Apricot and Rosemary Jam
Ingredients:
1kg apricots, stoned
3 cups sugar
4 tbsps finely chopped rosemary
zest and juice of one lemon
Method:
Place the broken up apricots and finely grated lemon zest in a heavy-bottomed pan and use the stick blender (or a potato masher) to break up well. Mix in the sugar and rosemary and cook to 130C boilng at that temperature for five minutes or so until the mixture looks nice a nd jammy and coats the back of the spoon.
Place in sterlised jars immediately and screw the lids on tightly. Leave to cool before labeling and dating - it won't last long though!
1kg apricots, stoned
3 cups sugar
4 tbsps finely chopped rosemary
zest and juice of one lemon
Method:
Place the broken up apricots and finely grated lemon zest in a heavy-bottomed pan and use the stick blender (or a potato masher) to break up well. Mix in the sugar and rosemary and cook to 130C boilng at that temperature for five minutes or so until the mixture looks nice a nd jammy and coats the back of the spoon.
Place in sterlised jars immediately and screw the lids on tightly. Leave to cool before labeling and dating - it won't last long though!
Spiced Apricot Jam
Ingredients:
1.5kg apricots, stoned large knob of fresh ginger, grated zest and juice of one orange zest and juice of one lemon 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 cup water sugar Method: Stir all the ingredients except the sugar in a large pot, bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour. Allow to cool a little. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl and discard the solids. Using a cup measurement, measure the purée back into the cleaned pot and then add the same cup measurement of sugar for each cup of liquid. Return to the heat and cook, stirring continuously to 130C (using a sugar thermometer) then boil for five to ten minutes, until the jam is just coating the back of the spoon. Turn into sterlised jars, fasten the lids and leave to cool before labeling and dating. |
Strawberry Compôte
Ingredients:
500g strawberries, hulled and halved if very large
100g sugar
1tbsp vanilla extract
50ml water
50ml strawberry or raspberry liqueur - or another 50ml water
Method:
Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot and bring to the boil stirring while the sugar dissolves. Turn down to a simmer and cook until the fruit is soft and the juices are thick and sticky. Transfer to a sterilised jar.
This is lovely with yoghurt or yoghurt and pancakes for breakfast or even rice pudding.
First made: Qatar 2006
500g strawberries, hulled and halved if very large
100g sugar
1tbsp vanilla extract
50ml water
50ml strawberry or raspberry liqueur - or another 50ml water
Method:
Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot and bring to the boil stirring while the sugar dissolves. Turn down to a simmer and cook until the fruit is soft and the juices are thick and sticky. Transfer to a sterilised jar.
This is lovely with yoghurt or yoghurt and pancakes for breakfast or even rice pudding.
First made: Qatar 2006
Peach, Tomato and Lime Chutney
Ingredients:
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
12 green peppercorns
2cm grated fresh ginger
2 peaches, peeled, stoned and roughly chopped
5 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and sliced
zest and juice 2 limes
3 dried chillies, crushed
85g brown sugar
200ml cider vinegar
75ml water
Cooking instructions:
Tie the cinnamon, star anise, and peppercorns securely in a muslin square.
Place this an all other ingredients in a large, heavy pot and bring to the boil, stirring while the sugar dissolves. Turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture has a thick, jammy consistency, cooking for longer if necessary.
Pour into sterilised jars while hot. Secure the lids then leave to cool before labelling and dating.
This is mega hot! If you'd rather it weren't, cut the number of dried chillies to 1 or leave them out altogether.
First made: 12th August 2013
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
12 green peppercorns
2cm grated fresh ginger
2 peaches, peeled, stoned and roughly chopped
5 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and sliced
zest and juice 2 limes
3 dried chillies, crushed
85g brown sugar
200ml cider vinegar
75ml water
Cooking instructions:
Tie the cinnamon, star anise, and peppercorns securely in a muslin square.
Place this an all other ingredients in a large, heavy pot and bring to the boil, stirring while the sugar dissolves. Turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture has a thick, jammy consistency, cooking for longer if necessary.
Pour into sterilised jars while hot. Secure the lids then leave to cool before labelling and dating.
This is mega hot! If you'd rather it weren't, cut the number of dried chillies to 1 or leave them out altogether.
First made: 12th August 2013
Plum Chutney
Ingredients:
2kg plums, stoned and roughly chopped
3 onions, sliced
200g raisins
3cm thumb of fresh ginger, grated
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
8 green peppercorns
2 pieces star anise
500g brown sugar
500ml red wine vinegar
350ml water
Cooking instructions:
Tie the cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns and cloves securely in a muslin square.
