I decided to make some mint & apple jelly this spring while I had lots of healthy-looking mint. I often look forward to using mint in summer only to discover that it has succumbed to rust. Cutting it right back solves the problem for a while as the new growth is rust-free but coinciding sufficient clean mint with my cooking requirements can be somewhat of a challenge. 1kg cooking apples Water Sugar Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup firmly packed mint leaves, finely chopped (retain … [Read more...]
Preserved Figs In Syrup
Preserved figs in syrup is a wonderful way to enjoy your bounty throughout the year. Figs have such a short season and you have to fight the birds (and sometimes possums) to harvest your crop, so it is great to savour the harvest. This recipe is a quick and simple way to preserve them for later enjoyment - if you can wait that long. I pick my figs as soon as they start to soften and they continue to ripen inside. Then I put them whole into the freezer, gradually filling the bag until I have … [Read more...]
Feijoa Paste Recipe
It’s time to get out your favourite feijoa recipes again and to try some new ways of using them. I decided to try this Feijoa Paste Recipe courtesy of Chelsea Sugar and the NZ Gardener magazine. It is not as sweet as I thought it might be and has a rather pleasant tanginess. Feijoa Paste is perfect served with cheese and crackers. Unfortunately for the first time this year I have got guava moth infesting my feijoas so choosing undamaged fruit for cooking (and eating) is becoming more … [Read more...]
Cinnamon Blueberry Jam Recipe
Blueberries are wonderful plants to have in the garden or just in a pot; they are incredibly healthy and nutritious - and they are wonderful in this Cinnamon Blueberry Jam Recipe. For other blueberry recipes, see the links at the bottom of this post. 1 kg blueberries (I used frozen) 2 tbsp lemon juice 4 cinnamon quills 1kg jam setting sugar (or use ordinary sugar and add 1 pkt pectin) I really like cinnamon so I added another 2 tsp cinnamon as well. You could add a tsp of cloves or a … [Read more...]
Black Forest Jam Recipe
Cherries and Chocolate - a match made in heaven! This year I made the most of a good supply of cherries (sadly not from my garden) and froze them (taking the pits out with an olive pitter). Now I have the luxury of trying different cherry recipes when I feel like it. When I saw this Black Forest Jam recipe I knew that I just had to make it (with a few adaptations). It has a lovely rich black forest flavour, not too chocolatey, not too sweet. 1 kg sweet black cherries (stones removed, … [Read more...]
Chinese Plum Sauce Recipe
Plum sauce is something I like to make every year and I get lots of good feedback from those I give it to. But I decided to risk trying a different plum sauce recipe this year as I had found one that had the Asian flavours of ginger and star anise in it. I used frozen plums (see freezing fruit). 2.5kg plums, stone removed 2 cups chopped onion 1/2 cup raisins 1.5 litres cider or white vinegar 1 kg brown sugar 1/2 cup soy sauce 6 tbsp freshly grated ginger 4 garlic cloves, crushed 2 … [Read more...]
Brandied Lime Marmalade Recipe
A few years ago I made a lime marmalade but it was so tart that there was no way you could even just have a scraping on your breakfast toast. I tried putting a spoonful in cooking but eventually just threw it out and never made it again. My mother asked recently if I had made any lime marmalade because she really likes the Roses Lime Marmalade for breakfast. So the challenge was on. Rummaging through my old recipe folders I found this one that I had made 20+ years ago. I still had some limes … [Read more...]
Tomato and Peach Relish Recipe
Recently I have been trying some variations on my favourite preserves. This tomato and peach relish recipe was a good option as my tomatoes were very slow to ripen this year so using peaches to bulk it out meant that I could make my relish while I was home on a long weekend. 1.5 kg tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 kg peaches, stoned, peeled and chopped 500g onions, peeled and chopped 2.5 cups brown sugar 1.5 cups vinegar 1 cup sultanas 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger 2 tsp crushed garlic 2 … [Read more...]
Indian-style Cucumber Relish Recipe
The cucumber pickles that I've been familiar with are bread and butter pickles (and gherkins of course) so it was great to find a new recipe to try. This is an East Indian-style cucumber relish recipe that uses cumin along with mustard seeds to give a different twist on the familiar. You can serve it just as it is with fish or chicken. If you mix it with yoghurt it becomes raita, a salad that is served with Indian food as a cool counterpoint to spicy dishes. 6 cups diced peeled cucumber … [Read more...]
Bread & Butter Pickles
Bread & Butter Pickles are always in my fridge as a "must have" ingredient for homemade burgers along with beetroot relish. They are pretty good with cheese and lettuce and some freshly baked bread. 3-4 telegraph cucumbers, very thinly sliced (about 12 cups) 4 large onions, peeled and very thinly sliced ½ cup salt 3½ cups sugar 4 cups white vinegar 2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp celery seed 2 tbsp mustard seed 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Place sliced cucumber and onions in a large, … [Read more...]