my home; it's superb. To these I added some apple juice made with fruits from a neighbour's tree along with the normal dry ingredients and spices.
Rather than use all the cider on this test piece, I choose to use the injection method of curing so as to save some cider for another piece of meat. I'll publish the results and recipe in due course
On the subject of injecting meat, I bought a new syringe; it's so much better than my last one as it doesn't leak all over the place:
They're available from sellers on the Amazon Website.
I await with abated breath the outcome. I am not pleased with my last one (bacon) as it was somewhat lacklustre and am sure it is a spice problem.
As for food miles; most of mine comes within 80/100 mile radius unless its spices and fish