The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Food processing => Topic started by: melodrama on September 05, 2011, 09:20:57 pm
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I am so proud of myself this week, I have made strawberry jam, plum and almond jam(yum), courgette chutney and plum, pear and apple chutney! I also went brambling yesterday and am going to make some apple and bramble jelly tomorrow. We eat so much of that kind of stuff in my house that I can never seem to make enough to keep 4 teenagers and a hubby happy! Only problem is that I now need to buy more jars (AGAIN) and sort out the pantry/larder as it has too much junk in it. How is everyone else getting on with pickling, jamming and jellying out there?
Melanie
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Brambles not ready here, hoping to get some plums on Thursday if Elled has any left. Made a few jars of apple chutney with what the thieves left me. Might fall heir to some grapes later on so more home made wine to do. Got loads of rhubarb in the freezer waiting fro em to have some time to do something with that.
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do you have freecycle / freagle in your area?
theres often offers or requests for jars on my local one...
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I've made a couple of batches of plum jam and the raspberries are in the freezer waiting to go to the great jam maker in the sky. Ditto tomatoes.... they'll be going into Kilner jars as passata.
I'm quite keen to try HFW's green tomato marmalade once the crop stops ripening but I'm still getting loads of big fat red toms every day :D :D :D so much better than last year.....
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try putting an ad on www.ilovefreegle.org (http://www.ilovefreegle.org) or freecycle seen lots of people offering jars wish i had decided to reply or keep some had a look at the recipes on here lots of recipes to try dogandjo there is apple trees at the carpark at blairlogie i'm sure there is a field full of apple trees there too i give mine to ponies and now the p[igs taz my saddleback loves fruit same with my little kune pig
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You could try asking local cafes for jam jars, we get a carrier bag full every week from the one we have our stall outside of.
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Anyone near me - I always have plenty of jam jars and am always happy to swap a load of empties for a full one! :D
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I've been working through piles of pears and damsons this week. So far, I've made some pear conserve - low pectin so a poor set but very tasty). Bottled another batch of pears in cinnamon syrup - lovely with ice cream. A big batch of damson jam worked well, but plums are always easy to get to set. I also tried making some 'damson cheese' which I finally got to set nice and firm. Now just waiting for the pigs to come back from the butcher and I'll have some brawn to eat it with.
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I've made piccalili, rhubarb chutney, bottled plums in syrup and Galliano (I've had the bottle years and years, so I thought, why not? :D) and yesterday made gallons of Thai Pumpkin soup for the freezer (I am sure my freezer is better fed than me!) and also pumpkin and ginger jam. Also got huge quantities of sloe gin, and raspberry vodka and blackberry vodka on the go. i am having to revert to the old ways of bottling to preserve as I have now run out of room in my freezers due to my pigs going a couple of weeks ago, and ou always forget how much room they take up even if I do make my own bacon and hams!
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dogandjo there is apple trees at the carpark at blairlogie i'm sure there is a field full of apple trees there too i give mine to ponies and now the p[igs taz my saddleback loves fruit same with my little kune pig
I know the hillfoots road quite well and where the farm shop/coffee bothy is - where is the car park?
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I've been working through piles of pears and damsons this week. So far, I've made some pear conserve - low pectin so a poor set but very tasty). Bottled another batch of pears in cinnamon syrup - lovely with ice cream. A big batch of damson jam worked well, but plums are always easy to get to set. I also tried making some 'damson cheese' which I finally got to set nice and firm. Now just waiting for the pigs to come back from the butcher and I'll have some brawn to eat it with.
Any chance of your pears in cinnamon syrup recipe, please?
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I've been working through piles of pears and damsons this week. So far, I've made some pear conserve - low pectin so a poor set but very tasty). Bottled another batch of pears in cinnamon syrup - lovely with ice cream. A big batch of damson jam worked well, but plums are always easy to get to set. I also tried making some 'damson cheese' which I finally got to set nice and firm. Now just waiting for the pigs to come back from the butcher and I'll have some brawn to eat it with.
Any chance of your pears in cinnamon syrup recipe, please?
Just what I was thinking Rosemary, they sound great!
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My thoughts exactly Rosemary
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Put a card in the Post Office or ouside your house "Empty jars with lids wanted"
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I keep old jam jars and lids for odd batches of stuff around the house - and me "experiments" ;D , but for nicer things I bit the bullet and purchased 30 x 500ml "Kilner Style" jars from this eBay seller (http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/kilnerclipdirect/&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754), which worked out at about £1.60 each, delivered.
(http://i.ebayimg.com/12/!B8hM2Gg!Wk~$(KGrHqJ,!hoEyrkhJTRNBM3SPv4juw~~_35.JPG)
The quality is very nice and I did 13lb of rhubarb chutney last night, so they came just in time. Look great and much nicer for gifts or bartering. Incluiding the auxilary ingredients it worked out about the same as buying Branstons - a quite inferior product although I do say so myself, AND you get a lovely reusable jar to boot. :D
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I love preserving, heres a list so far of what I have done.
