Showing posts with label preserves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preserves. Show all posts

Saturday 4 July 2020

Gooseberry curd.

Mid-season gooseberries are fat, flavourful and juicy: combine ripe with slightly under-ripe berries for the best jams.
I also love gooseberries in a smooth but tart curd.
This is a little more subtle and complex than a pure lemon curd, with the floral flavour of the gooseberries dancing on the tastebuds.
There's nothing better on a scone or hot breakfast pancakes.
Makes about five small (250-300ml) jars.



500g gooseberries
100ml lemon juice (around 3-4)
125g unsalted butter
450g granulated sugar
200ml strained beaten egg (around 4-5 large eggs)

Sterilise some jars - Place your jars in the oven and heat to 140°C.
Leave them there until needed.
Put the gooseberries in a pan with the lemon juice.
Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring often, until the fruit starts to release its juice, then simmer gently for five to 10 minutes until the fruit has collapsed.
Rub this mixture through a fine sieve to get a thin, smooth gooseberry puree.

Put the puree, butter and sugar into a large basin over a pan of simmering water.
Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Take off the heat and let it cool for a minute – you don't want it to be too hot when you pour in the eggs, or they will scramble.
It should be cool enough that you can comfortably put your finger into it.

Pour in the strained beaten egg, whisking all the while.
Return the pan to the heat and stir the mixture over the simmering water until thick and creamy and registering at least 82C on a sugar thermometer.
This requires patience – it will take a good 10 minutes, probably more – but the curd is much less likely to get too hot and scramble than if you cooked it directly in a pan.
If the curd does start to scramble, take it off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth.

As soon as it has thickened, pour the curd into the hot jars and seal.
Leave to cool before labelling.
Use the curd within four weeks; once opened, keep in the fridge and use within a week.

Thursday 20 June 2019

Jam Blackcurrant with oranges.

About the amount of sugar. 
- If you are going to eat jam quickly - you can add just one kilogram of sugar on 1 kg of berries. 
So the jam will be more useful. 
- But if you are going to keep it for a long time - add one and a half kilograms. 
- If you decide to put it in the cellar, it is better to add sugar to two kilograms.

Ingredients:
1 kg of black currant
1 medium orange
1 lemon (optional)
sugar

Method:
Wash currants.
I wash it in the kitchen sink where all the twigs and debris float to the surface.
Or I use a salad spinner.

Oranges:
If necessary, I will remove the white layer and the pulp.

So…
Put the fruit in a saucepan - not because it’s going over any heat, but for the flat bottom surface that makes for easy crushing
I like using a potato masher
You can also pulse the fruit with an immersion blender or in a food processor, but take care not to over-process it.

Add sugar, mix well with spoon - I prefer a silicone spoon.
Leave the mixture at room temperature for a day.
During this time, you need to mix/stirring the ingredients several times so that the sugar is well dissolved.
Then pour all over the jars.
I sterilize jars in the microwave or jars and lids in the oven to heat it up to 100 celsius and turn it off.
Put the jam in the fridge for a day.
During this time, the jam will thicken.
Then sprinkle the jam in each jar with sugar or use a waxed disc wet in vodka - waxed side down!.
If the jam will be liquid not thicken all the sugar will drown.
I make a uniform layer in half a centimeter of sugar.
So it will be stored longer and will not form mold.
Cover with lids and store in the refrigerator or cold cellar.

The nice thing about these jams is their fresh taste.
Such raw black currant jam with orange is tasty and healthy.

Note:
If you’re going to experiment, start out with a small amount, about 2 cups of crushed fruit. 
If you want to make a larger batch, double this. 
When trying to figure out how much fruit you’ll need, use this rule of thumb: 
400-500 gr of fruit without pits or 600-700 of fruit with pits will give you about 2 cups crushed fruit.

For 2 cups of crushed fruit, use 1/2 to 1 cup of granulated sugar.
You can also use brown sugar and honey, but take into account their stronger and sweeter flavors.

Additional flavorings:
This is where herbs like chopped basil or mint come in.
You can also add a pinch of grated fresh ginger or a dash of cinnamon.
You can also increase the number of oranges as I do - 4 medium orange for 1 kg of berries

Jam can also be put on plastic containers and frozen.

And some of my favorite posts on fruit preserved in sugar, such as jam or marmalade:

- Времена года / Four seasons: Strawberry jam with blackcurrant.

