Thursday, 26 October 2017

Super Suet Stodge Leaves Me Half-Crazed

Sometimes, when it is cold and wet and autumnal, I find myself wanting a warming, stodgy pud. Last week I found a rather nice Mason Cash pudding basin in a local CS shop for just £2. It was unused- but I knew it must be eight years old. It was one of the M&S 125 years celebration pieces [I bought some of their stuff in the Penny Bazaar]
I knew I had some cubed beef in the freezer, so I thawed that, and picked up a pack of suet in the supermarket. I had onions, mushrooms and flour already.I checked out lots of recipe books
I decided that Jane Grigson's method of cooking the meat filling first, before putting it in the basin was best. It halved the steaming time. Other than that, all the recipes were about the same. I was extremely pleased with the finished result. The steak and mushroom pudding was delicious. served with parsley sprinkled boiled carrots. Good old fashioned comfort food!
There was only one disappointment in the whole process.
When I turned out the pudding, I discovered that the glaze had crazed badly.
I have a number of Mason Cash bowls, and this has never happened to me before.
Look at this!
These grey lines are under the glaze, and there are no actual cracks [the bowl 'rings true'  when you tap it]
What should I do?
Can I still use the bowl - in a steamer, in the oven, in a microwave?
Can I wash it in the dishwasher?
Has anybody got any advice on this one, please? The outside of the bowl is fine. If the damage is simply cosmetic, I can live with that, because I like the size and shape of the bowl.
But I do not want to risk it cracking whilst it is in use.
Idea?
at

8 comments:

  1. Elizabethd26 October 2017 at 09:19

    What a shame. Would M/S have any helpful advice, I wonder?

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  2. KirstenM26 October 2017 at 10:14

    Could you try emailing mason cash for advice?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Angela26 October 2017 at 11:36

    I have emailed Mason Cash and am awaiting their reply! I will let you know...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sue in Suffolk26 October 2017 at 14:11

    Thank you for this post reminded me I need suet for the mincemeat!
    As for the bowl -not sure, I had one go like this looking as if there is moisture under the glaze but carried on using it. Don't know if I still have it as I kept giving puddings away. I have about 8 different sized bowls all from charity shops, most are MC some are ancient

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  5. Lynn P26 October 2017 at 17:04

    I'll be interested to see what MC say - I'm sure most of my Granny's bowls were crazed but she used them every year!

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  6. Fishcake_random26 October 2017 at 19:33

    That looks like a cracking pudding, Angela. Just the sort of thing this season's weather calls for.
    Look forward to seeing what the answer is about the bowl. How curious
    X

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  7. Pattypan26 October 2017 at 20:13

    Hi Angela,

    I use Mason Cash bowls for my Christmas pudding and every so often the bowls go like your one above, with use and that is when I end up replacing them. It usually takes at least a couple of years to get them like that. I have used them crazed but if they go a dark brown that is when I out them. My grandmother's bowls used to go like this eventually as did my mum's they were always Mason Cash Bowls and yet again they were outed if discoloured and the glaze gone. Pattypan xx

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  8. Nearly Martha26 October 2017 at 20:53

    Well I think Mason Cash should give you a nice new one for your trouble. No?

    ReplyDelete

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