Old-Fashioned Peach Preserves

Peaches are in abundance right now, so this is a great time to make peach jam. Local farmers markets have great prices on stone fruit at this time of year, but this won't last for long, so get in fast and take advantage of the current favourable buying conditions.

The following recipe is simple to follow and the addition of the almond extract packs a big punch

Ingredients:

1.6kg peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped

5 cups of sugar

¼ cup lemon juice

6-7 teaspoons of pure pectin (if using alternative method)

¾ teaspoon almond extract.

Directions:

1. Combine the fruit, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy based, 6-8 litre jam making pot. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

2. Boil slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. The fruit will become translucent. Continue to boil until the cooking thermometer reaches 105 degree, C, which is the setting point of jam.

3. ALTERNATIVELY, you may cook the mixture until thickened and the fruit is translucent, but instead of continuing to cook until the jam reaches 105 degrees, add 6-7 teaspoons of Green Living Australia's Pure Pectin. Boil for five minutes more and then remove from heat.

4. Stir in the almond extract.

5. Skim off any foam that has formed on the top of your jam with a metal spoon. Ladle jam into sterilized jars, allowing a centimeter headspace. Cap with new lids.

6. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Adjust for altitude as necessary. Remove jars from boiling water using a jar lifter to ensure you do not burn yourself.

This jam is full of flavour and I love to add it to my yoghurt in the morning for breakfast.

Strawberry and Rose Jam

I was at the Rocklea Markets in Brisbane the other day and found some wonderful strawberries at the right price. When making my purchase I was chatting with the grower and told him I was making jam. He very kindly then gave me three kilos of strawberries that were no longer perfect, just a little over ripe, and no longer good for sale on his stall. I very gratefully accepted this gift, went home and made strawberry and rose jam

Recipe

Ingredients

1.5 kilos of strawberries washed and hulled and then cut in half.

1.5 kilos of sugar

1/3 cup of lemon juice

4-5 teaspoons of Green Living Australia’s Pure Pectin

3 teaspoons of rose water or rose essence

Directions:

1. Place the strawberries in the preserving pan and add the lemon juice

2. Simmer, stirring frequently until the strawberries are tender.

3. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boil and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

4. Add 4-5 teaspoons of Pure Pectin, return to the boil and boil rapidly for an additional 5 minuted. Remember that you will need more pectin if the fruit is ripper as the ripper the fruit, the lower the natural pectin in the fruit. As my fruit was a little over ripe, I used 5 teaspoons of Pure Pectin.

5. Add three teaspoons of rose essence and quickly stir through.

6. Remove from the heat.

7. Skim any foam that form off the top.

8. Ladle your jam into hot sterilized jars and cap with new lids.

9. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

10. Remove the jars from the bath using a jar lifter and allow to cool naturally on your kitchen counter.

11. Label and store in your pantry.

This jam has a lovely aroma and you can really taste the rose coming thought.

Making your own cheese room

I recently received an e-mail from a customer who has definitely become addicted to cheese making, so much so that he has made himself a cheese room. I was so impressed with what Dave has done, that I wanted to share his passion with you all.

E-mail:

"About 6 months ago I decided I liked cheese and began trying to eat my way through the world’s cheeses piece by piece. Then I thought it would be great to find out how they made all of this wonderful food. I enrolled in a 5 day cheese making course at the TAFE (Technical and further Education) and thoroughly got hooked.


We then decided to convert half of an outside sleep-out into a cheese room and although I went a bit overboard it has worked out fantastic; stainless benches and sinks, cupboards and shelves, pH meters and all the paraphernalia.

We have made two batches of Camembert and some whole milk ricotta over the last two weeks and we are slowly getting the idea. I have today enrolled in another TAFE 5 day Italian cheese making workshop and can't wait to start."

As you can see above, Dave has made himself a fantastic area to make cheese in and is obviously enjoying the making of the cheeses as much as the eating...... well maybe.

Pear Chutney

Another pear recipe. Yes, I know. You are probably over pears by now, but the key to food self-sufficiency is to grow your own or buy what is in season, when the price is low, and preserve, preserve, preserve.

This chutney goes great with cheese and crackers, and can also be served with meats such as salami and cabana.

 Ingredients

1.5kgs pears

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 ¼ cups brown sugar

1 medium to large onion, finely chopped

1 cup sultanas

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Peel, core and dice the pears into cubes of approximately 1-2cm.

2. Place your vinegar and brown sugar into a pot and bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sugar dissolves.

3. Add all the remaining ingredients to the pot and return the mixture to the boil.

4. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chutney thickens and reduces by about 1/3. This will take about 2 hours.