- Времена года / Four seasons: Pam’s delicious autumn preserve recipes.

- Времена года / Four seasons: Carrot Jam.

- Времена года / Four seasons: Ten steps to jam-making.

- Времена года / Four seasons: How to make perfect strawberry jam.

- Времена года / Four seasons: How to Make No-Cook Freezer Jam.

- Времена года / Four seasons: Plum Strawberry Jam. By David Lebovitz.

Sunday 19 August 2018

Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Veggies).

- Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Veggies) Recipe | Cookooree
1 small head cauliflower
1 carrot
1 celery rib
12 pearl onions
12 olives
2 red bell pepper
2 yellow bell pepper
1 small head serrano or jalapena chile
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup EVOO
water to cover the vegetables
1/4 cup sea salt to stir into the water for the brine

Remove the seeds and ribs from the red, yellow and serrano peppers. Cut into 2 inch strips and then 1/2 inch slices.
Cut the celery and carrot in quarters and cut in 1/2 inch slices.
Cut the pearl onion in half.
Cut the cauliflower in quarters and cut out the core and large stem. Break the florets into pieces about the same size of the other vegetables.
Place the green, red and serrano peppers, celery, carrots, onion, and cauliflower in a bowl. Stir the salt into the water and pour into the bowl to cover the vegetables completely.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day drain salty water and rinse vegetables well.
Cut the olives in half.
Mix the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper and olives in a bowl. Pour in vinegar and EVOO and mix well. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and mix well.
Spoon the giardiniera into a liter or quart jar and seal tightly.
Refrigerate for 2 days before eating.
Gardiniera will keep in the refrigerator of at least 2 weeks.

- Giardiniera – the Chicago Way | from the Bartolini kitchens
Chicago Giardiniera Recipe
Ingredients

8 jalapeños, chopped (for more heat, serranos may be substituted)
1/2 large cauliflower, cut into florets
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 sweet banana peppers, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp celery seeds
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil

Directions
Combine vegetables and salt.
Add enough water to cover, stir, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Strain vegetables from brine, rinse well, and set aside.
In a large glass bowl, add garlic and remaining seasonings.
To that bowl, add the vinegars and stir until well-mixed.
Whisk the solution while adding the oils.
Add the reserved, brined vegetables into the bowl and gently mix until well-coated.
At this point, the giardiniera may be left, covered, in the bowl or transferred to clean jars.
Either way, it must be refrigerated for 48 hours before serving.
Because this giardiniera isn’t canned, it must be stored in the refrigerator, where it will keep for a few weeks.

Fermented! Italian la giardiniera.

- The Probiotic Jar - The Probiotic Jar

- Melanzane a scapece (Marinated Eggplant) | Memorie di Angelina

- Homemade Giardiniera | Memorie di Angelina
Giardiniera is an Italian relish of pickled vegetables in vinegar or oil.
The Italian version includes bell peppers, celery, carrots, cauliflower and gherkins.


- Rachel Roddy’s recipe for pickled garden vegetables | Food | The Guardian
Italian la giardiniera, which simply means a preserved mix of seasonal garden vegetables.
This March batch included carrot, turnip, red cabbage, beetroot (leaving no doubt about colour – soft pink or absolute purple depending on proportions) fennel and red onion.
This method makes a pleasing, entry-level pickle, with both crunch and jolt, its flavour sour and assertive enough to fill your mouth in a single bite but just sweet enough not to be abrasive.
The pickle equivalent of easy-listening maybe (serious fermenters and pickle aficionados may like to stop reading now).

As a guide, 1kg of vegetables, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces, needs 750ml pickling liquid made by mixing 550ml white wine vinegar with 200ml water in a pan, then adding a heaped tablespoon each of fine salt and sugar, and whatever you fancy of the following: a crushed red chilli, peeled or crushed garlic, bay, dill, peppercorns, juniper berries or coriander seeds.
Then heat it slowly.
Once at boiling point, add all the vegetables, stir, cover the pan and leave on the heat for one minute.

And that is pretty much it.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of each of two large, sterilised jars (wash them in boiling water and dry in a low oven).
Now use a slotted spoon to lift the vegetables into the jars, cover with pickling liquid, share out the spices and screw on the lids.
If you can, wait a week, although they’re good to eat the next day.
I keep my pickles in the fridge for up to two months.
They taste better when cold anyway: brighter somehow, the sweet and sour and taste even more pronounced – especially next to a cheese sandwich, a slice of savoury pie or boiled meat, or simply savoured straight from the jar against a kitchen counter.

