The Potting Shed

Guides, gift ideas and honest answers from the people who hand-pack every kit.

All articles Kintsugi Cheese making Gin making Meat Chilli sauce Wine making Kimchi Gift guides

A small wooden bowl of white salt flakes beside a block of pressed white cheese draining in muslin on a kitchen worktop.

What is cheese salt? Why it is not table salt and what to use instead

Cheese salt is plain non-iodised salt with no anti-caking agents, because iodine and additives interfere with cultures, flavour and a clear brine.

A spoonful of white citric acid powder beside a pan of warm milk breaking into soft ricotta curds, with a cloth-lined sieve waiting alongside.

Citric acid in cheese making: what it does and which cheeses use it

Citric acid lowers the pH of warm milk until it curdles, which is how ricotta, paneer and quick mozzarella are made. What it does and how much to use.

Small sachets of freeze-dried cheese culture beside a thermometer, a pan of warm milk and a bowl of drained fresh curds on a worktop.

What is mesophilic culture, and do you need it to make cheese at home?

Mesophilic cultures are bacteria for ripened and aged cheese. Fresh acid-set and rennet-set cheeses do not need them, which is why kit recipes leave them out.

A rennet tablet on a saucer next to a small dropper bottle and a glass of cool water on a kitchen worktop beside a pan of milk.

Liquid rennet vs rennet tablets: which is easier for home cheese making?

Tablets keep longer and need dissolving, liquid is measured in drops and wants the fridge. How the two forms compare and how to prepare either one properly.

A small glass of dissolved rennet beside a stainless pan of warm milk, with a knife lifting a clean break in the set curd.

Vegetarian rennet explained: what it is made from and whether it works as well as animal rennet

Vegetarian rennet is a microbial coagulant rather than an animal one, and for fresh cheeses made at home the result is the same. What it is and how to use it.

A stainless steel pan of warm milk splitting into white curds and pale whey, with a knife resting on the rim beside a colander lined with cheesecloth.

Rennet, cultures, acid and salt: the four ingredients that turn milk into cheese

What rennet, cultures, acid and salt each do to a pan of milk, which of them a fresh cheese actually needs, and why the milk itself matters most.

Strips of spiced beef hanging from skewers to dry, with a wooden board of coriander seed and black pepper below.

Biltong box vs dehydrator vs oven: three ways to dry biltong at home compared

The oven gets you biltong in a couple of hours, a dehydrator runs low and steady for ten to twelve, and a box is the traditional slow air-dry over days.

Rashers of dry cured streaky bacon on a wooden board beside a small dish of curing salt.

Can you cure bacon without nitrites? Why our kit uses them and what the alternatives really are

Salt-only cures exist but give a different product, and most shop uncured bacon uses celery nitrate. What our cure contains and why we chose it.

A piece of pork belly coated in dry curing salt resting in a dish on a marble worktop.

Is it safe to cure bacon at home? What the cure does and the rules that keep it safe

Home curing is safe with fresh pork, the full cure, the fridge throughout and proper cooking. What the salt and nitrite do, and how to tell it has worked.

A pan of fresh curds and whey beside a colander lined with cheesecloth and a bowl of ricotta on a farmhouse kitchen table.

Cheese making with kids: the kitchen science project that ends in lunch

Curds, whey and the clean break explained for a rainy Saturday, which cheese to make first with children, and how to split the jobs safely.

A gold-repaired bowl, a ball of fresh mozzarella and a jar of infusing gin on a rustic wooden table in January light.

New year, new hobby: makes that actually stick past January

Why most new hobbies die in February, what to look for in a January project, and three makes that hand you a finished result on the very first attempt.

Bottles of homemade chilli sauce beside a plate of cold turkey and roast potatoes on a rustic wooden table.

Boxing Day leftovers, rescued with hot sauce

Why acid, salt and chilli do more for cold turkey than reheating ever will, which homemade sauce suits which leftover, and how to have a batch ready in time.

A jar of homemade kimchi and small bowls of pickled red onion and cucumber on a rustic wooden table set for Christmas.

Kimchi and quick pickles for the Christmas table

Why sharp fermented cabbage belongs next to rich Christmas food, when to start a batch so it peaks on the day, and four quick pickles to serve alongside it.

A small brown paper parcel tied with string beside a lemon, a bottle of tonic and a handwritten kraft gift tag on a wooden table.

Gifts under 15 pounds that do not look it

Small-budget presents that read as generous: three kits within budget, other modest ideas worth giving, and how to wrap so the price goes unnoticed.

Rashers of home dry-cured streaky bacon on a wooden board beside a sharp knife in a farmhouse kitchen.

Christmas morning bacon: cure it in time for the big breakfast

Start about a week ahead and you can serve home dry-cured bacon on Christmas morning. The timeline, the pork to buy, air drying and how to slice it.

Brown paper wrapped presents with string and a gift tag on a rustic wooden table beside pine sprigs and a glass of gin.

Last-minute Christmas gifts in the UK that still feel thoughtful

How to buy a late Christmas present that reads as chosen rather than panicked, three kits that work in a hurry, and when it is too late to order.

Jars of bright red kimchi and bottles of chilli sauce on a wooden table with cabbage, garlic and dried chillies alongside.

Gifts for fermenting fans: kimchi, hot sauce and the live-culture crowd

Jars, weights and scales are the gear that gets used; a kimchi or chilli sauce kit is the project. Plus how to give a live ferment properly.

A ball of fresh homemade mozzarella on a wooden board in a bright new kitchen, beside a stack of tea towels and a jug of milk.

Housewarming gifts that actually get used

The practical things nobody buys during a move, plus one gift that gives the new kitchen its first proper job.

Jars of chilli sauce, a jar of kimchi and a slab of home-cured bacon arranged with kraft labels and string on a rustic table.

Homemade food gifts for Christmas: bacon, hot sauce, kimchi and cheese

What to make, when to start it and how to label and transport it, plus the case for giving the kit instead of the jar.

A kitchen worktop with fresh mozzarella being stretched, small bottles of homemade chilli sauce and a ceramic bowl mended with gold seams.

Gifts for teenagers who like making things (adult supervision included)

Making kits that treat teenagers as capable: which suit which age, where an adult is needed, five non-kit ideas and how to avoid it feeling like homework.

A jar of freshly made kimchi beside a bowl of bright red Korean chilli flakes and a halved Chinese leaf cabbage.

How long does a kimchi kit keep? Gochugaru, seaweed and the finished kimchi

The kit keeps 18 months from packing and holds no live culture that can expire. How gochugaru ages, how to store it between batches and how long your kimchi lasts.