Preserves Thread - Jams, Pickles, Relishes, etc

Another way to remove the flesh before cooking, is to peel the peach, then cut a line around as above, right through to the stone, then cut in slices as you go around the peach, repeating the line right around the peach, so each piece can be lifted off the stone. For white flesh peaches, I would cook them when they are still a little firm, as they tend to be softer fleshed than yellow peach types like Golden Queen's.

The peach stoner sounds like it may be similar to the cherry stoner you're using for the plums. maybe try that as above with the peaches. I've not used peaches for making chutney. I think a recipe for apple chutney would work well, replacing the apples for your peaches.

This is my favourite Apple Chutney (it's at post 314 in this thread) - it's from the Edmonds Cookbook - called Apple or Plum Chutney there. Give it a try with your peaches and let us know how you like it.

Apple Chutney: 2 kg apples, 500gms onions, 400 gms raisins, 1 kg brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, Malt vinegar. Chop the apples, onions and raisins - whizzing them in a food processor is fine. Place all the ingredients in a large pot or preserving pan. Cover with vinegar. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring often, so the mix doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Boil slowly about 2 hours or till thick - it will thicken a little more as it cools in the jars. Bottle into sterilised jars and place lids on top. Pop-top type jars are excellent, as the seal will pop down again ensuring long keeping.

Bumping the thread as I'm away for a few days. :-)

Peach or nectarine chutney I've made this from the Edmonds cookbook & it's very tasty especially with cold meats or hard cheese. I made nectarine chutney last week & just added some mace & garam masala & cut back on the raisins slightly & added a few more nectarines. Given some peaches today so will eat some fresh & make chutney next week.

Air bubbles after preserving plums. Hi all! Today I bottled some plums. I thought I got rid of any air bubbles and topped the jars right up with syrup but afterwards I could see air bubbles in the jars (yes they did seal properly, the lids were concave, and did pop when opened again). So I reheated jars in the microwave (lids off) and topped up with boiling water and resealed. Anything else I should be doing! Are the air bubbles OK or should there be none!

Hi Nicole. they'll be fine. the seal popping -or hollowing - downwards, so the seal is concave, will ensure your goodies are safe. having air bubbles in them is inevitable and not a problem at all. Enjoy your delicious plums. :-)

Bumping for Ampm. :-)

Hello Rae.. :-) I hope all is well for you.. how is your hand?
Cheers..
Julie

Hello Rae. :-) I hope all is well for you. how is your hand!
Cheers.
Julie

and.. bumping for Towers66 :-)

and. bumping for Towers66 :-)

does anybody have a recipe or two for cucumber relish or chutney please ?

:))

nikisam, put "cucumber relish" into the keyword search bar at top left on this Recipes page, then click down to "Anytime" and a host of threads will come up.

This time. again.

Hiya Bev.:-)just come online for the first time since 11 December. thanks for your message. hope your Christmas was lovely. and that 2012 has begun well for you there. :-)

And bumping for summer preserves.

Bumping for summer harvests and preserves..

Pickles 7, The slime your mother took off from the vinegar is nothing to worry about. I have a vinegar mother which looks slimy and am using it to make white wine vinegar. Vinegar that doesn't have the slimy thing floating in the bottle is not good vinegar and probably not made from quality methods. Good vinegar should have part of a vinegar mother (slime). The vinegar mother floats at the top of the surface when working. The atmosphere spores also play a significant role in achieving good quality vinegars. From what I understand vinegars should be live. Kind of like yoghurts or traditional sourdough bread.

bumping.......... so we can find this amazing thread without having to spend the next 15minutes hunting for it.. why oh why can't it always be at the top?????

bumping. so we can find this amazing thread without having to spend the next 15minutes hunting for it. why oh why can't it always be at the top!

Here's some great pickled onion recipes ... they all make approx 2 500g jars.

Cranium Crushers:
500g pickling onions-peeled, 10 long red chillis-split lengthways, 1tspn salt, 1tspn szechuan peppercorns, 1tspn coriander seeds, malt vinegar.
Rinse the onions - no need to brine or soak.
Stack the onions into the jars, interspersed with the chillis.
Add the spices, then the vinegar, slowly so that the spices trickle down through the onions, lodging where they like, adding to the visual effect.
Leave these onions for at least a month to gain the right pain level.
The longer you leave them - a year is fine - the more mind-blowing they'll become.
If you wish, remove the chillis when they're hot enough for you.

Heartstarters:
500g pickling onions, 6 sprigs fresh rosemary & thyme, 8 long red chillies-split lengthways, 1Tblspn red pepper cubes, 1Tblspn fresh ginger-sliced, 2 cloves garlic, 1tspn salt, 1tspn mustard seeds, 2Tblspn demera sugar, malt vinegar.
Fill clear glass jars with the onions, pressing the herbs, chillies, red pepper pieces, ginger & garlic against the glass for visual interest.
Add the salt, mustard seeds & sugar. Top up with vinegar until all the onions are covered.
Store a month before trying - if you can stand the wait. Will keep for a good year.

Red Devils:
500g pickling onions, 10 West Indian wrinkled chillies (Granny's Bonnets), 10 dried red chillies-whole, 1Tblspn caster sugar, 1Tblspn sea salt, 1Tblspn pink peppercorns, white vinegar.
Slice the fresh chillies (use whatever red chillies you can find if Granny Bonnets n/a). Pack the onions into jars interleaved with chillies, fresh & dried. Sprinkle in the sugar, salt & peppercorns and top up with vinegar.
Leave for a month, but will fester evilly for a year.

