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...]
Making Dried Bananas using a Dehydrator
This post describes how to make dried bananas using a dehydrator at home. I have previously posted about my success (finally) growing lady finger bananas at home. Up until now the bananas have ripened gradually (sometimes with some help by putting some in a paper bag with an apple) but recently I was faced with the challenge of having literally a hundred bananas all ripening at once! My freezer wasn't going to be able to cope with all these bananas, although I did freeze one big bag of bananas … [Read more...]
Figs in Spiced Brandied Syrup
Fig season is upon us again (earlier than usual I think). Once I've had a good dose of fresh figs I start to think about preserving them to enjoy later. You can just freeze figs whole if you don't have time to do anything immediately. This year I thought I would try a cross-over recipe and use a syrup that I have previously used for cherries. This is my recipe for Figs in Spiced Brandied Syrup. 1kg figs (increase recipe if you have more than this) 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup water 2 tbsp lemon … [Read more...]
Quick & Easy Blackberry Jam Recipe
I'm so pleased to have blackberries in quantity again now. My thornless blackberry plants have finally recovered after I had to take them out whilst replacing the ponga fence they were growing against. They sulked for a few years after replanting but have produced a very good haul this season and they seem to have fruited much earlier than I remember from previous years. This is a very simple Blackberry Jam Recipe that can be made in no time at all and is perfect on hot buttered scones. You can … [Read more...]
Blueberry Compote Recipe
I love January because it is when my blueberries start to ripen and I can harvest a large basket of berries every week. I do love to just eat them as they are but as it often coincides with other fruit ripening at the same time, I often freeze much of my blueberry harvest so that I can use it during the year. Blueberries couldn't be easier to freeze: just lay them out in a baking tray to free-flow freeze and then tip them into a bag. Then they are ready to use whenever you need them - no need to … [Read more...]
Rhubarb Relish Recipe
This delicious Rhubarb Relish Recipe is courtesy of my friend Beth who lives in Australia. I went to stay with her and took over a selection of my homemade preserves. She gave me a jar of this relish to take home, telling me it was great with toasted cheese sandwiches. OMG - it is divine with toasted cheese sandwiches!! I really needed to plant some rhubarb in my garden again so that I could make this recipe. 4 cups diced Rhubarb 2 cups diced Onions 2 cups White Vinegar 3 cups … [Read more...]
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