The Preserver's Year

kippers

angeltreats wrote: »

A quick jam-related question.

I have a punnet of blackcurrants that I want to use to make apple and blackcurrant jam. They are a few days old and are very ripe, probably a bit over-ripe. Are they still likely to set easily or would I need some pectin?

The apples I have are just red eating apples, not sure of the variety.

I always add a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice when my fruit is really ripe as this helps it to reach setting point.

System

jollymummy,any chance of the recipe or a link to the chilli jam,thanks

Kaz2904

I'm gutted, my second large batch of elderflower champagne was dreadful. We had some at the weekend and it is so vinegary it's atrocious. Does anyone have any ideas how I could possibly save the 30 bottles of it that are sitting on my kitchen side? I'm worried that if I add more sugar it won't work it'll just create more alcohol and bubbles. As it is, it's undrinkable .

nopot2pin

Kaz2904 wrote: »

I'm gutted, my second large batch of elderflower champagne was dreadful. We had some at the weekend and it is so vinegary it's atrocious. Does anyone have any ideas how I could possibly save the 30 bottles of it that are sitting on my kitchen side? I'm worried that if I add more sugar it won't work it'll just create more alcohol and bubbles. As it is, it's undrinkable .

Oh bummer
As far as I know... if its vinegar, its vinegar. There is no way it can be anything else

Gigervamp

I know how you feel, all of last years batch that I made turned to vinegar. It went down the plughole! Wish I knew why it happened because I was scrupulous with sterilising eveything and kept it covered in a lidded fermenting bucket until it was bottled.

boredjellybean

in anticipation of a glut of courgettes from my parents allotment I am trying to find some recipes for pickling them, I think I might have a go at bread and butter pickle I'm sure I have a recipe for that somewhere, but what I really want to find is a spicy courgette picklt recipe [remember being given a jar years ago and all I remember was it was thin slices of courgette with a nice heat :rotfl: ] anyone have any recipes??

Also anyone got a fail safe green tomato chutney recipe as my tomato plants are tiny so I feel sure I will have heaps of green tomatoes come september/october

cheers sarah

ampersand

Gigervamp wrote: »

I know how you feel, all of last years batch that I made turned to vinegar. It went down the plughole! Wish I knew why it happened because I was scrupulous with sterilising eveything and kept it covered in a lidded fermenting bucket until it was bottled.

############
Hello gv,

How gutting for you both.

I'm now de-gassing e.c. twice a day and this morning was a much more regulated hiss.
I hesitate to suggest any reason for your vinegar result, given that you are the expert giving advice on so much here, but seeing[wording red h/l]...was this a solid lid? I tie double muslin over mine, so there is still air circulating. Just wondered if a combination of closure/weather during fermentation and possible condensation from a solid lid might have triggered something?

I'll scuttle back in my hole now......
###########
Oh, after this for bjb[especially as my tomatoes are very late in this year, too]-

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2865/green-tomato-chutney

-and if you ever come across the Sainsburys Preserves and Pickles book by Heather Lambert, grab it[just one of an excellent series they produced at 99p each in the 80's. I buy any I see and pass them on. Very desirable, very good, without exception.]
-from this:
[PREPARE GARLIC VINEGAR FIRST - CRUSH 20 CLOVES OF GARLIC. BRING 2 PINTS OF WHITE WINE OR WHITE DISTILLED MALT VINEGAR TO BOIL AND POUR OVER. LEAVE TO INFUSE-HOURS/DAYS/WEEKS, AS YOU WISH. FILTER THROUGH MUSLIN IF YOU WISH - I'D LEAVE THE BITS IN FOR THIS RECIPE]
2.25k/5lb green tomatoes # 500 g/1 lb onions # 25g/1 tb salt # 250g/8oz EACH of seedless raisins and sultanas # 1tb whole black peppercorns # 15g/half ounce root ginger, roughly chopped # 1tb coriander seeds # 12 cloves # 4 dried red chillies # 500g/1 lb demerara sugar # 1.2 litres/2 pts garlic vinegar.

Cut up or slice toms and onions. Place in bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave o/n. Drain. Place in a pan with the raisins and sultanas. Tie the chillies and spices firmly in a square of muslin, add to pan with sugar and vinegar. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove the muslin bag.
Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal. [Makes about 2.25k/5lb]
######
A microwave version from the New Zealand Edmonds m/w recipe book[Edmonds cookbooks being another ABSOLUTE in every NZ and Oz kitchen since time etc.etc.]
[Using 700 watt oven. For 650 w, add 5secs per min; for 550w, add 8 secs per min; for 500w, add 20 secs per min]
700g green tomatoes # 2 apples # 1 onion # 2 cloves garlic # scant 200ml malt vinegar # scant 200ml sugar # 1tsp salt.

Wash and roughly chop toms. Peel and core apples, roughly chop. Peel onion and garlic, roughly chop. Place all in large m/w dish. Add vinegar, sugar, salt. Stir. Cover and cook on 100% HIGH power for about 10 minutes. STIR. Cook UNCOVERED for a further 10 minutes or until mixture is thick. Stir occasionally. Place in hot sterilised jars. Seal when cold. Makes about 1.5k.
##########
........and from an even older NZ Institution[early days of broadcasting - Aunt Daisy] This is from my original 1968 1st edn of her book, The Aunt Daisy Cookbook with Household Hints[I was in the NZBC then]and there are extraordinary things in here, with strong pioneer/colonial overtones. mutton birds, toheroa fritters, swan, stewed pukaki[means the bird 'pukeko', see here:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGIH_en-GBGB263GB264&q=pukeko]]

1 qt/scant 1200ml vinegar # 3k/6lb green toms # 1.5k/3lb onions # 300ml/half pint golden syrup # 2tbs curry powder # 1tsp spice # 1tsp cayenne pepper # 2tbs salt.

Cut up tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and leave 6 hours or overnight. Strain, cover with vinegar, bring to the boil. Add cut up onions, all spices and golden syrup. Simmer one hour and thicken, if necessary, with cornflour or flour. Bottle hot.
##########
Good luck!

valentina

Sarah
This is the recipe I used for green tomato chutney last year -http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/04/nigel-slater-green-tomato-recipes

thriftlady_2

Gigervamp wrote: »

A kilo of the redcurrants are destined to become redcurrant jelly as I use that quite regularly. Not sure what I'm going to do with the rest yet.

I made some redcurrant cordial with my redcurrant harvest. Just like Ribena except red. There are some pics on Flickr

ampersand

What a beautiful run of pics!