Afterburners:
500g pickling onions, 1Tblspn fresh ginger-sliced, 5 West Indian wrinkled chillies (Granny's Bonnets), 1Tblspn curry powder, 1Tblspn crushed dried red chillies, 1Tblspn mustard seeds-crushed, 1Tblspn honey, 1Tblspn salt, malt vinegar.
Pack the onions into jars, interspersed with the ginger & fresh chillies. Spoon in the curry powder, dried chillies & mustard seeds. Mix the honey & salt with vinegar and pour over the onions. They like 6 weeks to develop their full firepower, but will keep at least a year.

Red Hot Mammas:
1Tblspn runny honey, 1Tblspn muscovado sugar, 1tspn dark soy sauce, 1tspn worcester sauce, malt vinegar, 500g pickling onions, 4 sprigs thyme, 2tspn mustard seeds, 2tspn black peppercorns, 1Tblspn crushed dried red chillies.
Shake together the runny honey, soy sauce, worcester sauce & sugar with a good slosh of vinegar.
Pack the onions into jars, interleaved with the thyme sprigs and sprinklings of the crushed mustard seeds & peppercorns. Add the chillies and pour in the sauce mix. Top up with enough vinegar to cover the onions completely.
After a couple of days the vinegar will need topping up because the dried chillies & spices will have drunk some.
Store in a cool place for 6 weeks.

Delhi Darlings:
500g pickling onions, 1tspn whole cloves, 1tspn cardamom pods, 1tspn coriander seeds, 1tspn cumin, 1tspn mustard seeds, 1tspn black peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, 1tspn salt, 4tspn dark brown sugar, malt vinegar.
Pack the onions into jars. Add the spices, salt & sugar.
Top up with enough vinegar to cover the onions completely.
Store for a month to allow the flavours to develop - and no pinching one before the month is up. Will keep atleast a year.

Here's some great pickled onion recipes . they all make approx 2 500g jars.

Cranium Crushers:
500g pickling onions-peeled, 10 long red chillis-split lengthways, 1tspn salt, 1tspn szechuan peppercorns, 1tspn coriander seeds, malt vinegar.
Rinse the onions - no need to brine or soak.
Stack the onions into the jars, interspersed with the chillis.
Add the spices, then the vinegar, slowly so that the spices trickle down through the onions, lodging where they like, adding to the visual effect.
Leave these onions for at least a month to gain the right pain level.
The longer you leave them - a year is fine - the more mind-blowing they'll become.
If you wish, remove the chillis when they're hot enough for you.

Heartstarters:
500g pickling onions, 6 sprigs fresh rosemary & thyme, 8 long red chillies-split lengthways, 1Tblspn red pepper cubes, 1Tblspn fresh ginger-sliced, 2 cloves garlic, 1tspn salt, 1tspn mustard seeds, 2Tblspn demera sugar, malt vinegar.
Fill clear glass jars with the onions, pressing the herbs, chillies, red pepper pieces, ginger & garlic against the glass for visual interest.
Add the salt, mustard seeds & sugar. Top up with vinegar until all the onions are covered.
Store a month before trying - if you can stand the wait. Will keep for a good year.

Red Devils:
500g pickling onions, 10 West Indian wrinkled chillies (Granny's Bonnets), 10 dried red chillies-whole, 1Tblspn caster sugar, 1Tblspn sea salt, 1Tblspn pink peppercorns, white vinegar.
Slice the fresh chillies (use whatever red chillies you can find if Granny Bonnets n/a). Pack the onions into jars interleaved with chillies, fresh & dried. Sprinkle in the sugar, salt & peppercorns and top up with vinegar.
Leave for a month, but will fester evilly for a year.

Afterburners:
500g pickling onions, 1Tblspn fresh ginger-sliced, 5 West Indian wrinkled chillies (Granny's Bonnets), 1Tblspn curry powder, 1Tblspn crushed dried red chillies, 1Tblspn mustard seeds-crushed, 1Tblspn honey, 1Tblspn salt, malt vinegar.
Pack the onions into jars, interspersed with the ginger & fresh chillies. Spoon in the curry powder, dried chillies & mustard seeds. Mix the honey & salt with vinegar and pour over the onions. They like 6 weeks to develop their full firepower, but will keep at least a year.

Red Hot Mammas:
1Tblspn runny honey, 1Tblspn muscovado sugar, 1tspn dark soy sauce, 1tspn worcester sauce, malt vinegar, 500g pickling onions, 4 sprigs thyme, 2tspn mustard seeds, 2tspn black peppercorns, 1Tblspn crushed dried red chillies.
Shake together the runny honey, soy sauce, worcester sauce & sugar with a good slosh of vinegar.
Pack the onions into jars, interleaved with the thyme sprigs and sprinklings of the crushed mustard seeds & peppercorns. Add the chillies and pour in the sauce mix. Top up with enough vinegar to cover the onions completely.
After a couple of days the vinegar will need topping up because the dried chillies & spices will have drunk some.
Store in a cool place for 6 weeks.

Delhi Darlings:
500g pickling onions, 1tspn whole cloves, 1tspn cardamom pods, 1tspn coriander seeds, 1tspn cumin, 1tspn mustard seeds, 1tspn black peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, 1tspn salt, 4tspn dark brown sugar, malt vinegar.
Pack the onions into jars. Add the spices, salt & sugar.
Top up with enough vinegar to cover the onions completely.
Store for a month to allow the flavours to develop - and no pinching one before the month is up. Will keep atleast a year.

Bumping for Jasmeen01