Onion and Caraway seed Marmalade,
Beetroot in spiced red wine vinegar.
Bengal Sauce ( Like HP Brown Sauce)
Mint Sauce
Bread and Butter Pickle
Marrow Jam
Apple and Marrow Chutney
Mint Pickle
Green tomato Chuney
Rhubarb and sweet cicely jam
and finally a spiced apple chutney.
The rosehips are ripening now so jellies and jams from those to come. But we dont get the fruit trees up here so no fresh fruit jams :(
My larder needs a good sort out as well ::), I just have a shelved small larder but would love a walk in one.
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My go at the pears in cinnamon syrup was a bit of an experiment so here's what I think I did:
1kg pears: peeled and quartered
2 pints water
250g sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Whilst you're peeling and quartering the pears sterilise some (6ish) jam jars (or kilner jars if you're posh ;) )
Once that's done, put water, sugar and spice in saucepan and bring to boil and boil for 2-3 mins.
Pack the pears into the jars, pour over the hot syrup and wiggle the jars about a bit to get rid of air bubbles - keep topping up with syrup and wiggling till the jars are full. Seal the jars and apparently they should last 12 months according to my book, but we'll have eaten them all inside the month I reckon. It is dead quick and easy so I'll certainly be doing more.
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I spent all day cleaning out the pantry so I can now move about again and finally have some space for more chutneys, jams and jellies etc. I love this time of year. Gonna try the cinnamon pears and would also love the recipe for bengal Sauce Hermit.
melanie
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Make that two requests for Bengal chutney! ;D
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Bengal Sauce. ( makes about 1 1/2 to 2 pints depending on how thick you want it)
3lb cooking apples,peeled cored and sliced
8oz onions peeled and sliced
2oz garlic peeled and chopped
1 1/2 pints of malt vinegar
1lb demerera sugar
8ox seedless raisins
2oz ground ginger
1oz mustard seeds
6 dried red chillies
Add all the ingredients to a heavy pan and bring to the boil until the sugar disolves then simmer for about 5o mins or until the mixture becomes thick. Rub the mixture through a sieve (or blend ;)) Clean the pan of residue and then put the blended mixture back in and continue cooking and stirring from time to time until it is as thick as whipping cream then bottle. Leave for 6 to 8 wks before use. Simple
I use it as a dip with bhajis etc or as a glaze for ribs , sausages etc. It does pour so I bottle it in actual sauce/ dressing bottles.
Enjoy. :)
From Readers Digest Farmhouse Cookery, a book my OH gave me 30 odd years ago and is still my favourite cookbook.
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Ps I have just been reading the introduction to the recipe and it says the original Begal sauce used mangoes but the British Raj preferred apples which did not feature in Indian cuisine at all.
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I finally got the first batch of plum chutney made today - just starting here as they were slow to ripen this year, loads more to do and the cooking apples too..
Over-run with green beans again ::) and wondering about making piccalilli for the first time - recipe suggestions?
I'm going to have a go at lemon curd too, just discovered my lemons are looking a bit past it so will have to go find some more ::)
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Hi all, sorry if this is a stupid question but I'm so new to all this :) we've got an orchard full of plums, apples pears etc and me and my daughter have just thought about making jam for some friends and relatives for Christmas stocking fillers ;D
We are not quite ready to make the jam as we need jars etc but the fruit esp the plums are ready now, could we take off the plum skins, de-stone them then freeze them and then de-frost them when we are ready to make the jam? Or will this detract from the flavour?
Sorry if this is a silly question ::)
Blueeyes and daughter ;D xx
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So this Bengal sauce malarkey - what does it taste like?
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Hi all, sorry if this is a stupid question but I'm so new to all this :) we've got an orchard full of plums, apples pears etc and me and my daughter have just thought about making jam for some friends and relatives for Christmas stocking fillers ;D
We are not quite ready to make the jam as we need jars etc but the fruit esp the plums are ready now, could we take off the plum skins, de-stone them then freeze them and then de-frost them when we are ready to make the jam? Or will this detract from the flavour?
Sorry if this is a silly question ::)
Blueeyes and daughter ;D xx
Hi Blueeyes.
1. You never need to apologise for asking a question. They're not stupid, they're just things you don't know yet - and we all have such questions from time to time.
2. I am not by any stretch of the imagination a qualified jam-maker - but I used to live in a house with someone who made spectacular jams and marmalades, and she frequently froze fruit and made jam later. In fact, her best ever batch of marmalade was made with long-frozen oranges.
3. I think she didn't skin or stone the plums before freezing - in fact with one of her jams (very small plums) she left the stones in through all the cooking, fishing them out before adding the sugar.
Others with better, and first hand, advice will be along soon, I'm sure.
Cheers
Sally
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Fabulous Sally - down the orchard we go!!!
Seems like the lots we don't know but want to find out :D hence why I spend hours a day reading old posts on here!!!
