BBQ Sauce for Canning

1¼ hours 45 min prep 20 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes
2 cups finely chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons nutmeg
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a saucepan combine onions, tomatoes, garlic, pepper flakes, and celery seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently until vegetables soften, about 30 minutes.
Working in batches, transfer mixture to a sieve placed over a galss or stainless steel bowl and press with he back of a spoon to extract all liquid and pulp. Discard solids.
Return liquid and pulp to saucepan. Add brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, mustard, ginger and cinnamon. Return to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened to the consistency of a thin bbq sauce, about 30 minutes.
Prepare canner, jars and lids. Jar the sauce leaving 1/2 in headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rim, place lids and bands.
Process 20 minutes.

Sunday Afternoon Tea Quick Pickled Cucumber and Onion

Sunday Afternoon Tea Quick Pickled Cucumber and Onion

2¼ hours 10 min prep 1 whole cucumber

1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

60 ml malt vinegar

75 g sugar

mint or parsley (to garnish)

Use a fork to run through the surface of the cucumber, vertically downwards, to obtain a fluted pattern when sliced.
Cut cucumber into thin slices and put into a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix well. Leave the cucumber for 10 minutes to absorb the salt then rinse with cold water. Drain off excess liquid in a colander. Return cucumber to the large bowl and add the sliced onions.
Combine sugar and vinegar together. Add to cucumber and onion slices and mix well.
Decant into a plastic container, and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours before serving.
Garnish with mint or parsley.
Keeps in the fridge for a week.

A British Classic – Pan Yan Pickle – the Real Thing!

A British Classic – Pan Yan Pickle – the Real Thing!

4 days 15 min prep 1 lb bramley apples, peeled, cored and minced

1 lb dates, minced

1 lb sultanas, minced

3/4 pint malt vinegar

1 lb soft brown sugar

2-3 teaspoons Madras curry powder

salt and pepper

Stir all the ingedients together and leave for 24 hours.

Put in clean and sterilised jars.

Tastes better after 2 weeks storage in a cool dry place and makes about 7 x 1/2 lb jars.

Add more curry powder to taste – it’s the curry powder that makes this pickle The Real Pan Yan Pickle!

Old Fashion Apple-Mint Jelly

1¾ hours 5 min prep 1-5 lb apples
water
honey
fresh mint leaves
Wash the apples and remove the stems and dark spots. Quarter but do not peel or core. Place in a medium size enamel pot.
Add just enough water to half cover the fruit. Cook over low heat until fruit is soft (about 1 hour) place cooked apples in a jelly bag and drain out the liquid. You will get more juice if you squeeze the bag but the jelly will be cloudy if you do.
Measure the juice. Add 1/2 c honey for each cup of juice. Boil until jelly is done.
To test if your jelly is done remove the syrup from the heat and scoop up a small amount of jelly with a cold metal spoon. Raise it about a foot above above the pot away from the steam and wait about 20 seconds. Tip the spoon so that the syrup slides off the side of the spoon. If the syrup forms two drops that flow together and slide off the spoon in one sheet the jelly should be done. If it slides off in several separate drops cook it longer.
Add 1/4 c mint leaves for every quart of juice. Stir and allow to cook 1 minute further.
Remove leaves and ladle into hot sterile jars. Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes or as according to canners instructions.
For special occasions you can pour hot jelly into buttered molds

Nectarine-Coffee Jam

3 hours 30 min prep 900 g nectarines (weighted after pitting)

300 g super gelling sugar (Dr. Oetker’s, read note)

7 tablespoons lime juice

5 tablespoons coffee beans (use your favorite coffee blend)

1 vanilla pod

After pitting the nectarines weight them to make 900 g. Puree half of the nectarines (i use the food processor). Cut the other half into small pieces.
Put fruit into suited pot. Add 6 tablespoons of lime juice and the super gelling sugar. Mix.
In a mortar pound the coffee beans and put into a suited cooking bag. Close bag and put into fruit mixture.
Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrap out the vanilla seeds. Put seeds aside and add the vanilla pod halves to the fruit mixture.
Let stand the fruit mixture for 2 hours.
After two hours bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat stirring all the time.
Let cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Then remove from heat and remove the vanilla pods and the coffee bag.
Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and vanilla seeds. Mix.
Fill into prepared twist off preserving jars and close jars. Let stand for 1 minute and then turn up side down. Let stand for 10 minutes and turn over again. Let cool completely.
NOTE on “Dr. Oetker’s Super Gelling Sugar 3:1″. Dr. Oetker is a well known brand in Germany. There are several gelling sugars available. The “3:1″ super gelling sugar already contains pectin and you only need 1/3 of sugar. If you can’t get it, you could also use Dr. Oetker’s 2:1 super gelling sugar.
NOTE on “Custom Yield”: this is always a guess. It depends mainly how much water evaporates during cooking. Sometimes I get more glasses, sometimes less. Have enough preserving jars at hand.

Cinnamon Peach Jam (Water Bath)

40 min 30 min prep 4 cups finely chopped peaches

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 (1 3/4 ounce) box ball original fruit pectin

1/2 teaspoon butter (optional) or margarine (optional)

5 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine prepared fruit with lemon juice in a 6 or 8 quart saucepan. Gradually stir in Fruit Pectin. Add up to 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.

Add entire meaure of sugar, at once, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Add cinnamon and gently stir.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars, one at a time leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Clean rim and threads of jars using a clean, damp cloth ot remove any residue.

Process in Water Bath for 10 minutes. After processing is complete, turn off heat and remove lid. Let jars stand for 5 minutes.

