After the windfall of free fruit, this week has seen Casa Dirty Boots become a hive of citrus preserving activity. We’ve juiced, pickled, preserved and marmaladed. Soon cordial and limoncello (and maybe even orange-cello) are on the menu. The house smells divine – lots of bubbling citrus and I have to say I’ve learnt a lot about marmalade. We’ve made marmalade many times over the years but this time I’ve gone research crazy and tried a few different techniques to see how different the taste can be depending on the method. Most methods require two or more hours cooking before […]
Pickled Beetroot (Beetroot Preserve with Vinegar)
Nothing beats a bit of beetroot – if you get me. This is such a bright and cheery summer veggie I always want to preserve some for those dull wintry days. If you’re experiencing beetroot overload at the moment why not pickle your own? It is a million times better than the bought stuff and very simple to prepare. Homemade Pickled Beetroot For every 1 kilo of raw, fresh beets you’ll need 600ml of brine (made with 50g salt and 600 ml of water) plus 600ml of malt or red wine vinegar. Wash but do not peel the beets. Place […]
Bloody Mary Relish – One For the Grown-Ups
I really am thinking of summer now and continuing our favourite preserve theme. This is a tomato and cucumber relish. It is very zingy and fresh tasting. But, as it isn’t cooked for as long as a chutney or pickle it will only keep for three months. I don’t have any left and am missing this very grown-up relish. If you have an oversupply of tomatoes why not make yourself some Bloody Mary Relish? I can’t wait to replenish our supplies. Ingredients for Bloody Mary Relish 1.4kg ripe tomatoes, skinned & chopped 1 large cucumber or 2-3 ridge cucumbers, peeled, […]
Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil (Rain or Shine)
As I know its summer elsewhere I thought I’d put some of our favourite summer preserving recipes on the site. So while I dream of future harvests those in the Southern Hemisphere can get preserving now! I’m not jealous at all… Sun-dried tomatoes are gorgeous but really expensive and sun-blush tomatoes are even worse – just a daft name for a ‘not so dry’ sun-dried tomato! I wish I’d thought of that marketing gimmick – they’re even more expensive! Much as I really love sun-dried tomatoes (with tagliatelle and prawns – drool) I will not pay for them. If you […]
Preserves (Canning) – Basics Part 3 – Ingredients
Right then, continuing the ‘Preserves – Basics’ theme. This is some information that you need to know about the ingredients you’ll be using. Fruit and Vegetables These must be in good condition before you preserve them. So disgard anything spoilt, over-ripe or rotten. You don’t want to introduce any moulds or fungus into the product before you even start the preserving process. Beware of coatings to commercially produced fruit. Wax coatings on citrus and other fruit should be scrubbed off or peeled. Pickling is a good way to use up any under-ripe overly firm items. Green tomatoes are a traditional […]
Preserves – Basics Part 2 – Methods of Preserving (Canning)
A continuation on our introduction to home-preserving. Here we’re talking about canning / bottling fruit & vegetables. Luckily the first few preserves I made were from Mrs Beaton’s All About Cookery. These Victorian recipes assume the cook knows the basics of preserving and general hygiene in the kitchen. They didn’t scare me into not trying, which many books I’ve read since might well have done. Here I want to share some of the basics about methods of preserving foodstuffs that should help you in your kitchen. What Is It? There are a myriad of ways to preserve fruit and vegetables […]
Preserves – Basics Part 1 – Utensils & Stuff
The main thing to know is that people have always preserved food in times of glut. That means its possible to do so without any fancy equipment or scientific knowledge. Here though are a few pointers – things you should know if starting to make jams, chutneys, pickles and so on. we should all try to store as much produce as we can vie preserving/canning. Food preservation does not need to be overly complicated and it can be done with a minimum of equipment. Preserving Pans are expensive. You don’t need one – what you do need is a heavy, […]