Recipe: Chilli Jam

Yay. Finally, I can give up preserving for a while. My room is full of jars and i have spent so much time and a fair amount of money this year making all these things. I've just got to make chilli jam until the frosts kill my chilli plants, and i'm all done. In this recipe, it's hard to judge how hot the recipe is going to be, because there are so many different sizes and varieties of chilli, all with different heat (or "scoville") ratings. The ones i've been picking from outside "Apache" chillies, are fairly hot, and very little. I would guess using 8 "normal" large red chillies that you get in the supermarket would do the trick though. This Jam is not that hot really, its just delicious and peppery and sweet- would be a good accompaniment to asian dishes (like spring rolls/tempura etc), and dad actually loves it in cheese sandwiches! He'll put chilli in anything, lol!

Chilli Jam (makes about 4-5 normal jam jars)

8 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
15 little red chillies
10g crushed ginger
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
½ tsp chilli flakes
750g sugar
200ml red wine vinegar
50ml cider vinegar

1. Blend the peppers and chillies in batches in a food processor until finely chopped. Add all the ingredients to a large pan, bring to the boil, skim any scum that forms, and cook on a high temperature for 1 hour and 10 minutes, stirring often.
2. Pour into jars, allow to cool, and then seal!

Recipe: Apple and Brazil Nut Chutney

Phew, at last- my final batch of apple based chutney of the year! At the moment i am just drowning in jars of preserves and i really honestly need to stop making things! The only thing i've got left to make is a couple of batches of chilli jam, and then I'm done. I've definitely stored up enough stuff this year to not even have to bother making anything next year actually, which is a good thing because i'm sure by February-time i'll be up to my ears in my degree work/revision. This chutney is a festive tasting, very sweet chutney. I would say interestingly that this chutney would go best with meats such as duck and pheasant, due to it's orange flavour and it's sweetness.

Apple and Brazil Nut Chutney

6 small white onions, thinly sliced
950g peeled diced apples
200g Brazil nuts, diced
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp allspice
Zest and Juice of 1 Orange
400ml cider vinegar
450g sugar

1. Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan, put on a high heat, and cook covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat and allow to settle for 10 minutes, then transfer to jars. Allow to cool, and then seal with the lids.

Recipe: Apple and Cranberry Chutney

I'm so pleased with how this chutney turned out- not sure whether it really shows up in the photo i took, but the jars look really beautiful. The deep red colour looks really attractive, and i think these will make perfect Christmas gifts. This chutney would work very well at Christmas dinner actually, now that i think of it- the apples are good if you're eating roast pork, and the cranberries of course are the classic accompaniment to roast turkey! On the cheeseboard too, I think this chutney would go really well with wensleydale- cranberries and wensleydale go really well together, infact you can buy the cheese with cranberries already in it from the supermarkets. Almost finished with the preserving this year though, I am drowning in various jars of things now- I need to give it a rest soon!!

Apple and Cranberry Chutney

900g peeled diced apples
300ml red wine vinegar
2 large white onions, finely diced
300g dried cranberries
400g sugar
20g crushed ginger

1. Put all ingredients in a large pan, on a high heat, covered, for 15 minutes.
2. Lower the heats, remove the lid, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally (but not too much- you don’t want to break down the chunks of apple completely).
3. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then pot and seal. Wait for two weeks and serve!

Recipe: Apple and Sage Chutney

I realised that this food blog has started to become a bit of a preserving/jamming blog these days! It's always the way though, I would say that August through to November is the time when people get all their jam jars out and have a go at turning their homegrown/home gathered produce into things that will keep for the rest of the year. The good news is that certainly for the next month, I will be getting a nice steady stream of scrumptious apples, courtesy of my friend Ralph who has a shared garden full of fruit trees. It's a regular oasis, ralph's garden, with damsons, plums, pears, apples and blackberries- I must admit i'm a little bit jealous! Anyway, the more apples he gives me, the more jars of apple chutneys/preserves he'll be getting back- I think thats a fair deal! With most, if not all, apple based chutneys, you should avoid heavy stirring, because it's nice to try and keep chunks of apple in the chutney, rather than it all mushing down.