Remove jars from canner and set upright on a towel to cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours. Bands should not be retightened as this may interfere with the sealing process. After cooling test seals by pressing the center of each lid. If a lid does not flex up and down, it is sealed! If a lid is not sealed within 24 hours, refrigerate immediately for up to 3 weeks or reprocess for thte full lenght of time using a new lid.

Home-Made Crystallised Rose Petals

Home-Made Crystallised Rose Petals

My Mum taught me how to do these when I was about ten years old – I remember helping her pick the roses! I try to have a good store of crystallised rose petals, as they are such an imginative, beautiful and edible decoration for cakes and desserts etc. Make sure your rose petals are free from pesticides and are not traffic polluted either. The more the fragrant the rose, the more fragrant the taste when you eat them! I have given these as gifts before, in an attractive tin and with an attached recipe hanging from the ribbon – unusual and yet edible! They are wonderful as decorations for my Gorgeous Little Butterfly Cakes or Fairy Cakes!.

3¼ hours 15 min prep 20-50 fresh rose petals

1 egg white

1 cup caster sugar

baking parchment paper or greaseproof paper

Please note, in order to have this recipe posted, I had to put in quantities – they are approximate, depending on how many petals you are crystallising!

Use a fork to lightly beat the egg white and use the paint brush to ensure all surfaces of the petal is then covered. Use the tweezers to hold the petal.

Then dust the petal evenly with the sugar, place on the baking parchment/greaseproof paper so they are not touching and leave to dry in a warm room.

It will take approx 2 hours to dry.

Store them in an airtight tin, in between greasepoof paper for up to 3-4 months.

Use the rose petals to decorate cakes, trifles and desserts.

These make a wonderful gift also!

Home-Made Candied Angelica – for Cakes, Bakes and Desserts

An aromatic and graceful herb that I grow in my garden; Angelica is a member of the Parsley family, and is known mostly for it’s candied stems for cake decorating, as well as the leaves for teas, tisanes, jams and desserts. It is known as ‘Herb of the Angels’ (hence the name) because it was believed to have ancient medicinal properties. This elegant tall plant has a long firm stem and bright green leaves. If you have the time to candy your own angelica, it is well worth the effort – the commercial varieties have added colourants and flavourings, which is such a shame, as the subtle flavour of this beautiful herb needs no additives whatsoever. The instructions may seem longwinded, but it is very easy and is just repeating the same actions over several days, before drying them on a rack or screen and storing. Use the stems to decorate cakes, trifles and desserts.

6½ days 8 hours prep 3-4 sprigs angelica, at least 2 years old
1 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
caster sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Please note, in order to have this recipe posted, I had to put in quantities – they are approximate, depending on how many stems you are candying!

Cut angelica stalks in their 2nd year. Unlike many other plants, the big stalks are better as long as they are still green (not purple or white).

De-leaf, remove leaf stalks and cut into pieces of about 6 inches, and soak in cold water for about 8 hours.

Boil water and plunge the stalks inches Boil until the stalks begin to soften (add about half teaspoon of baking soda per pint of water to keep the vivid green colour, which is associated with ‘real’ candied angelica that is found in France) It also helps to soften.

Cool under running water, drain, then peel removing the long stringy parts on the outside of the stalks.

Put them into a syrup made up of of 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water; soak for 24 hours.

Cook in them in the syrup and repeat once a day for four days, by which time the angelica should be translucent without losing shape.

Remove the angelica stems from the pan and let them drain on a covered rack or screen until dry and glossy.

N.B.(You can roll the stems in caster sugar, BEFORE drying them on the rack/screen if you wish.).

Store in an airtight tin or jar, and in a cool, dark place; they will last for up to 2 years in the right storage conditions.

Cut the stems into appropriate lengths and use to decorate cakes, trifles, desserts or ice cream sundaes.

Blackberry Jam

30 min 30 min prep 2 quarts blackberries
7 cups sugar
3 ounces pectin

Completely crush the berries and remove about half the pulp and seeds using a strainer. Recover 4 cups of the juicy pulp and place into a deep saucepan.
Add the sugar and mix well.
Bring to a boil for 1 full minute.
Add pectin and mix thoroughly.
Bring to a boil and hold the boil for 1 full minute while stirring constantly.
Skim off foam and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour into hot, sterile jelly jars and seal.
Process 5 minutes in hot water bath.

Sweet and Spicy Garden Relish/ Chow Chow

A pickled relish is a cooked or pickled, coarsely or finely chopped vegetables (using what you have from cabbage to green tomatoes to zucchini just to have 4 quarts grated veggies before soaking) which is typically used as a condiment. I made this with a combination of home grown garden goodies. Served as a dipping sauce for breads or as a condiment to spread over the top of cornbread or top hot dogs and hamburgers, fresh grilled fish,chicken or mix with mixed with mayonnaise to make tartar sauce, and piccalilli can be mixed with mayonnaise or crème fraîche to make remoulade. Makes a great addition to a gift basket.

1 hour 30 min prep 1 habanero, minced

8 cups grated zucchini (or yellow squash)

3 large onions, grated

2 large carrots, grated

4 large bell peppers (red and green)

1/2 cup salt

3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon turmeric

3 cups vinegar

2 tablespoons pickling spices

Grate all the vegetables equalling 4 quarts, in a food processor then place in a large container. Add salt, cover with water and allow to stand for 1 hour.

While the vegetables are soaking, in a large pot, add the sugar, vinegar and pickling spice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.

Drain and rinse the vegetables well squeezing out all liquid; add to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes. Stir frequently.

Pour the relish into hot, sterilized pint jars, cover, process 15 minutes in a boiling bath.