- Melanzane a scapece (Marinated Eggplant) | Memorie di Angelina

Thursday 25 January 2018

Blood Orange Marmalade Small Batch - 500g of blood oranges.


Citrus needed a more specialized treatment.
You either need to cut away the tough, white pith or treat it in some way so that it tenderizes and loses its chewy bitterness.
This recipe uses an overnight soak to help break down the pith, providing a far superior product to the old blood orange marmalade recipe you’ll find on this site.
The fruit becomes tender and it fully suspended in a ruby-hued jelly.
Here’s how you do it:
- Take 500g of blood oranges (approximately 4-5 tennis ball-sized oranges) and wash them well.
Trim away both ends and slice the oranges in half.
Using a very sharp knife, trim away the core of the oranges and pluck out any seeds that you find.
Set the cores and the seeds aside.
Not all blood oranges have seeds, so don’t stress if you don’t find any.
Cut the orange halves into thin slices.
Go as thin as you can manage (I recommend sharping your knife before starting this project).
Finally, cut each sliced half in half again, so that you have a number of thin blood orange quarters.
Bundle up all those seeds and pithy cores in a length of cheesecloth and tie it tightly so that nothing can escape.
Put chopped oranges in a medium bowl and cover with 3 cups water.
Tuck the cheesecloth bundle into the bowl and cover the whole thing with a length of plastic wrap or a plate.
Refrigerate it overnight.

When you’re ready to cook your marmalade, remove the cheesecloth bundle.
Combine the soaked fruit and water with 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar.
If you happen to have a copper preserving pan, make sure to fully dissolve the sugar into the fruit before pouring it into the pan.

Bring the marmalade to a simmer and cook until it is reduced by more than half, reads 104C/220F on a thermometer and passes the plate/sauce/wrinkle test.
When it is finished cooking, pour marmalade into prepared jars.
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.

When all is done, you should have about 900ml (2x370g + 1x200) of the most vivid red blood orange marmalade.
I’m extraordinarily fond of this particular preserve on scones, stirred into yogurt or with crumbly homemade shortbread.

Tuesday 16 January 2018

Seville orange marmalade.

Seville orange marmalade | BBC Good Food:
Seville oranges only have a very short season, make the most delicious homemade marmalade and don't let them go to waste. Their sharp tangy flavour makes the perfect marmalade for spreading on toast or for use in your baking.
Ingredients
4 Seville orange (about 500g/1lb 2oz in total), scrubbed
1.7l water
1kg granulated sugar
Method:
Halve the oranges and squeeze the juice into a large stainless-steel pan.
Scoop the pips and pulp into a sieve over the pan and squeeze out as much juice as possible, then tie the pulp and pips in the muslin.
Shred the remaining peel and pith, either by hand with a sharp knife or in a food processor (a food processor will give very fine flecks rather than strips of peel).
Add the shredded peel and muslin bag to the pan along with the water.
Leave to soak overnight.
This helps to extract the maximum amount of pectin from the fruit pulp, which will give a better set.
It also helps to soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking needed.

Put the pan over a medium heat, then bring up to a simmer.
Cook, uncovered, for 1½-2 hrs, until the peel has become very soft. (The cooking time will be affected by how thickly you have cut the peel.)
To see if the peel is ready, pick out a thicker piece and press it between your thumb and finger.
It should look slightly see-through and feel soft when you rub it.
Carefully remove the muslin bag, allow to cool slightly, then, wearing the rubber gloves, squeeze out as much liquid as possible to extract the pectin from the fruit pulp.
Discard the bag and weigh the simmered peel mixture.
There should be between 775-800g; if less, then top up with water to 775g.
Put 4 small plates in the freezer, ready to use when testing for setting point.
Add the sugar to the pan, then put over a low heat.
Warm gently so that the sugar dissolves completely, stirring occasionally.
Do not boil, before the sugar is dissolved.
Increase the heat and bring up to the boil but do not stir while the marmalade is boiling.
After about 5 mins the marmalade will start to rise up the pan (it may drop back and then rise again) and larger bubbles will cover the surface.
After 8-10 mins boiling, test for setting point.
Times will vary according to the size of the pan – in a large pan this takes 7-8 mins, in other pans it may take 12-15 mins.
As setting point can be easily missed it’s better to test too early than too late.
To test the setting point: take the pan off the heat and allow the bubbles to subside.
Take a plate from the freezer and spoon a little liquid onto the plate, then return to the freezer for 1 min.
Push the marmalade along the plate with your finger.
If setting point has been reached then the marmalade surface will wrinkle slightly and the marmalade won’t run back straight away.
If it’s not at setting point, return to the heat and boil again for 2 mins before re-testing.
Repeat until setting point is reached.
If you have a sugar thermometer, setting point is reached at 105C, but it’s good to do the plate test as well.
Leave the marmalade to stand for 10 mins or until starting to thicken.
If there’s any scum on the surface, spoon it off.
Transfer the marmalade to sterilised jars.
Cover with a wax disc (wax side down) and seal.
When cold, label the jars and store in a cool, dark cupboard.
The marmalade should keep for up to a year.

