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INTRODUCTION

There’s something very satisfying about opening a cupboard and surveying the splendid rows of gleaming glass jars filled with homemade jams, jellies, chutneys pickles and bottled fruits. It always gives me a warm glow of achievement to know that all these delicious preserves are homemade from garden produce – if not my own then from a local farmer or smallholder at a farmers’ market.

Preserving fruits and vegetables is one of the oldest culinary traditions. Fruit preserves have a long history – the ancient Greeks used to preserve quinces by packing them into jars filled with honey and storing them until the fruit was soft. The arrival of sugar in Europe caused a revolution in the kitchen and by the 17th century it was more readily available and affordable, and preserving fruits with sugar became very fashionable.

Preserving vegetables with salt and/or vinegar has also been practised since ancient times. Pickles were enjoyed in antiquity – Julius Caesar was reputed to have been very fond of pickles and Samuel Pepys mentions enjoying pickled ‘girkins’ in his famous diary. Pickled gherkins and cucumbers began to be made in the 16th century in Germany and are still enormously popular there and elsewhere, as is sauerkraut (salted fermented cabbage).

All types of preserves were originally made to preserve fruits and vegetables from an all too fleeting summer and autumn, ready for consumption during the cold, harsh winter months. A good harvest of summer and autumn crops could produce an abundance of fruits and vegetables; too many to be eaten immediately and in the days before refrigeration, these needed to be preserved before they perished.

Different methods of preserving were created to prevent the food from decaying and to enable its consumption out of season; but gradually as time passed, preserved foods became popular foods in their own right – sweet jams and jellies provided deliciously fruity spreads for plain bread and cakes; bottled fruits kept their shape and colour and could be enjoyed all year round; pickled and salted foods enhanced the taste of bland meals, and all could be enjoyed out of season. We still enjoy preserves today – who can resist a spoonful of homemade fragrant scarlet strawberry jam to brighten up simple bread and butter, or a helping of piquant chutney or pickles to enliven a plate of cheese or cold meats?

Previous generations had to preserve the culinary riches of summer and autumn for the bleak winter months out of necessity. Country housewives collected produce from cottage gardens and from the hedgerows, woods and fields, and preserved them with sugar, salt or vinegar. Some, such as bottled gooseberries and quince paste, were treasured as delicacies and were kept until Christmas to enjoy as a special treat.

The advent of refrigerators and freezers meant that people no longer had to rely on the old methods and the art of preserving was sadly almost lost for a while. Thankfully, self sufficiency is back in vogue, partly from a desire for high quality foods with that inimitable real homemade taste, and partly from a wish to enjoy traditional cooking and preserving. It is important that these skills are not lost, but making your own preserves is not only enjoyable but will save you money, too.

In our great-grandmothers’ day it was considered the norm for families to go out to gather fruits and vegetables in season, ready for ‘putting up preserves’ in marathon cooking sessions. Nowadays, thanks to modern kitchens and equipment, it is quicker and easier than ever to make tasty preserves.

Gardens, allotments, shops and the countryside all provide an abundance of produce in season and conserving a glut of seasonal produce is a time-honoured method of filling the kitchen larder. Whether your produce is home grown from your garden or allotment, gathered from the wild or a farm nearby, or bought from a shop to take advantage of a seasonal glut being sold cheaply, finding a ready supply of produce has never been easier.

Homemade preserves make great presents and are much appreciated by the recipient. They are always popular at food fairs and markets and are a wonderful way of raising funds for charity fundraisers. I’ve always enjoyed making preserves for friends and family, who love to receive them as gifts. There’s a particular pleasure in giving something you’ve made yourself and of course they taste so much better than large-scale commercial versions, which are often horribly oversweet or crammed with additives. What could be better than a shimmering amethyst blackberry jam or jelly made from freshly picked sun-ripened berries, or tangy pickled crunchy vegetables?

The preserving methods in this book are clearly explained, together with details of the equipment needed, information on ingredients, cooking techniques and storage instructions. The tried-and-tested recipes are clear and easy to follow with step-by-step instructions, plus a section at the end of each chapter on what can go wrong – usually this happens if a recipe isn’t followed correctly or the preserves are incorrectly stored.

You’ll find some old favourites as well as new and unusual preserves that will please you, your family and friends – and of course they have the added appeal of being made with love and care.

PRESERVING

There are several different methods of preserving fruits and vegetables and all give delicious results. Jams, jellies, fruit butters and curds, bottled fruits, chutneys, pickles and salted vegetables are all practical and economical ways to preserve seasonal produce.

Types of preserve

Jam is a thick mixture of fruit and sugar, cooked until the pieces of fruit are very soft and almost formless. Fruit jams were originally regarded as luxury foods and saved for celebrations and holidays.

