We can't grow the wonderful tropical guava in New Zealand but Cherry Guavas grow well here. They come in both red and yellow varieties. I have planted a few of these, mostly for screening and to fill awkward spaces. The fruit can be a bit inconspicuous, tucked away in the foliage but they come in late autumn when there is not a lot else around. I have tried making guava jelly (which was the only thing I had heard of doing with them) previously but managed to make a rather unappetising … [Read more...]
Ginger Syrup
I was given a ginger syrup from a local market a couple of years ago and it was absolutely delicious. You can add ginger syrup to so many things: use it in marinades, stir fries and vegetables, or pour it over fruit, ice cream or pancakes. Just add hot water, mint and lemon for a delicious tea or make a ginger latte with hot milk. Adding soda makes an easy refreshing ginger ale. I am a real ginger fan and I had to stop using it for a while because I was having it in EVERYTHING (and although … [Read more...]
Freezing Vegetables
Vegetables are generally a bit more complicated than fruit to freeze. Unlike fruit, vegetables keep on 'living' in the freezer and become tough and tasteless. To prevent this you need to blanch or precook them. This slows down the activity of the enzymes. The fresher the vegetables the better the results will be. Prepare the vegetables as you usually would and put similar sizes together. Boil water in a large saucepan and add the vegetables (it is easier to take them out again if you … [Read more...]
Freezing Fruit
Fruit in general are incredibly easy to freeze. Many can just be frozen as is. Just wash quickly in cold water and freeze either whole or cut into pieces as desired. The shorter the time from picking to freezing, the better the flavour, colour and nutritional value of the frozen fruit. To free-flow the fruit, spread them uncovered on a baking tray and freeze until solid then transfer to a plastic bag, remove air and seal. This makes it much easier to use however much you want later and the … [Read more...]
Spicy Plum Sauce
2.5 kg Plums (I used frozen) 1.5 litres Vinegar 1 kg Brown Sugar 2 tbsp Salt 2 cups Onion, finely chopped 3 cloves Garlic, crushed 1/2 cup Raisins 2 tbsp Soy Sauce 2 tsp Black Pepper 1 tsp each: Ground Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Cayenne Pepper Put frozen plums into a preserving pan and heat gently until plums thaw (remove stones if still in). If you want you can put plums, onion and garlic through a food processor to make a but I find that they soften … [Read more...]
Fickle Figs
My fig trees produced their first fruit this year – I was so excited. First of all I was just eating them fresh off the tree, savouring the novelty of fresh figs. I have only had fresh figs once before years ago when I happened to be visiting a property with large fig trees at just the right time. I came home with a bucket load of figs and made them into Fig & Ginger Jam - delicious! I was really keen to make this again but it seemed that the figs were only ripening 2 or 3 at a time and … [Read more...]
Grapefruit Marmalade
Grapefruit Marmalade is my favourite - just the right blend of bitterness combined with a caramelly sweetness. I find many of the store bought varieties just too sweet. My grapefruit tree isn't big enough yet to produce any fruit (well, it might have been this year but it sulked after I went away for a month in spring - which turned out to be a very dry month). Thankfully my friend Debbie has a grapefruit tree that produces well, so I was the grateful recipient of a big bag full. I thought … [Read more...]
Lemon Curd
One of my favourite lemon recipes is lemon curd – I’ve been waiting (not so) patiently for my lemons to ripen and, as you can see in the photo, I couldn’t wait for all the green to be gone from the fruit before I made my first batch. I’m not sure what the difference is between lemon curd, lemon honey and lemon butter. My recipe is labelled lemon honey, Australians apparently call it lemon butter, but most people that I’ve talked to know it as lemon curd. Whatever you call it, it is delicious … [Read more...]
Freezing Frenzy
When I first had a veggie garden, I grew summer salad vegetables and it was ‘survival of the fittest’. They had to cope with just the occasional watering and long periods of total neglect while we were away at the beach over summer. The freezer was simply a place where one kept a large supply of meat, bread, pies, ice cream and other essential supplies for husbands and teenage boys. As the household shrunk and the gardening expanded, the freezer took on a whole new importance in my life. I … [Read more...]
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