More:
Seville Orange Marmalade Recipe | Simply Recipes:
Seville Orange Marmalade | David Lebovitz:
Mandarin jam recipe | Souvlaki For The Soul:
Ardor, Zest.: January canning: Chile Mandarin Marmalade, with a spritz of Ginger {Giveaway}:
Nigel Slater finally shares his marmalade recipe | Life and style | The Observer:
Mandarin marmalade recipe - Telegraph: "...classic! "
- Classic Seville Orange Marmalade | Taste & Smile:
Ingredients
650 g oranges (Seville, preferably)
1.5 l water
1 kg Tate & Lyle Preserving Sugar

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Wednesday 26 July 2017

Persillade from your parsley.

By Carl Legge.
- How to make persillade from your parsley | Permaculture magazine:
Ingredients
100g leafy parsley, washed if necessary and leaves roughly picked off stalks. Don't worry too much about stalks, they will process very well.
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
About 100-200ml olive oil (or vegetable, rape seed, groundnut)
45ml lemon juice (about ½ lemon) or white wine vinegar
1-2g sea salt, finely ground, or to taste
Method
Finely chop the parsley leaves in a food processor until they reduce in bulk a little.
Add the garlic chunks and process until the herbs and garlic are fine without being liquidised.
Gradually add olive oil while the processor runs until you have a just loose texture to the mixture.
You may have to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl periodically so that it gets mixed evenly.
Once you are happy with the consistency, add the lemon juice or vinegar and salt to taste.
If you are storing the preserve in a jar, top off with oil and pop in the fridge.
Otherwise, pack and freeze straight away.
Use and variations
You can add one or more other ingredients to make different dishes and styles of cooking with very little effort.
If you leave this ‘plain’
* Stir 2 or 3 dessert spoons through cooked pasta. When you drain the pasta leave some cooking water in the pan to help distribute the sauce.
* Mix with flash fried squid, grilled seafood and/or new potatoes.
* Spread on top of grilled or baked fish or potatoes before you roast them
* Use as a base on toasted sourdough, ciabatta or baguettes topped with cheese, olives or other nibbles.
Add lemon zest to make a paste similar to gremolata which is a traditional partner for osso bucco.
Add parmesan and you have a parsley pistou used in minestrone or other soups.
Add nuts for a parsley pesto. Add anchovies for a provençal effect.
Add breadcrumbs for a more-ish delight.
Crunchy coating: Mix with lemon zest, chopped anchovies, a hint of ground cumin and/or paprika and a handful of breadcrumbs.
Use to coat a rack or shoulder of lamb when roasting.
The crunch & punch of the persillade crumbs is a great counterpoint to the soft & sweet lamb.
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Saturday 22 July 2017

Rhubarb, Blackcurrant and Orange Jam.


Ingredients
900g Blackcurrants, washed and stalks removed
675g Rhubarb, washed and sliced
Juice of 6 oranges, plus zest of 3
1.5kg Sugar
Method
Place the fruit and orange zest in a large preserving pan.
Add the orange juice, making up quantity with water to make 425ml.
Bring to the boil and gently simmer until fruit is quite soft – about 20min.
Remove from heat.
Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
Return to the heat and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly until setting point is reached.
Remove any scum.
Poor into cooled, sterilised jars, seal and label.
Rhubarb, Blackcurrant and Orange Jam - Bay Tree Cottage Workshops:

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Monday 19 June 2017

Gooseberry and Elderflower Preserve.

900 g gooseberries
4 tablespoons elderflower cordial
a trace of butter
900 g granulated sugar

First of all take the large, heavy saucepan and smear the base with a butter paper as this will help prevent the preserve sticking at a high temperature.

