Don’t throw away your mandarin peels, they are nutritional powerhouses in their own right -and great for the digestion. The peel is packed with up to three times the concentration of antioxidants, significantly more fibre and vitamin C, and potent essential oils compared to the juicy flesh. Dried mandarin peel is incredibly versatile, particularly in cooking. It adds a depth of flavour and aroma to meats and seafood, stir fries, rice, soups and broths. Steep it in hot water for a digestive … [Read more...]
Bottled Mandarins Recipe
I had an absolute bumper crop of mandarins on my tree this year, more than I have ever had before. I have previously just enjoyed eating them fresh but after having done a lot of that (and shared many boxes of fruit with family, friends and neighbours), I realised that I would need to look at different ways of preserving them to enjoy later. The first method I explored was bottling them in a light syrup. ~2kg mandarins 1 cup Sugar 2 cups Water You can bottle them in a plain syrup or … [Read more...]
Fig & Lemon Conserve
I had a great harvest of figs this year, with plenty to eat fresh and share as well as freezing them to use later. I thought I would try a new recipe this year, Fig & Lemon Conserve. For other fig recipes see the list at the bottom of this post. 1.5 kg figs (can be frozen) 2 medium lemons 2 cups raw or brown sugar Cut figs and lemons into small cubes. Put into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Cover and leave to macerate overnight (or 6-8 hours) until the fruit softens and the sugar … [Read more...]
Pickled Myoga Ginger Recipe
Myoga is a woodland ginger native to Japan. It is a cousin of the more familiar ginger but it is the edible flowers that are used rather than the rhizome (root). The peculiar flower buds appear at the base of the plants in early autumn. Pick them ideally before the yellow petals start to appear (but a little is okay). Use them immediately or make pickled myoga ginger. Pick the flower buds and remove any tough outer layers. Wash and pat dry. Slice your buds however you like … [Read more...]
Feijoa Jelly Recipe
Feijoa season is in full swing again and my tree is absolutely laden. I am picking up a bucketful of feijoas every day so am looking for as many things to make with feijoas as possible. Although I've made feijoa jam, feijoa chutney, feijoa paste, and feijoa kasundi before, I've never tried making feijoa jelly. Unfortunately in my excitement of being able to use up lots of fruit, I forgot my own previous advice making jelly - don't be tempted to make a large batch! It is better made in small … [Read more...]
Making Stem Ginger at home
I've described previously how I have been growing my own ginger at home and then trying different ways of preserving it: such as drying it and making crystallised ginger. This time I share my efforts making stem ginger at home. I'm not sure why it is called stem ginger because it is young ginger roots in syrup - but here is the recipe I used. 800g ginger root (the younger and fresher the better) 1L water 800g sugar Peel the ginger root, using a teaspoon or potato peeler. I had previously … [Read more...]
Nectarine Jam Recipe
This is an easy recipe for a delicious tangy Nectarine Jam that is a great way to use any small or damaged fruit. My dwarf nectarine tree is a few years old now and starting to produce quite a large number of fruit. The only trouble is that the fruit are all clustered together and tucked up underneath the long drooping leaves so that unless you have a good look up close you can't tell that there are any fruit at all. Last year I netted each of the branches but unfortunately nearly all of … [Read more...]
Drying Ginger at home
A while ago I shared with you that I had been successful in growing my own ginger. After my first big harvest I decided to try drying the ginger, mostly just to see how it was done and to try some different ways of preserving it for when my freezer gets too full. First scrape the skin off the ginger with a small knife. Then slice it thinly. Place slices on dehydrator trays and then into your dehydrator. I used the highest setting of 70C in mine for about 3 hours. The slices should … [Read more...]
Persimmon Jam Recipe
My persimmon tree has established nicely now and is producing lots of persimmon (that I have to net to stop the birds from raiding). Mostly I prefer to just eat my persimmon fresh but now that I've got lots, I'm starting to think of different ways to use them. This persimmon jam recipe produces a nice balance between the somewhat bland sweetness of the persimmon and the tartness of the lemon. 10 persimmons 6 lemons, zest and juice 3 cups sugar Quarter the persimmons and peel. Cut the … [Read more...]
Choosing the right Dehydrator
I hope my experience will help you in choosing the right dehydrator. I previously bought a Sunbeam Dehydrator - one of the round dehydrators with stacking trays. It said it was good for drying herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers and came with a bonus 'fruit leather' tray. I wasn't looking to dry meats or meals for hiking, and I wasn't going to be drying vast amounts of anything - I just wanted to be able to dry herbs and other produce from my garden as an alternative to other preserving … [Read more...]
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