Apple and Sage Chutney (makes 2kg)

1.8kg cooking apples (unpeeled/uncored weight), peeled and diced
2 large white onions, finely diced
20g fresh sage, finely chopped
120g sultanas
550g sugar
170ml red wine vinegar
230ml cider vinegar
50ml Worchester sauce

1. Put all the ingredients into a large pan, covered, and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes.
2. Uncover (by this time the mixture should be boiling), and cook on a medium heat for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, but gently (to try and stop the apple pieces from “mushing up” too much).
3. Allow to settle for 10 minutes, pot, and seal!

Recipe: Blackberry Jam

Simple, but oh so good. The smell and taste of blackberries (that you've gone out and picked yourself- not from the shop) symbolise both autumn, and home to me. It's one of my favourite flavours because going out and picking blackberries was always one of the great things to do when I grew up in the countryside. Mum would always make a pie or a crumble with them, or later my first few experiments with jams- that got me interested in preserving- were always with mixtures of blackberries, elderberries and plums. Basically because that's what we had growing in the garden! It was funny, when i went blackberrying the other day, after i'd picked a few, Misty (my dog) started copying me and started picking the blackberries off the brambles and scoffing them! I sware my dog is so weird, she likes fruit and veg! She nicks potatoes, and gobbled up almost a pound of green beans that I picked the other day. Gawd i have to keep my eye on her these days. Anyway, this is a scrummy jam, really nice on toast with loads of peanut butter (although not Elvis style, with bacon too, lol!!)

Blackberry Jam (makes 1.2kg ish)
1.5kg fresh blackberries
225ml apple juice (from concentrate)
1200g sugar
45ml lemon juice.

1. Bring all the ingredients in a large pan to a rolling boil, and boil for 50 minutes, stirring often.
2. Pot, allow to cool for a couple of hours, and seal!

Recipe: Green Bean Piccalilli

Had to google how to spell piccalilli, haha, i'm such a dunce. I'm not actually a huge fan of piccalilli, i think maybe it's the gloopy texture and the cauliflower in it- don't like the taste of picked cauliflowwer, just doesn't seem right. However, this green bean piccalilli i've made here with my glut of green beans is very addictive- could polish off a jar of this with a big chunk of cheddar and crusty wholemeal bread in no time. It has a slightly runnier texture compared to most piccalillis, but that's just how i prefer it. If you want it thicker, cooking it for a further 5 minutes at the last stage will probably do the trick.

Green Bean Piccalilli (makes about 1.6kg)

450g finely diced white onions
360ml cider vinegar
80ml white wine vinegar

750g diced green/French beans

10g celery salt
10g turmeric
10g mustard seeds
30g flour
40g English mustard powder
200ml red wine vinegar

500g sugar

1. In a large saucepan, bring the white onions and vinegars to the boil, and then simmer on a low heat, covered, for 20 minutes.
2. In another pan, fill with water and boil the green beans for 10 minutes, drain, then set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together all the spices/ flours, and stir in the red wine vinegar, stirring until this mixture has no lumps.
4. Add this spice mixture to the onions, increase the heat to high, and stir continuously for 5 minutes. Add the blanched green beans and sugar, and cook for a further 20 minutes on a medium/high heat, stirring often.
5. Allow to settle for 10 minutes, then pot.

Recipe: Spicy Courgette and Tomato Chutney

Bit of a glut of courgettes again this year- not as many as last year, due to the fact that slugs got one of the three courgette plants very early on, but the other two are producing fairly well. I thought i'd have a go at preserving courgettes this year, since i didn't have a go last year. Courgette chutneys/pickles arent the most common of preserves, you don't really see them much in the shops, but this is rather delicious actually. Courgettes, tomatoes and chilli work very well as a flavour combination, and i think these will make good christmas presents, because it looks rather a nice colour in the jars. Oh yeah, you don't have to add the apple in 15 minutes later if you don't want to, you can add it at the beginning with the rest of the ingredients- it's just I had to because my pan wasn't big enough!

Spicy Courgette and Tomato Chutney (makes about 2.5kg)

1kg finely diced courgettes
1kg finely diced cherry tomatoes
3 large white onions, finely diced
4 apples, peeled and finely diced
340ml red wine vinegar
260ml cider vinegar
500g sugar
25g mustard seeds
3 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tsp crushed ginger
8 garlic cloves, crushed

1. Put all the ingredients into a very large saucepan, except the apples, and boil for 15 minutes. Add the apples and simmer for a further 2 hours and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Allow to settle for 10 minutes, and pot.