Then top and tail the gooseberries into the pan and add 5fl oz (150 ml) water.
Next bring up to simmering point and simmer very gently until the fruit is tender – this will take about 15 minutes.

After that add the sugar and stir well, then, keeping the heat low, wait for the sugar to dissolve completely (about 15 minutes), testing the liquid with a wooden spoon to make sure that there are no little granules of sugar left.
Now turn the heat up to its very highest setting and let the preserve boil rapidly for 8 minutes, then take it off the heat to test for a set.

Spoon a little of the preserve on to one of the cold saucers from the fridge, and let it cool back in the fridge.
You can tell – when it has cooled – if you have a 'set' by pushing the mixture with your little finger: if it has a really crinkly skin, it is set.
If it is not set, boil for 5 more minutes and repeat until the preserve is set.

When set, stir in the elderflower cordial and allow it to settle for 15 minutes before pouring it into warmed sterilised jars.
Seal with waxed discs, put the lids on and label when cold.
- Gooseberry and Elderflower Preserve | Recipes | Delia Online:

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Monday 1 May 2017

Rhubarb pickle.

- Life Love Food – A Recipe Journal by Venetian Food Writer Valeria Necchio:
- Rhubarb pickle recipe - Telegraph:
This pickle works wonders with oily fish like mackerel or sardines, either smoked or grilled, as its acidity will cut through the fat and create a nice contrast of textures.
INGREDIENTS
500g rhubarb stalks (4 large stalks)
2 tsp peppercorns
½ tsp cloves
1 tbsp sliced fresh ginger
3 bay leaves
2 dry red chillies
250ml (1 cup) apple cider vinegar
250ml (1 cup) water
200g (1 cup) caster sugar
½ tsp fine grain salt
METHOD
Line two sterilised pint jars with lids.
Rinse the rhubarb stalks, scrubbing any residual soil, and trim the leaves and brown ends.
Cut into 2-cm long pieces and pack them into the two jars. Divide the rest of the spices between the two jars, then set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt and bring to a boil.
Whisk often to help dissolving the sugar and salt.
As soon as the pickling liquid is boiling and the sugar and salt are dissolved, pour it into the jars until the liquid covers the rhubarb pieces.
Close immediately with the sterilised lids.
Allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator.
Let the rhubarb pickles cure for at least 48 hours before eating, then enjoy within two weeks from opening.

- In a Pickle: Pickled Rhubarb Stalks | Serious Eats:
Any variety of rhubarb works for this recipe.
Don't avoid the pale green stalks, they may not look as pretty in the jar, but they make up for it in good texture and flavor.
If you like a less sweet pickle, feel free to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe by up to half.
I like the balance that it achieves as written, but the beauty of making your own pickles is that you can adjust the flavors to suit.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound rhubarb stalks (4 to 6 large stalks)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
2 star anise
DIRECTIONS
1.Prepare two wide mouth pint jars and lids.
2.Wash rhubarb stalks well and trim to fit into the jars.
If the stalks are broad, slice them into lengthwise sections.
In a small saucepan, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt and bring to a boil.
3.Divide the mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves and star anise between the two prepared jars.
Pack the rhubarb pieces into the jars above the spices.
4.Once the pickling liquid has boiled and the sugar and salt are dissolved, pour it into the jars over the rhubarb, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Tap the jars gently to dislodge any air bubbles.
If the headspace level has dropped significantly, add more pickling liquid.
5.Wipe jar rims, apply lids and rings and process jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from canner and set them to cool on a folded kitchen towel.
When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and test seals.
If jars are at all sticky, wash them to remove that residue.
Sealed jars can be stored in the pantry for up to 1 year.
Unsealed jars can be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks.
6.Let this pickle cure for at least 48 hours before eating.

- pickled rhubarb | Punk Domestics:
Sweet Rhubarb Pickles
I used four large stalks of rhubarb
Start by peeling the rhubarb
then cut each stalk into thirds.
Combine
1/4 tsp of vanilla,
3/4 c brown sugar,
1/2 c white sugar,
1 tsp salt, and
2 c vinegar in a small saucepan.
I used equal parts balsamic and raspberry red wine vinegar, and tossed in a handful of frozen raspberries to amp up the berry flavor.