Thanks for the reply
Blueeyes xx
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Hi Blueeyes
I'm certainly no jam expert either but I made plum jam last weekend using frozen fruit. I did take the stones out before I froze them but left the skins on.
My preserving book said that frozen fruit needs more sugar to make it set. I didn't add an extra sugar and mine has set well.
The book also said to leave the stones in (pity I didn't read it before I destoned them all) and the stones will float to the surface when making the jam. Having said that I am glad I took the stones out first. Don't want to risk anyone breaking a tooth on my jam.
Sally
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Stop, stop! You're all making me feel bad ::) All I've done so far is three jars of beetroot. We haven't got fruit here this year (my excuse).
Right, I'm going to get pickling this week - just see if I don't.
Actually, I cleaned out the larder of the empty beer bottles and two dozen empty milk cartons that Dan kept for elderflower cordial that we never got round to making and I "found" three jars of last year's marmalade (made with frozen oranges that looked gross, blueeyes ;D), three jars of beetroot, a jar of shallots and about 12 jars of an unlabelled pickle (Delia's Christmas Chutney, I think).
Definitely going to do the pears and the Bengal sauce though. Right, I'm off to make a list :-)
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I think the plum stones actually have high pectin levels whichis why they say to leave them in whilst cooking, to help it set.
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Well I've just done a small amount of plums, made it up a bit as I went along, but my jam worked ;D
Though it's a little more set than maybe should be, but at least it's set :D long way off producing pots as stocking fillers yet tho! ;)
Blueeyes xx
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If you dont have fruit , Marrow or Courgette jam is scrumptious.
Just peel and dice marrow or courgettes inc seeds if they are small, weigh and weigh out same amount of sugar, just normal sugar as the marrow is high in pectin
put the marrow cubes in a pan and cook with a bit of water until tender then drain and mash. Take off the heat and add the sugar and add a good squeeze of lemon and a little ginger . Stir till the sugar has melted then gently boil till the jam is ready, this jam is pretty quick about 2o mins should do it. Then allow to cool for a minute or two before jarring as normal.
It tastes like barley sugar and does darken with age. Enjoy
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Well done Blueeyes! I love experimenting, you get some happy accidents and learn so much more than rigidly sticking to recipes. Ok so you get some not-so-good outcomes too, but it's all part of the rich tapestry!
Enjoy that jam - it may not be the best you'll ever make, but I bet you never forget it. :D
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Just tried a marrow and orange jam recipe - set nicely but the proof will be how it goes on toast tomorrow morning!
Quite optimistic that the courgette plants might be reaching their natural end - will be a relief not to have to dream up new things to do with a courgette every night!
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I am letting my courgettes go to marrow now as marrow will keep for a while. I have sold about half of my courgettes at the gate, a good seller.
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looking for chutney recipes but i will look at delia recipes online, her recipes work. have started collecting jars going for a long walk hopefully weather permitting tomorrow for some brambles and rosehips/ great dried for ponies vit c rich. apples are ready on my tree hence the chutney recipes def trying the bengal sauce recipe might try one without raisins not keen on them made marmalade the other day turned out great i usually make plum jam didn't this year my uncle loved my plum jam lost him this year couldn't face making it pity as plums were great this year not as good a crop as last year maybe next year
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Sorry suzie missed your earlier post. Bengal sauce is like HP sauce, the maturer the better
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I am shamed into doing something so I pickled some beetroot - all the beetroot, in fact. Tomorrow, I will pickle eggs and have a go at the Bengal Sauce. Yes, I will.
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It will become addictive Rosemary. I find the old sort of wartime cookbooks the best for preserves as they have in them many thrifty ways of preserving allsorts of veg and fruit , so get trawling those charity shops. :)
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It will become addictive Rosemary. I find the old sort of wartime cookbooks the best for preserves as they have in them many thrifty ways of preserving allsorts of veg and fruit , so get trawling those charity shops. :)
I usually make jam but we dn't have our own fruit this year. Wil have next year.
I've pickled eggs and made Bengal sauce. Wow! It's lovely - I think it would add a real warmth to any casserole, sausages, cheese dishes.
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Benkt
I am interested to know how the orange and marrow jam was on your toast. Is it worth making and if so can we have the recipe please.
thanks
Sally
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Got some Bengal sauce on the stove - not sure I can wait 6 weeks to try it! Smells fabulous. I used a right mish mashof dried chillies of various heat, so it will be interesting! :yum:
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I've done some small quantities of pickled eggs, onions and beetroot.
I've had loads of chillies this year so made chilli jam, dried some and have chopped a jar full up in white wine vinegar.
I like the sound of that bengali sauce, I might try that out.
Waiting for a friend to drop off some cockles as we speak and will trade them for a bottle of my rhubarb wine.
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Waiting for a friend to drop off some cockles as we speak .
OOH! sounds painful!
:D
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Now then Little blue! My friends cockles were pickled then eaten - lush!
I made some Bengal sauce, my farmhouse fare book had the same recipe in for Bengal chutney so if you don't want the sauce try it chuncky. :thumbsup: