Starting to get into it at Struan Farm. Preserving that is. I'm expecting a disaster or two along the way, so think I have realistic expectations. Jams and curds are one thing, they're quite easy, but I'm moving beyond that somewhat gingerly.
I've just purchased a copy of Kylee Newton's "the modern preserver" to help me along the way (yes, her title is all lower case, very trendy....). Kylee is a New Plymouth, NZ native now living in the U.K., where she's running a successful business called Newton & Pott, selling handmade jams, chutneys and pickles.
Her belief is that "preserving is an ancient technique which speaks to a modern sensibility. It puts you in step with the seasons, it uses up leftovers, and you control what goes into your food." We like that kind of talk here at Struan Farm.
I've been thumbing through Edmonds, Aunt Daisy and various old school bibles looking at recipes for beetroot, tomatoes, etc. But they've seem just a tad too old school to me, I've wanted/needed more information/guidance (they assume you pretty much know what you're doing, having learned from mum), along with more modern flavours/spices. Seems I stumbled upon Kylee's book at just the right time.
A few days ago I kicked things off by making Peter Gordon's Tomato & Chilli Jam recipe. It's a staple in my friend Glen's repetoire at Doone Cottage, she makes heaps when tomatoes are in season. While it is jam, it's savoury, so I thought this was a good way to get beyond my fruit jam and curd comfort level.
Think I've done well on this, although the recipe only made two 250ml. jars instead of the "four medium jars" indicated. Tomatoes do vary. The recipe calls for 500 gr., maybe mine were heavier than his! Ruth Pretty has a similar version of this recipe out there that uses caster sugar instead of demerara sugar. I'm using the one Glen makes, with demerara, which is (I think) his original recipe.
Given loads of beets/beetroots in the veggie garden, next I tackled "pickled baby beetroots" from Kylee's book. Yes, it was a baby step with baby beetroots (pun, groan), and very simple. Plus, John had asked me to try making some "like Mum's." Not sure these are "like Mum's" but they may be okay nonetheless. We'll know on both scores in a few days.
(Note: those are cloves floating around in the jar!)
I'm still nervous about bottling/canning, so the surplus tomatoes looming on the horizon will be cooked into sauce and soup and frozen instead. Friend Heather at Country Trading has offered to help show me how to bottle, and I feel that I need that kind of supervision and advice to learn properly. Fortunately (or unfortunately) we don't have any plums as yet, so it's not urgent that I acquire this particular skill right now, there's enough to get done without it.
But that being said, if any of you have plums coming out of your ears, I'm happy to take some!
Comments