Heat on medium–high, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, then boil for about a minute.
Scoop out the raspberries (don’t toss them, they’re amazing over vanilla ice cream), then pour the hot vinegar mixture over your rhubarb and screw the lid on the jar.
Refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to one week, and enjoy!

- Pickled Rhubarb and a Couscous Salad:
Couscous Salad with Grapes, Feta, and Pickled Rhubarb
2 cups dried couscous (I used Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat couscous)
3 tablespoons good, fruity olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 cup diced pickled rhubarb*
2 cups halved red grapes
1/3 cup chopped parsley
6 ounces brined feta, crumbled
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Prepare couscous according to the instructions on the package.
Pour the cooked couscous into a large bowl.
Dribble with olive oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Toss lightly with a fork, making sure to not mash the couscous.
Add pickled rhubarb, grapes, parsley, feta, and red pepper flakes (if using).
Toss lightly again, and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately.
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Thursday 23 March 2017

Rhubarb.

Rhubarb Jam.
9 cups rhubarb, cut up
9 cups sugar
3 oranges

Mix cut up rhubarb and 6 cups of sugar, let stand overnight.
Grind orange pulp, reserving juice, add remaining sugar.
Let stand 30 minutes.
Grind orange peel and boil in water for 10 minutes, drain.
Combine all ingredients and boil for only 30 minutes.
Process as usual.

Confiture of Rhubarb, Orange and Apple.
1/2 pound (200g) oranges
1 pound 9 ounces (700g) rhubarb, 1 pound 2ounces (500g) net after being cleaned
1 3/4 pounds Ida Red apples, 1 pound 2 ounces (500g) net
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar plus 3 3/4 cups (880g)
100ml water
Juice of one small lemon

Wash the oranges in cold water and slice them into very thin rounds.
In a preserving pan, poach the slices with 1 cup sugar and the water.
Continue cooking until the slices are translucent.
Add the washed unpeeled rhubarb, which has been but into dice, and the apples, which have been peeled cored, and cut into thin slices, the lemon juice, and sugar.
Bring everything to a boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring gently.
Skim carefully and return to a boil.
Skim again if needed.
Check the set.
Put the jam into jars immediately and seal.

Rhubarb-ginger Jam.
Makes 1 1/2 Cups.
1 1-pound package frozen sliced rhubarb (unthawed)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger (about 1 ounce)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.
Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer until jam thickens and mounds on spoon, stirring often to prevent scorching, about 20 minutes.
Transfer to bowl.
Cover; chill. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.
Keep chilled.

Wednesday 22 March 2017

Early rhubarb jam.

Early rhubarb jam | River Cottage:
This is one of Pam's favourite ways to capture the earthy flavour of rhubarb.
It's a plant that contains very little pectin so the jam definitely requires an extra dose.
This light, soft jam is good mixed with yoghurt or spooned over ice cream, or you can warm it and use to glaze a bread and butter pudding after baking.

Method
Wipe and trim the rhubarb (1kg) and cut into 2–2.5cm chunks.
Pour a layer of sugar (900g) into the bottom of a preserving pan, then add a layer of rhubarb.
Repeat, continuing until all the sugar and rhubarb are used, finishing with a layer of sugar.
Pour juice of one orange over the top.

Cover and leave for at least an hour or two – preferably overnight.
This draws the juice from the rhubarb and the resulting syrup helps keep the rhubarb chunks whole when boiled.

Gently bring the mixture to the boil, stirring carefully without crushing the rhubarb pieces.
Boil rapidly for 5–6 minutes, then test for setting point.
Remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes before pouring into warm, sterilised jars.

Seal immediately, use within 12 months.

I have about 500g of fresh chopped rhubarb. Recipe makes around 800 ml of jam.
Variations
Add 100g chopped crystallised stem ginger to the fruit, omitting the orange juice.

Sharper-tasting maincrop rhubarb can also be used for this recipe – try adding a few young angelica leaves or a handful of fragrant rose petals.

Fruit, pectin, acid and sugar are the four ingredients required to produce the magic result known as a set' - ie, the right wobbling, spreadable consistency.
In July we have the soft fruit, the strawberries, raspberries and the currants, and then later things put on their thicker coats like apples do, marrows do and onions do.
The hedgerow glut is in September and then there's marmalade oranges from Seville that arrive in early January and rhubarb in January and February.
I always say that it is rhubarb that links the preserving season.
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Tuesday 21 February 2017

My Orange Marmalade.

How to make perfect orange marmalade | Life and style | The Guardian:
Makes: 5 jars (370g each) + 6 jars (200g each) from 1kg Blood Orange Oranges.

1kg Seville oranges
2 lemon
1kg light muscovado sugar
1kg golden granulated sugar
1 piece of muslin

1. Squeeze the juice from the oranges, reserving the pips.
An electric citrus squeezer makes light work of this!
Cut the oranges and lemon in half and squeeze the juice, using an electric citrus squeezer.
Put the juice into a preserving pan or large saucepan.
I have 600ml of juice from 1 kg of Oranges.
It’s a good idea to add the juice of lemon - lemon is naturally very high in pectin - 1 lemon to each 500g/1lb 2oz of fruit if making marmalade.

2. Put your piece of muslin into a bowl and spoon the pips and pith into it (the pith contains a lot of pectin).
Shred the peel of the oranges in a food processor.
Put the shredded peel into the pan.
Pour over 2.0L of water.
Leave to soak overnight.
This helps to extract the maximum amount of pectin from the fruit pulp, which will give a better set.
It also helps to soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking needed.

So, in one large bowl You have:
peel (shreded in a food processor)
juice 600ml - (using an electric citrus squeezer)
pulp
pips
2.0 water
This is a rolling boil, when the timing to a set starts! Anything less is a simmer.
3. The next day:
Bring to the boil over a low heat, before simmering for two hours or until the peel is soft and the mixture has reduced by half.
Remove the muslin bag and allow to cool in a bowl.
It needs to be cold enough to squeeze.

Wash your jars in warm soapy water and allow to dry in a 100C oven.

4. Squeeze the muslin bag hard into it – a good quantity of gloopy juice should come out.
Stir this in and then add the sugars and stir well until dissolved.
Warm gently so that the sugar dissolves completely, stirring occasionally.
Do not boil, before the sugar is dissolved.
Bring the marmalade back to a simmer.
Put a few saucers into the freezer.

5. Turn the heat up and boil rapidly until the marmalade reaches setting point which should take 15 to 20 minutes – a sugar thermometer will be helpful here (start checking when it reaches 104C) but to confirm this, put a teaspoonful of the marmalade on to a cold saucer and put in the fridge for a minute or so.
If it crinkles when you run a finger through it, and your finger leaves a clear line in the preserve, it's ready.
If not, check it every five minutes or so.

6. Allow to sit for 15 minutes then spoon into clean jars and seal immediately.
The marmalade should keep for up to a year.

Related recipe:
There are lots of different schools of thought as to how to do this, Nigel suggests scoring with a small knife into quarters then peeling.
Others halve the oranges, squeeze out the juice and then hollow them out before cutting each half into larger chunks.
Your call.
- Marmalades Archives - Vivien Lloyd:

- How to make perfect orange marmalade | Life and style | The Guardian:

- Easy Seville Orange Marmalade recipe | The Cottage Smallholder:

- A bittersweet blob of Seville | The Independent:

- Seville orange marmalade | BBC Good Food:

Thursday 16 February 2017

Blood Orange Marmalade with Beaujolais - red wine.

- Blood Orange Beaujolais Marmalade | Serious Eats
Blood Orange Beaujolais Marmalade.
As I researched recipes for blood orange marmalade, I came across one in Better Homes & Gardens that incorporated a cup of Beaujolais, a light-bodied, high acid French red wine made from the Gamay grape.
Intrigued by how the wine might enhance the flavor and color of my marmalade, I borrowed the idea.
The flavor is a bit sweeter than traditional marmalade, with notes of raspberry and wine.
It would be absolutely delicious sandwiched between layers of almond or polenta cake, or try it with cornmeal biscuits.

5 cups sugar
6 small to medium blood oranges
1 cup Beaujolais or other light-bodied red wine - Pinot noir.
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons regular powdered fruit pectin
1/4 teaspoon unsalted butter

This recipe makes six half-pint/284 millilitres jars.

