Jams and chutneys: store cupboard preserves
Jams and jellies
Making jams and jellies is an excellent way of preserving fruit. Fruits with a high pectin content (pectin is a natural substance that is used as a gelling agent) are easiest to get a good set: examples include blackcurrants, gooseberries, plums, raspberries, cultivated blackberries and apples.
Gather fruits on a dry day when they are just ripe – this ensures the balance of pectin and sugar levels are at their best for jam making. Those with a low pectin content (such as strawberries, mulberries and ‘Morello’ cherries) need extra pectin. ‘Jam sugar’ (with added pectin), which is easy to use and readily available, gives the best results and I find it preferable to using liquid pectin from a bottle.
Jellies to accompany meat and game are also popular in modern cooking and apples are the best base – use windfall ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ apples or crab apples (cultivars of Malus). Whole spices or lemon zest can be added for flavour, as well as chopped fresh sage, mint or rosemary, which themselves can make useful preserves for winter. Also try adding chopped mint to redcurrant jelly for a flavoursome accompaniment to meats in a late winter meal.
Chutneys
Chutneys can be made from a host of vegetables and fruits, and are an ideal way of using up ripe or green tomatoes, courgettes, squash, plums or windfall apples, straight from the garden. Remove any damaged or blemished parts. The other essential ingredients for successful chutneys are vinegar, sugar, salt and spices. Onion and garlic give added flavour, too.
A food processor is a great help in preparing produce, but do not be
tempted to chop it up too finely or it will end up mushy and wet, instead of having good texture. Where possible, add home-grown herbs – chopped thyme or rosemary are my favourites. Infuse lemon grass and bay leaves in a muslin bag with conventional whole spices in chutney when simmering, and remove before adding sugar.
For safety reasons, avoid cooking chutney in brass, copper or iron pans as they react to the vinegar – use stainless steel or aluminium instead. Always use clean, sterilized jars with screw tops for preserving; Kilner jars are perfect, especially if the end result is to be given as a gift. Old-fashioned cellophane tops with wax circles are time consuming to secure and not suitable for chutney because the cellophane’s keeping quality is not robust enough for long-term storage.