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Posted at 11:33AM, 10 August 2009 by Mary Cadogan - Food writer

It's getting to the point where I am scared to leave the house in case there is a box or bag on my doorstep when I return.

The fantastic run of hot weather interspersed with heavy rain has meant everyone has had heavy crops of fruit and vegetables this summer. As the French never want to waste a thing, that means finding a home for all their excess produce, and I seem to be a prime target.

Not that I'm ungrateful- don't get me wrong. It's just that with features to write, cookschool schedules to plan, recipes to test and deadlines to meet there is precious little time to squeeze in jam and chutney recipe making and freezing on an industrial scale. Every conversation is peppered with throwaway remarks such as "want any courgettes?" or "do you have enough beans", or worst of all, "I've got 5kg of plums in the car for you".

And there's also the emergency phone calls. I pick up the phone and the panicky voice of a neighbour tells me I must come and pick her cherries today or they'll be wasted. And the worst of it is that the greedy part of me always seems to win out and I find myself saying "yes that would be lovely". Thoughts of being holed up in the winter with a cupboard full of gleaming jars of gorgeous things to eat, a freezer full to bursting, and being able to enjoy a warming glass of fruit vodka to ward off the cold brings out the proud hoarder in me.

So I have set aside this afternoon to bottle and boil, simmer and stir until the kitchen resembles an alchemists lab, and I have serried rows of preserves that would make my mother proud.

Comments

schubun

10 August 2009, 4:05PM
schubun

I'm a 2nd year novice gardener and there is nothing better than being able to grow your own veg and then eat the fruits of your labour! I only have a small garden but have had a glut of marrows (I originally thought I was growing courgettes!) so far this year and luckily family members and colleagues have welcomed the free gifts - marrow soup is to die for by the way. We also picked our first ripe tomato on Saturday and it was delicious, far superior taste to shop bought, roll on the rest of the season and I look forward to expanding my kitchen garden even further next year!

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D. Vader

10 August 2009, 4:09PM
D. Vader

Sounds brilliant, Mary, but what do you do with all those jams, preserves and chutneys? If your generous nature results in them all being given away to the providers, visitors and guests, then you and your family won't get to enjoy the fruits of all your labours.

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jenny

10 August 2009, 5:17PM
jenny

i grow as much as i can at home & also work on a pick your own farm. At home we had a few marrows that got a little large, so we have a freeze stocked with ratatouille & zucchini bread, and our runner & french beans have produced more than we have been able to keep up with, providing another freezer stock. I have used 8lb of strawberry seconds to make wine myself & i know others have made blackberry vodka & jams of 3 different varieties. When the season ends at the end of october, i expect i shall be stocking the freezer with whole corn on the cobs too!

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miniminx

10 August 2009, 6:51PM
miniminx

roll on the jam-making....although, come christmas, i have to freecycle most of it to make room for january's marmalade! i love everything about fruit and making jam...except having to eat the damned stuff three times a day for the rest of my life! sometimes i just want peanut butter :( maybe the next blog should be about how to use up all these preserves...

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Sarah

11 August 2009, 1:28PM
Sarah

I've just spent a whole morning trying to get my blackberry jelly to set - its just not going to happen - does any one know how I can salvage what I have or is it a plug hole job?

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Sarah

11 August 2009, 1:30PM
Sarah

Blackberry vodka sounds interesting do you know the recipe?

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Sarah

11 August 2009, 1:30PM
Sarah

Blackberry vodka sounds interesting do you know the recipe?

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Mary Cadogan

12 August 2009, 9:41AM
Mary Cadogan

Sarah, if you pou equal quantities of liquid blackberry jelly and vodka into a bottle or jar and leave it for 3-4 weeks, shaking occasionally you will have a delicious drink that you could have neat, over ice or topped up with tonic or sparkling water. If there are any pips of sediment in the jelly simply pass it through a muslin lines colander to get a clearer finish.

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jenny

12 August 2009, 9:38PM
jenny

Sarah - I don't think there were set quantities. It went along the lines of take a demijohn fill with x amount of ripe blackberries, x amount of sugar (depending on whether you want something syrupy to drink with a mixer or something thinner to drink straight) and then fill to the top with vodka, and seal. J leaves his for a year to mature before straining and bottling!

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Sarah

13 August 2009, 12:41PM
Sarah

Mary and Jenny thanks - I will try both as I have a massive amount of blackberries

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barbara

13 August 2009, 1:32PM
barbara

Hi Mary my husband and I are looking at the prospect of a trip to the Languedoc region in August next year. We both love cooking and would love to tie it in with a cooking class in the region. Would you be able to advise on courses or put me in touch with a web site. I will find out the exact town as we will be going with friends. Many thanks Barbara

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Mary Cadogan

13 August 2009, 5:00PM
Mary Cadogan

Barbara- I don't know of a specific cooking course in the Languedoc region, but I can't resist suggesting to you that you break your journey down and spend a day or two at my cookschool in the Charente. We are now doing tailor made courses of 2 days or more which might appeal to you. Our website is www.marycadogan.com If you want any more info so email me through the website.

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marmalady

15 August 2009, 8:56PM
marmalady

I recently made the happy discovery that marrow can be used in pumpkin pie instead of pumpkin, and the finished article looks and tastes exactly the same! but then I suppose it's the brown sugar and spices that give the pie its taste anyway! Try it, it's great....

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emma123

17 August 2009, 1:46PM
emma123

I made jam for the first time this summer and I will never buy jam again!! It was easy to make I just used fruit + preserving or jam sugar . I made apricot ,strawberry,gooseberry blackberry + raspberry. Sadly not from my own garden from grreengrocers + pick your own. My cupboard is full +I feel like a domestic goddess!! slight change of subject once a bottle of homemade sloe gin (given to us for christmas) has been open how long does it keep ? I am assuming it is peservd so it will be fine forever? Any ideas

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Heidi

30 August 2009, 7:11PM
Heidi

On the jam failing to set question, I had this happen to me before on bramble jelly (surprisingly hard to judge the setting point on vs. other jams I find) and what I did was empty out the jars, reboil and retest. Set a treat the second time.

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