Recipe: Beetroot and Orange Chutney

This is a wonderful preserve- that goes SO well with goats cheese and walnuts. I think with the citrus and mixed spice it tastes a little "christmas-y" so this might be a nice recipe to make ahead for your homemade Xmas pressies! This year i'll be giving people various jams/jellies/chutneys, but also having a go at making my own Sloe Gin. I've never made it before but it should be allright, my last few flavoured alchohols (raspberry vodka, blackberry brandy, elderberry vodka) have worked and gone down quite well, so Sloe gin can't be much more difficult to produce. Try this chutney on a cheeseboard, or alternatively try using it on crostinis or tarts for beautiful colour and a little zing!

Beetroot and Orange Chutney (makes about 800g)

500g peeled and diced beetroot
2 oranges, zest and juice
2 apples, peeled and diced
2 small white onions, peeled and diced
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp mixed spice
180ml white wine vinegar
100ml cider vinegar
20ml red wine vinegar
300g sugar

1. Bring all ingredients to the boil and cook on a fairly high heat for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Allow to settle for 10 minutes, and pot.

Recipe: Damson Jam

Not sure whether you can even call this a recipe, but after making a few recipes using different amounts of damsons/sugar/water, with different times of cooking, i think i've got this pretty darn nailed. Takes a very very long time to get two kilograms of stoned damsons (about 1hr and a half/ two hours) but it's worth it- they make a very tasty pretty looking jam. The only weird thing i found with damsons is that unlike other fruit, when I jam them, they produce a copious amount of pink foam/scum, that you have to skim off before you pot it. I'm not really sure why- maybe plums do this as well? Anyway, wish i had some more of them really, only made a couple of presentable batches (after a few practices) and i've only got 5 jars left!



Damson Jam (makes 10 jars)



2kg stoned damsons

1800g sugar

800ml water



1. Boil everything in a large pan for around 1 hour 15 minutes. Be sure to watch it constantly, to avoid boiling over.

2. 15 minutes before potting, start spooning as much of the pink scum off the surface of the jam, removing as little of the liquid along with it as possible.

3. Remove from the boil and pot.

Recipe: Red Onion Chutney

Hey guys. Well, gotta admit, you may see a little less of me over the next couple of months. Well these past couple of weeks, not only have I had my exams to worry about, and arranging the usual Glastonbury Festival "holiday", but i've got a new job too! Don't worry, I havent quit the garden centre job that I love, but basically i've got a job for the summer at new restaurant chain "The Cosy Club". Nice menu (sorta ciabattas, paninis, all day breakfast, tapas, and specials), Nice people, and rather a lot of hours! So until I (hopefully) get to Uni in October, there might be a few less posts than usual! This red onion chutney is stunnin', fab with a big slab of brie, in a cheese sandwich, or with a juicy homemade burger!

Red Onion Chutney (makes 750g)

110ml olive oil
1kg peeled and thinly sliced red onions (about 10/11 onions)
1 tsp dried thyme
400g caster sugar
150ml red wine vinegar
250ml cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
50g finely chopped cocktail gherkins

1. In a large saucepan, fry the onions and thyme in the olive oil, on a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add sugar, stir in, and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the vinegars, and cook on a medium heat for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Take the chutney off the heat, and skim off any excess oil with a ladle. Mix in the chopped gherkins, add a little salt and pepper, and spoon into jars.

Recipe: Spiced Apple and Apricot Chutney

Stocking up my chutney stores! I have a fair few jars now, i might chillour for a bit on my frantic preserving! I love it though, makes me feel all economical and somewhat "Victorian". I used almost all my jellies, jams and chutneys over Christmas as gifts. Homemade preserves, or homemade flavoured spirits (i have made blackberry vodka, raspberry vodka, elderberry vodka, blackberry brandy, etc.) make the best gifts, in my opinion. Because it shows you have put some effort and thought into it, and it's fairly economical as well. This chutney is really nice with smoked cheese, like applewood cheddar....mmm.... have you ever tried that? It's UBER tasty. Reminds me of the countryside, and autumn bonfires, lol!