Jelly is a crystal clear, translucent mixture made from fruit juice, sugar and sometimes pectin. It should be brilliantly clear and the texture should wobble, but still hold its shape.

Marmalade was originally a medieval confection made from quinces. Marmalades made from other fruits such as cherries and plums appeared in the 17th century, although these marmalades would not be familiar to us today, as they were firm enough to slice and were eaten as a dessert. As time passed, only citrus fruits were used to make marmalade. The first orange marmalade was made from bitter Seville oranges.

Fruit butter and curd don’t necessarily contain butter; the name refers to their velvety, almost creamy texture, which is stiffer and smoother than that of jam. Fruit butters are soft and spreadable, while curds are thicker. Both have only a short shelf life as they don’t contain as much sugar in proportion to fruit as jam, so are usually made in small quantities and stored in the refrigerator.

Chutney is a sweet-spicy relish made with sugar and vinegar. It originated in India (the name comes from chatni, meaning a strong, sweet relish) and first appeared in Europe in the 17th century, when it became very popular for pepping up bland foods. Chutney is cooked slowly to produce a rich, full flavour and may be very hot and spicy or mild and aromatic, depending on the ingredients used.

Pickles are a time-honoured method of preserving vegetables in a brine or vinegar mixture and may be sour, sweet, hot or mild. The English word ‘pickle’ is derived from the medieval word pikel, which meant ‘a spicy sauce served with meat or fowl’, which is related to the Middle Dutch word pekel, meaning a solution (usually spiced brine) for preserving and flavouring food. Vinegar is a powerful preservative as few bacteria can survive in its acidic environment. The vegetables stay crisp and develop a tangy flavour. Cucumbers are the most commonly pickled vegetables in Eastern Europe, often with spices, herbs, and sometimes a few oak or cherry leaves are added to the vinegar for extra flavour.

Bottling fruit is a practice that dates back to antiquity; the ancient Romans filled jars with fruits and covered them with juice, wine, vinegar or honey, then sealed the jars to make them airtight. Nowadays bottled fruits are prepared by sterilising the fruit in large wide-necked jars, so that the fruit stays whole. Any fruit can be bottled, including fruits such as peaches and tomatoes, which can’t be preserved by freezing. Bottled fruit keeps indefinitely and is ready to serve as soon as it is made. As the fruit remains whole, bottled fruit is usually eaten as a dessert with cream, ice cream or custard, or used in trifle, etc.

Salting vegetables is an ancient method of preservation and is excellent for preserving runner and French beans in particular, which have a completely different flavour from canned or frozen beans. In Eastern Europe salting vegetables and even some fruits is a common practice. Salted white cabbage (sauerkraut) is left until it has fermented and is particularly popular in Germany and Eastern Europe. Fermented foods are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, as the process of fermentation increases the amounts of certain vitamins; sauerkraut for instance is a very good source of vitamin C and was often included in military rations in ancient armies and was used to prevent scurvy.

Jams, jellies and marmalades

These jewel-coloured fruit preserves have been popular for hundreds of years and are an economical way of using up a glut of fruit and wonderful for preserving the flavours of luscious seasonal fruits to enjoy all year round. They are delicious as a spread for bread, a filling for tarts and sponge cakes and melted as a dessert sauce for ice cream.

Equipment

Use a large, deep heavy-based pan with plenty of room for the mixture to boil rapidly without boiling over. Special preserving pans are available, which are wider at the top with sloping sides to aid evaporation and ensure setting point is reached more quickly. It’s worth investing in a preserving pan if you intend to make a tlot of preserves.

A sturdy wooden spoon with a long handle is best to ensure your hands are not too close to the boiling mixture when stirring.

A sugar/preserving thermometer is useful, but not essential, to test that the correct temperature for setting point has been reached.

For jelly-making you will need a jelly bag (from cookware shops) which should be scalded first by pouring boiling water through it, so that the fruit juices don’t soak into it.

A wide funnel is helpful when filling the jars, but a jug or a small ladle can be used instead.

Kilner (Mason) jars are ideal for storing homemade preserves and come in a range of sizes. A Kilner jar is a glass jar which has a lid in two sections to ensure an airtight seal. Originally a glass disc sat on top of the jar and was then secured in place with a metal screw band containing a rubber seal. Nowadays both sections of the lid are usually made from metal. The original Kilner jar is sometimes mistaken for the more widely available glass jar with a rubber seal and a metal hinge, which when closed forms an airtight seal. These jars can be used instead of Kilner jars.

Self-sufficiency

Preserving

JAMES, JELLIES, PICKLES AND MORE

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

PRESERVING

Types of preserve

Jams, jellies and marmalades

Equipment