1.Measure the sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
2.Wash the blood oranges and remove the rind in quarters.
Thinly slice the rind lengthwise, then roughly chop them crosswise into smaller pieces.
Transfer the rind to a large pot and add the wine, baking soda, and 1 1/4 cups of water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the rinds have softened, 15 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, coarsely chop the oranges and remove any seeds.
Transfer the oranges to a food processor and pulse until the orange pieces are broken up but still chunky, about 8 pulses.
Add the oranges to the pot with the rind and bring to a simmer.
Simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
4.Measure the mixture.
You should have about 5 cups. (If you have less, add a bit more wine. If you have more, discard the extra.)
Stir in the pectin and butter and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add the sugar all at once and return the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
Boil hard for 1 minute.
5.Remove the pot from the heat and skim any foam from the surface of the marmalade with a cold metal spoon.
Ladle the marmalade into hot sterilized jars and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Beaujolais Pronunciation: bow-zhuh-LAY
Notes: This is a region in Eastern France that produces light, fruity, fresh-tasting red wines that are relatively low in alcohol.
Beaujolais wines should be drunk while young.
Substitutes: Gamay OR Pinot Noir OR Burgundy OR Chianti OR Barbera.

Friday 10 February 2017

Seville Orange Marmalade By Nigel Slater,

From the 4th Kitchen Diaries.

So, according to the recipe you need:
Seville Oranges 1.3kg (about 15),
Lemons 2
Golden granulated sugar 2.6kg. (Golden Granulated has a glistening golden colour with a subtle caramel taste. Golden Caster Sugar substitute - Demerara.)

- Remove the peel and pith from the oranges and lemons.
Take a very sharp knife and score four lines down each fruit from top to bottom, as if you were cutting it into quarters.
Let the knife cut through the peel without going into the fruit.
The peel is then easy to remove by hand.
- Cut the peel into fine shreds (or to a size you want them if you like a chunkier texture) and put them into a large bowl.
- Squeeze all the juice from the oranges and lemons into the bowl, but catching the pips and keeping them to one side.
With hand juicer balanced over a sieve, over the bowl, made this fairly fiddly task go by with minimum fuss.
Chop the pulp up and put that in with the juice.
- Add the 2.5 litres of cold water, pouring it into the bowl with the shredded peel.
Tie the reserved orange and lemon pips in a muslin bag and push into the peel and juice.
So, in one large bowl You have:
peel
juice
pulp
pips
2.5 water
Set aside in a cold place and leave overnight.

- The next day, tip the mixture into a large stainless steel or enamelled pan, or a preserving pan and push the muslin bag down under the juice.
Bring to the boil then lower the heat so that the liquid continues to simmer merrily.
It is ready when the peel is totally soft and translucent.
This can take anything from 40 minutes to a good hour-and-a-half, depending purely on how thick you have cut your peel. (I left mine a good hour and a half to be sure, and the peel was then soft and the pith translucent).
- Once the fruit is ready, lift out the muslin bag and leave it in a bowl until it is cool enough to handle.
Start adding the sugar to the peel and juice then turn up the heat, bringing the marmalade to a rolling boil.
- Squeeze every last bit of juice from the reserved muslin bag into the pan.
Skim off any froth that rises to the surface. (If you don’t your preserve will be cloudy.)
Leave at a fast boil for 15 minutes.
Remove a tablespoon of the preserve, put it on a plate, and pop it into the fridge for a few minutes.
If a thick skin forms on the surface of the refrigerated marmalade, then it is ready and you can switch the pan off.
If the tester is still liquid, then let the marmalade boil for longer.
Test every 10 to 15 minutes.
Some mixtures can take up to 50 minutes to reach setting consistency.
- Mine did work after 15 minutes.
After turning the heat off I got my assortment of jars soaking in water with sterilising tablets.
I then ladled the hot, burnt orange juice into the sterilised pots and sealed immediately.

6 jars (370g each) from 1kg Seville Oranges.

Sunday 17 July 2016

Lavender Ginger Pickled Blueberries.

Putting Up with Erin- A canning blog focused on pickling, preserving and "putting up" food in jars.
Ingredients
6 cups fresh blueberries
3-5 Tbsp dried lavender
1 cup honey
3 inches fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thin)
3/4 cup water
1-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Wash the blueberries (removing an stems or bad berries).
Tie loose lavender in a tea bag or ball (multiple bags work fine).
Combine the vinegar, water, and honey in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil.
Add the lavender tea bags and sliced ginger.
Once the brine is boiling vigorously, add the blueberries.
Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the brine has returned to a rolling boil and has started to turn a vivid purple.
Remove tea bags.
Ladle the blueberries into the prepared jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
Cover the berries with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove any trapped air bubbles from the jars.
Wipe the jar rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and place them on a folded towel to cool.
Let sit for at least 24 hours before consumption.