One of the easiest methods of preserving fruit is ‘canning’ or ‘bottling’ at home. The following technique can be used for any fruit, though you may wish to add some week sugar syrup, rather than brine to other fruits. We home preserve cherries each year in exactly this way. Canning Tomatoes at Home Whenever canning fruit at home make sure you have blemish free, ripe (but not over-ripe specimens). Small bruises and so on may be cut out but diseased fruits should not be included in the home canning process. First remove any stalks from the tomatoes and score […]
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 […]