Summer's almost here - and there'll be wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables available - and opportunities to make our own goodies. chutney's, jams, jellies, relishes, pickles, sauces, bottled fruit's and veges,etc.etc. Would you like to share your favourite recipe!
Your very own Pesto: Use fresh herbs - parsley is good at this time of year - you could also add other herbs too. tips of lemon verbena, lemon balm, pineapple sage, etc. wash, shake well to dry, remove stalks if you want, then place in a food processor. whizz till smoothish. Add some garlic if you want, then some parmesan cheese to taste - from a piece of cheese is nicest - the powdered doesn't taste anywhere near as good! Add lots of lemon juice to taste. then drizzle some oil in - I use canola - or you could use olive oil. Whizz well and season to taste. whizzing to blend the flavours. When it's as you want it. add some of your favourite nuts - pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, etc. and whizz till lightly chopped. Pile into jars and freeze any you don't want to use straight away. Enjoy on toast, crackers, as a dip, on sandwiches, in pita bread, tossed through hot pasta, on pizza, etc.etc.
juliewn,
Sep 15, 4:58am
Pickled Garlic: This is great for gifts. Peel 250gms garlic and cut any large cloves in half. In a saucepan, bring to the boil 1 cup white vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp celery seeds. Boil 5 minutes. Add garlic and boil a further five minutes. Place garlic into small jars. Bring the syrup back to the boil and pour over to cover the garlic. Cover with a non-metallic lid. Leave for 6 weeks before using. Pickled Garlic can be used in the same way as you would pickled onions or gherkins. in sandwiches, antipasto platters, with cold meats, cheeses etc. sliced and added to rice or pasta salads, or other kinds of salads. etc.etc. It doesn't give garlic-breath as it's pickled. I prefer it chilled when using.
juliewn,
Sep 15, 4:59am
Pickled Onions: Peel onions and place in jars - I do this outside on our BBQ table - on a breezy day, and sit so the wind is going past you from one side of you to the other. and on. - and it takes all the eye watering stuff away! In each jar, place 2-4 tsps brown sugar (or honey if you prefer), and a tsp of whole black peppercorns. Fill with vinegar, place lids on and you're done. Leave two weeks before using. I use malt vinegar - you can also use white or spiced vinegar. You can also add some whole cloves or whole chillies for a hotter, spicier result.
juliewn,
Sep 15, 5:01am
Strawberry Jam - the season starts next month! Place strawberry's in a pan. any quantity youhave. Mash a bit with a potato masher or similar - or your hands, to get some juice out. Heat very slowly, stirring often so it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan, until boiling. Simmer about 10-15 minutes till the fruit is softened. Add some sugar, a little at a time, stirring constantly, and tasting until you have it the sweetness you want. Most recipes have equal quantities of fruit and sugar - we prefer more of a fruit flavour than sugar flavour though, so I use about 1/2 the quantity of sugar - ie 4kg fruit, 2 kg sugar. Once the sweetness is as you want, increase the heat, stirring constantly, until the mix is boiling.
juliewn,
Sep 15, 5:02am
Keep at a rolling boiling until a little tested on a saucer has the degree of setting you want. I place a tablespoon full of the juices on a saucer. Place it in the freezer for a moment to cool quickly, then run my finger through the middle of the jam. If the sides stay apart, it's ready to bottle - if the sides run back together - cook longer. Bottle into sterilised jars - and enjoy! You can use this method for any jams. Have fun.
juliewn,
Sep 15, 5:07am
Grape Juice - & for passionfruit, red currants,etc Place some preserving jars in the oven at 50°C - I use the pop-top jars from jam, pasta sauce etc.- if you don't have many, these are inexpensive at Opp shops - check that the undersides of the lids are not rusty when buying. Place the pop-top lids in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer to sterilise them.
juliewn,
Sep 15, 5:08am
Wash the grapes and leave in a colander to dry a little.Remove the grapes from the stems, and place them in a bowl. Bring to the boil some syrup - 1 cup sugar to 3 cups water. times the quantity you want. Stir often to dissolve the sugar. When that is boiling and the sugar is dissolved, remove the jars, a few at a time, from the oven and place on a wooden or similar surface (thick newspaper works fine too) so they won't break going straight onto a cold surface. Quickly fill each jar to 1/4 full with grapes. Carefully pour over the syrup, a little in each jar at a time, to completely fill the jars right to the top. Place the pop-top lids on and screw tight. Wipe the outside of the jar and set aside to cool. As they cool, the pop-top lids will pop down to seal the jar. Wash the jars when cold.