5. Remove your pot from the heat and fill your hot, sterilised jars with your chutney, being sure to leave a head space of about 2cm.

6. Cap your jars with new lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes

7. Remove your jars from the boiling water bath with your jar lifter and place them on a tea towel on your kitchen counter and allow to cool.

8. Once cool, label and store in your pantry.

Enjoy

Spiced Pears

With a whole box of pears to work with, I was on a mission to find interesting ways to preserve them and spiced pears sounded wonderful. I could envision serving them with a variety of cheeses and the idea of a roast leg of lamb with spiced pears caught my partners fancy.

First you need to make the spiced vinegar and then combine this with your pears and other ingredients to complete the job.

Spiced vinegar ingredients

1 litre of white vinegar

12-15 whole cloves

4 large or 6 small bay leave

3 teaspoons ground coriander

3 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

Directions:

Place all of the above ingredients into a pot, give them a stir and bring this mixture to the boil. Once boiled, remove the pot from the heat, put the lid on and leave for 2-3 hours. Strain your spiced vinegar through a tight weave cheese cloth, or a double layer of loose weave cheese cloth.

Spiced pear ingredients:

2 cups of spiced vinegar

1 kilo sugar

½ a small lemon, thinly sliced

2 kilos of pears, peeled, cored and quartered.

Directions:

Combine the spiced vinegar, sugar, and lemon slices in a large pot and bring to the boiling, stirring frequently to ensure that the sugar dissolves.

Add the pears and return to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, just until the pears are tender. Be sure not to cook them for too long, as if you do they will break up when you are trying to get them into your jars.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears from the spiced vinegar mixture and place them in your hot sterilised jars.

Return the spiced vinegar mixture to the boil and cook down for another 10 to 15 minutes and until you see it start to thicken a little.

Cover the pears in the jars with the reduced spiced vinegar mixture, being sure to leave a head space of about 2cm. Cap with new lids and then process in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove the jars from the boiling water bath with a jar lifter and place on a tea towel on the kitchen counter to cool. Once cooled, label and store in your pantry.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Pear and Raspberry Jam

When I came across a box of pears for $6.00 in Stanthorpe the other weekend, I knew I was going to make some jam and some chutney, and then I found some raspberries left over in the freezer at home and I came up with something a little different.

Ingredients:

- 650 grams of pears, peeled, cored and chopped
- 350 grams raspberries
- 1 kg sugar 
- Juice of one large lemon (1/4 cup)
- 3 teaspoons commercial strength pectin

Directions:

1. Peel the pears, remove their stems, cut them in two, core them, and cut them into small pieces.

2. In a saucepan combine the pears, raspberries, sugar , and lemon juice.

3. Bring to a simmer. Skim, if necessary.

4. Add pectin and continue cooking on high heat for about ten minutes, stirring gently. Skim of any foam carefully, if necessary.

5. Check the set. I do this by putting a plate in the fridge. I place a little of the mixture on the cold plate and return it to the fridge. When it has cooled to room temperature, I check to see if it has gelled.

6. Put jam into hot jars immediately and seal with new lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

I use a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the boiling water and let them cool slowly on the kitchen counter.  Be sure to label your jars with details of the contents and the date you made it so you can rotate your stock in the pantry.

Fig jam

I lucked onto some figs at the local farmer’s market this weekend, that I just could not resist. The thought of homemade fig preserves, to go with my cheese, was just too great to overcome. Here is the recipe that I used.

Ingredients:

600 grams of figs;

600 grams of sugar;

Two tablespoons of lemon juice;

15 grams of Green Living Australia’s commercial strength pectin.

Directions:

Trim the ends off the figs. If the figs are large cut them in half.

Place them in a pot with the 600 grams of sugar and give them a mix. Let sit for two hours.

Place the pot on the stove and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Stir in the lemon juice and bring to the boil. Continue to boil until the jam has reached setting point. To ensure that you get a good set stir in 15 grams of commercial strength pectin and boil for five minutes.

Place your jam into hot, sterilized jars and cap with sterilized lids. Be sure to leave a head space to allow the steam and air to be expelled from the jar to create a perfect vacuum.

Process the full jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, then remove with your jar lifter.

A word on pectin:

Figs are a low pectin fruit so the addition on 15 grams (about three teaspoons) of commercial strength pectin will ensure you get a good set. If you are using domestic strength pectin, you will need to increase the amount used. To tell if your pectin is full strength, check the ingredients. If the number one ingredient is sugar, then you will need to use twice or possibly three times as much to do the same job.
 
I hope that you enjoy the above recipe. I love fig preserves, but find them expensive to buy in stores. Get figs at the right price, when they are in season, and you will be able to enjoy this treat all your round, at a fraction of the cost.