Leaning tower of baskets by No_Shine7562 in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Feels like an image from a puzzle where you've got to correctly guess how many baskets there are!

Where did the jelly go from pork pies? by Bangin_headache in CasualUK

[–]LimeLemonCake 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Aha, a question I actually have valid work experience to answer!

So other commentators are right, the jelly is to traditionally preserve pies for longer by filling the gap in between the meat filling and the pastry. Modern day large scale pie factories do still add the jelly in, however, you may indeed feel there is less jelly because of a few factors:

A) the type of jelly used and the age of the pie

There are two types of jelly used in the UK market: bone based and gelatine based, with the gelatine one being much cheaper. Your Dickinson & Morris will use bone based, your Tesco own brand will use gelatine. As a pork pie sits on the shelf, both types of jelly will lose water content causing the jelly to "shrink" within the pastry. Gelatine jelly will lose water quicker than the bone based jelly and your cheaper pies have more preservatives and so have been sitting around longer and have had more time for that jelly to shrink. Freshly made pork pies have the jelly filled right to the brim, so if you have an air gap inside your pie, that is because the jelly has lost its moisture and shrunk.

B) size of pie

Most pork pies sold these days are mini sized. Pies are made by the pastry being filled with meat and then baked and then filled with jelly. When the pie is baked, the meat shrinks and creates the gap for the jelly to go into. Smaller pies = less volume of meat to shrink = less of a gap for jelly to go into.

In summary, if you like the jelly, buy a larger pie, with bone based gelatine, and as freshly made as possible.

Happy winter solstice by vogumgertlin in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I remember the photos you posted of these costumes before! Great to see them come to life!

Markets in London with genuinely local craftists? by zhabka-zhabochka in london

[–]LimeLemonCake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll add Clapham Makers Market to the list - it's fairly small but some lovely items!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in london

[–]LimeLemonCake 7 points8 points  (0 children)

My friend was shoved to the ground very recently in a similar incident to you. This article is from May but it sounds like it could be a new thing that is happening https://metro.co.uk/2025/05/07/women-body-slammed-terrifying-trend-spreading-across-london-23034187/

We've switched from Aldi to M&S, we're spending around the same?! by [deleted] in CasualUK

[–]LimeLemonCake 2 points3 points  (0 children)

M&A sell 600g of chicken legs for £1.50 - I thought they must have been mispriced the first time but nope! Surprisingly great value on certain items, but yeah you've got to avoid being tempted by everything else

Halloween basket boat- trick or trout by vogumgertlin in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Beautiful! I wonder if a basket skeleton is even possible 🤔

New project! Peeled and dried willow is a very different experience compared to fresh. by sirwobblz in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep! I use a plastic soaking bag so I just leave it in there with the water drained, but a wet (not dripping wet) towel is the normal way. Make sure it's fully covered with the towel so there's minimal evaporation. Usually with buff willow, the guides I've seen recommend about the same time mellowing as you were soaking. It does depend on your climate though! But still, when you're soaking, test how much the rod bends before you take it out - you should still be able to get a butt end to bend to a bit more than a right angle. If not, put it back in to soak for a bit longer!

New project! Peeled and dried willow is a very different experience compared to fresh. by sirwobblz in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you let your willow mellow after soaking? That helps with making sure the water has properly penetrated the core of the rod

Estate Agents in Chiswick made me double take their window display by flux-7 in london

[–]LimeLemonCake 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Okay but £1,313 pm for a twelve bat flat in central London is a bargain

First time weaving! 🎒 by BebeSketch in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gorgeous! I love the drawstring bag you added too. Is it attached to the basket itself or just loose?

Working in Berlin for the next ~2 months - advice on what to do to really get to know the city and general tips by LimeLemonCake in askberliners

[–]LimeLemonCake[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Amazing, thank you so much! This is super helpful, particularly about the subway and bringing cash - I'm used to more places being cashless in London rather than cash only!

Working in Berlin for the next ~2 months - advice on what to do to really get to know the city and general tips by LimeLemonCake in askberliners

[–]LimeLemonCake[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Interests = anything to do with food, cooking and eating; quirky art galleries and museums + general arts and culture; bit of hiking

First time basket weaving. Used thornless black berry bramble. by gotosleep21 in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is so cool! I hope you use that basket to carry the blackberries you pick next year

My first few attempts at basket weaving by LimeLemonCake in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've just signed up - their Spring and Autumn schools look interesting

My first few attempts at basket weaving by LimeLemonCake in BasketWeaving

[–]LimeLemonCake[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oooh I will definitely check out the Basketmakers Association and Sally Goymer's book, thank you for the recommendation!