Bottled essence of summer

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Posted at 5:02PM, 08 July 2009 by Carol Wilson - Food writer

The recent hot sunny weather has produced a bumper crop of summer fruits and vegetables, and with more of us growing our own produce, it makes sense to preserve what we can't eat.

I grow strawberries and raspberries, but I also buy anything being sold off cheaply at markets. Fruit and vegetables are usually sold at bargain prices because there's a glut or they're left over at the end of the day - and while they may not be premium quality, fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries can be made into wonderful jam.

A friend with a surplus of courgettes from his allotment has offloaded them on to me. I'll make a few jars of spicy chutney with them and also make further chutneys and relishes using French beans, tomatoes and carrots. Cucumbers can be pickled and other summer vegetables can be incorporated into piccalilli.

It's not much fun standing over a pan of boiling jam in a swelteringly hot kitchen while the sun blazes outside!

Over the last couple of weeks I've made lots of jam and varied the flavour by stirring a little rosewater into strawberry or raspberry jam or orange flower water into gooseberry jam just before potting. A broken cinnamon stick or split vanilla pod put in at the start of cooking adds a hint of extra flavour too. I make preserves in the evening when it's cooler - it's not much fun standing over a pan of boiling jam in a swelteringly hot kitchen while the sun blazes outside!

That brings me to my latest kitchen 'find', which I'm really excited about! An electric jam maker. It comes with jars, lids, ladle and its own recipe book - although as it's made in France, the recipes are for French-style jams which are runnier than British jams. I use British recipes and simply put the ingredients in the jam maker and press a button to start the programme. It bleeps when it's finished, then I just ladle the jam into jars. It also makes jelly (no need for a jelly bag and straining for hours) and even dulce de leche from fresh milk and sugar. There's also a programme for slow-cooked desserts such as rice pudding, but I haven't used that yet.

It's really rewarding to have a cupboard filled with jars of homemade jams, jellies, chutneys and pickles - even more when they're all homemade, which I think taste much nicer than commercial versions, which tend to be terribly over-sweet or packed with additives. Home-produced preserves make lovely presents for family and friends and are also a great way to raise funds for charity events.

Have you had a go at making preserves?

Comments

robert

9 July 2009, 7:48PM
robert

Its funny but you never hear of men making preserves! My grandmother used to make jam and my girlfriend has made jam and it was delicious, so I hope she'll be making more this summer. The jam maker sounds great and worth trying.

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mad auntie

13 July 2009, 1:40PM
mad auntie

My husband makes very nice marmalade - sometimes with a tot of whisky in it! He also makes a delicious hot and spicy Indian chutney just before Christmas to pep up leftovers.

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sioden

15 July 2009, 7:07PM
sioden

I'm living in a rural area of America ac the moment in a fflat above a woman's house. Her son lives down the road and they have loads of blueberry bushes. I've collected so much already it's crazy. luckily they freeze well, so when it gets a little cooler I'll start jamming them!!!

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miniminx

16 July 2009, 1:31PM
miniminx

I've just made some lovely cordial from a gone-wrong strawberry jam escapade (forgot and used ordinary instead of jam sugar)..........right at the end I infused a sprig of basil in it. The cordial's fab, and I'm looking forward to using it with a splash of vodka and topped up with soda water!

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Sue

17 July 2009, 2:27PM
Sue

I purchased a jam maker a while back. Have just got round to making two lots of strawberry jam, one with jam sugar (excellent consistency & taste) and one with ordinary sugar & pectin. The latter tastes as good as the former but is a bit runny. Looking forward to making raspberry jam at the weekend and blackberry soon (plenty of jam sugar in the cupboard now). Will then move onto chutneys!

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KirstyFish

2 August 2009, 7:36AM
KirstyFish

Oh lordy, i love to pickle and preserve! My friend and I started our own blog http://thebigstoveyear.blogspot.com and i have just made beetroot and orange preserve!

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KirstyFish

2 August 2009, 7:37AM
KirstyFish

P.S August 2009 - i'm not sure where you are in the country? but no chance of standing over a hot stove in the 'hot weather' where i am!

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Hilary

20 October 2009, 4:22PM
Hilary

Got loads of green cherry tomatoes any ideas?

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