juliewn,
Sep 15, 5:11am
Make Healthy Christmas Mincemeat now to use later: Mince - or process - 2 cups each of currants, sultanas and raisins (I prefer the sticky raisins for better flavour - they're sold in a packet in supermarkets), and 2 large apples, cored - I use Granny Smith and use the skins too for extra fibre. I then add a packet of ground almonds, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. Mix well and use straight away or place into jars or containers and freeze till needed. Just delicious with a lovely fruit flavour - and lot's of 5 plus a day fruit! Healthy Christmas Mince Pie mincemeat.
juliewn,
Sep 15, 5:17am
Pickles Red Cabbage - also a nice gift. Cut a firm red cabbage into fine slices - or thick slices if you prefer. Sprinkle with plain (not iodised) salt and leave 24 hours. Drain well through a colander or similar. Heat spiced vinegar (use the DYC spiced vinegar or make your own). Place the well drained cabbage slices into hot sterilised jars - pop top jars are good as they'll pop down as they cool, and reseal.Fill the jars to the top with the hot spiced vinegar and place the lids on. Leave till cold - the lids will pop down to seal the jars. Once cold, wash the outside of the jars to remove any vinegar, and keep for at least a week before using. Tastes best chilled. This is great with cold meats, on an antipasto platter, on sandwiches, etc.
juliewn,
Oct 6, 12:56am
Hi Loopydog. I wouldn't keep it in a cupboard. due to the apple in it. It will keep well in a freezer. or if you want to make it on the day you make your Christmas mince tarts, that's fine too. it just takes moments to whizz together in a food processor. Use your processor to make the pastry, then wrap that in plastic wrap and set aside while you use the processor to whizz the fruit mince - no need to clean the processor after making the pastry. Makes for fast and easy wonderfully flavoured goodies.
Bring sugar & vinegar to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil until the sugar is dissolved and a thin syrup is formed. Stir in the garlic and ginger. When the mixture returns to the boil, add the tomatoes, raisins, sultanas & chillies. Bring to the boil again, stirring. Reduce heat to LOW & simmer until the mixture thickens & the solids become very soft. Stir from time to time. Remove from heat and when cool enough to handle salt to taste. Pour into sterilized jars and seal tightly.
juliewn,
Oct 6, 12:33pm
Yum. those recipes sound wonderful Spongeypud I like recipes like yours that use cooking time to reach the required thickness - and that don't need flour or cornflour to thicken them. I find the flavour is much better when thickening isn't used. Thanks for sharing your recipes with us all.
juliewn,
Oct 6, 12:37pm
Hi Finky. are you looking for a recipe that keeps the capsicums in large pieces, or smaller pieces as in a pickle or relish! Let us know here so we can help. One way I've tried for using larger pieces, is to use the sweetish/vinegary dressing mixture of a recipe for Bread and Butter pickles, and use just capsicums - or capsicums with sliced onion rings, in that dressing to preserve them. Would that be of help! Cheers. Julie
juliewn,
Oct 6, 12:40pm
ps. what are the ingredients listed on the side of the jar you've purchased - if you like those capsicums, a recipe using the same dressing ingredients would give you a similar result, so would be a good starting point to find a recipe you like.
books4nz,
Oct 13, 11:29am
Thanks for this information & the site links
juliewn,
Oct 15, 10:04am
You're welcome Loopydog. Most mincemeat recipes have suet/shreddo or other fats in them - I've adapted my recipe over the years so that it is fruit filled and very tasty - and no fat included. Cheers. Julie
juliewn,
Oct 15, 11:07am
Hi Pauline. there's no liquid added, though juice does come from the apples. it makes a nice textured filling for delicious Christmas Mince Tarts.
juliewn,
Oct 19, 9:47am
You're welcome Demsey. enjoy your goodies. Hi Friend. that's a great site. thanks for posting the link. great too that they answered so quickly for you.
juliewn,
Nov 1, 10:04am
Hi Timetable. I've not heard of adding marbles before. how do they work! Thanks for your help.
juliewn,
Nov 3, 10:22am
Hi Friend. yes it will be fine to use the extra pickling liquid you've bottled - just bring it to the boil again and proceed with the recipe. I do this also when I'm preserving fruit - I bottle any juice left over - and use it to add to fresh fruit salads; to place some in a glass and add lemonade to; add to non-alcoholic punch; or use in place of milk in any baking - this is particularly good with muffins. yum!
juliewn,
Nov 3, 10:25am
ps. Your suggestion of adding a note at the end of recipes regarding how the goodies can be served is a great idea. I always think that when reading through cooking books - or anywhere recipes are included. I'll add a note in the next few days of how the recipes I've posted can be used - hope it's of help. Cheers. Julie
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