Spiced Apple and Apricot Chutney (makes 1.2kg)

750g diced peeled cooking apple
250g diced dried soft apricots
1 small white onion, finely diced
50ml cider vinegar
50ml white wine vinegar
200ml red wine vinegar
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp mustard powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
250g sugar

1. In a large saucepan, bring all the ingredients to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Ladle the chutney into jars, allow to cool, and seal. Leave for two weeks before consuming.

Recipe: Apple and Mint Jelly

This jelly is really lush. Since I made all those different flavours of crabapple jellies last autumn i've really got into the nack of making them! They aren't much harder to make than jams really, it just involves two more stages, the boiling of the fruit and then the straining. Then you just chuck the liquid in a pan with all the sugar and neccessary flavourings, and heat up until it gets to a setting point, like you do with jam. This jelly goes fantastically with roast lamb- a big chunk of melt-in-the-mouth roast shoulder of lamb, with a generous spoonfull of mint jelly- what more do you want!?!?

Apple and Mint Jelly (makes about 600g)

800g diced cooking apples (cores and all!)
1300ml water
15g fresh mint leaves, torn roughly
350g sugar to 500ml of drained apple liquid (70%)
50ml of white wine vinegar, to 500ml of drained apple liquid (10%)
1 tbsp dried mint

1. In a large saucepan add the diced apples, water and fresh mint. Bring to the boil and then simmer, lid on, for 35 minutes.
2. Strain through a jelly bag/muslin for 3 hours.
3. Put the apple liquid with the appropriate measures of sugar and vinegar into a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, skimming any scum that forms at the surface. Stir constantly for about 15 minutes.
4. Pour into jars and wait to cool and set. Seal with a lid.

Recipe: Fig and Apple Chutney

Hey everyone. Needed to stock up my jams/jellies/chutneys/general preserves collection recently as I gave most of mine away as Christmas and recent Birthday gifts. I like to keep a fair few jars or delights ready for people, and of course make chutneys whenever I can be bothered really! This fig and apple chutney goes so well with cheese, particularly cheddar. However, because of the sweetness from the allspide and red onions it also goes very well with french cheeses such as brie and camambert. My lovely bloggers, I am off to New York for about a week, so will fill you in with all the details about the holiday (and the delicacies consumed therein) when I come back. Ciao Bellas!

Fig and Apple Chutney (makes about 1.3kg)

500g soft dried figs, sliced
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 medium cooking apples, peeled and diced
1 tsp allspice
¼ tsp chilli flakes
350g Demerara sugar
200ml red wine vinegar
200ml white wine veingar
A few grinds of black pepper
Juice of ½ a Seville orange (or a lemon)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed ginger

1. Put all ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove temperature to a medium heat, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Put into jars and allow to cool. The chutney will be ready to eat in two weeks!

Recipe: Seville Orange Marmalade

My first marmalade! It is absolutely delicious, Wow!!!! A little more messy to make than the other jams, jellies and chutneys that I have made, but I pretty much got it down to a tee here. Only mistake I made on the first batch- the strips of orange were too long. Like I sliced them thinly enough but the strands were too long so it was vaguely difficult to eat. Apart from that, perfect! Its is a really beautiful dark colour and has got such a lovely tangy flavour. If you want to make your own seville orange marmalade this year, I would get your skates on, because they have a very short season and are only available in this country in February!

Seville Orange Marmalade (makes about 1.5kg)

1kg Seville oranges
2 lemons
2250ml water
1350g sugar

1. Boil the Oranges and lemons whole in the water, covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove fruit from the water and allow to cool (Also, remember to keep the water!).
2. Remove the pulp from the inside of the fruits, and set aside. Keep the pulped orange skins, but throw away the pulped lemon skins. Slice the orange skins finely and add back to the pan with the water.
3. Press the pulp into a sieve and move about with a spoon, so as to get some of the liquid out of it but none of the stringy bits/ seeds. Add this liquid to the pan with the oranges and water.
4. Add sugar, and bring mixture the mixture to the boil, stirring occasionally. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook for 40 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Allow mixture to cool for 20 minutes, then stir up. This is to avoid all the orange peel floating to the top when you jar it up. Add the marmalade to preserving jars, and seal.