Place this an all other ingredients in a large, heavy pot and bring to the boil, stirring while the sugar dissolves. Turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture has a thick, jammy consistency, cooking for longer if necessary.
Pour into sterilised jars while hot. Secure the lids then leave to cool before labelling and dating.
First made: 16th August 2013
2kg plums, stoned and roughly chopped
3 onions, sliced
200g raisins
3cm thumb of fresh ginger, grated
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
8 green peppercorns
2 pieces star anise
500g brown sugar
500ml red wine vinegar
350ml water
Cooking instructions:
Tie the cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns and cloves securely in a muslin square.
Place this an all other ingredients in a large, heavy pot and bring to the boil, stirring while the sugar dissolves. Turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture has a thick, jammy consistency, cooking for longer if necessary.
Pour into sterilised jars while hot. Secure the lids then leave to cool before labelling and dating.
First made: 16th August 2013
Julia's Grandmother's Lemon Curd
My friend, Julia, whom I met in Germany in the nineties, used to make this all the time and have it every morning for breakfast on brown toast - well it's eggs, isn't it? I had it one morning when I was visiting her when we were all back in the UK and it was sooo much better than bought lemon curd. For some reason I didn't get the recipe then and I was in Qatar when I finally emailed her and said please, please. I've made it a few times but I try not to too much or the widening process would get worse!!
I've made it now so that we can eat some of it and put the rest into some Lemon Curd Ice Cream.
Obviously, since it was Grandma's, the recipe was in imperial measurements; I've updated it!
The jar on the right was full to the brim when I sealed it and the other nearly so; it obviously shrinks as it cools. Worth remembering. Let it cool before putting it in jars...
Ingredients:
475g caster sugar (although you can use granulated sugar too)
4 eggs
100g butter
4 lemons
Method:
Put the sugar and butter in a large-ish non-stick pan with the grated lemon zest and the juice of the lemons and gently heat till the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved completely. Whisk the eggs really well and add to the pan stirring constantly. Stir the mixture gently in a figure of eight round the pan as it thickens and comes to the boil. Turn it off and leave it to cool. Transfer to two sterilised 500g jars.
There may be wee white bits in the curd because of the eggs - that's all right. For the same reason, keep it in the fridge and use it up quickly.
I've made it now so that we can eat some of it and put the rest into some Lemon Curd Ice Cream.
Obviously, since it was Grandma's, the recipe was in imperial measurements; I've updated it!
The jar on the right was full to the brim when I sealed it and the other nearly so; it obviously shrinks as it cools. Worth remembering. Let it cool before putting it in jars...
Ingredients:
475g caster sugar (although you can use granulated sugar too)
4 eggs
100g butter
4 lemons
Method:
Put the sugar and butter in a large-ish non-stick pan with the grated lemon zest and the juice of the lemons and gently heat till the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved completely. Whisk the eggs really well and add to the pan stirring constantly. Stir the mixture gently in a figure of eight round the pan as it thickens and comes to the boil. Turn it off and leave it to cool. Transfer to two sterilised 500g jars.
There may be wee white bits in the curd because of the eggs - that's all right. For the same reason, keep it in the fridge and use it up quickly.
Chilli Jam
Ingredients:
500g tomatoes, chopped
3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 red chillies, chopped
250g soft light brown sugar
3tbsp vinegar
1tbsp fish sauce
Cooking instructions:
Whizz all the vegetables in the food processor until fairly smooth. Place in a heavy saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer for 40 minutes or so until thick and glossy.
Place in sterilised jars and seal while still hot.
This will keep for six months unopened, if you can wait that long! It keeps well in the fridge once you have opened it.
N.B. At the present moment - May 2013 - some of August's Chilli Jam is still in good shape and in the cupboard unopened.
500g tomatoes, chopped
3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 red chillies, chopped
250g soft light brown sugar
3tbsp vinegar
1tbsp fish sauce
Cooking instructions:
Whizz all the vegetables in the food processor until fairly smooth. Place in a heavy saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer for 40 minutes or so until thick and glossy.
Place in sterilised jars and seal while still hot.
This will keep for six months unopened, if you can wait that long! It keeps well in the fridge once you have opened it.
N.B. At the present moment - May 2013 - some of August's Chilli Jam is still in good shape and in the cupboard unopened.