Preserving Recipes for Summer Produce

Apple Jelly Art Print
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Jelly in England refers to a clear preserve with no pieces of fruit in it. Apple jelly is good on bread, just like jam, or can be used as an accompaniment to roast pork in place of apple sauce.

Ingredients
5-1/2 lbs cooking apples (don't use eating apples for this recipe)
Juice of 2 lemons
Sugar
Water

Method
1. Don't bother to peel and core the apples, just remove any damaged or bruised pieces and then cut them up and put them into a pan with the lemon juice. Add enough water to cover them and simmer until the apples are very soft and the water has reduced by about a third.

2. Strain through a jelly bag or, if you don't have one, use muslin, cotton or other finely woven but hygienically clean fabric that won't melt! Try tying the corners of the fabric to the legs of an upturned stool or chair with a big pan underneath. Leave the pulp in the jelly bag to drip through for a number of hours. I usually leave it overnight. Don't squeeze the bag or you will force small particles of fruit through making the jelly cloudy. You use the strained liquid to make the jelly.

3. Once it is fully strained and you are ready for the next step, wash the jars in clean, soapy water then rinse well. Put them in the oven on a very low temperature.

4. Measure the volume of the liquid, return to pan and add 1lb (pound) of sugar for each pint of juice.

5. Bring to the boil stirring all the time. When the sugar has dissolved, boil hard until it reaches a setting temperature. The most accurate way to gauge this is with a sugar thermometer. The temperature should be 221 deg F, 105 deg C. If you don't have one, put a little of the jelly on a saucer with a little cold water on it. If it wrinkles when you push it, then it will set.

6. Pot up in warm clean glass jars immediately while the jelly is still hot. Do not allow to cool. Cover with a waxed disc of paper and then seal with airtight lids or moistened jam covers.

Variations
Add chopped mint to the jelly just before you pot it up

Use blackberries and apples (half the amount of apples to blackberries)

Instead of apples use:
Blackberries but add the juice of 2 lemons to each 4lb of fruit

4lb blackcurrants - leave out the lemons

3lbs redcurrants - leave out the lemons

Plum Chutney
Copyright: Blackcealt Used under Creative Commons License

Ingredients
Chutneys are very easy to make and don't take hours either. Although you can follow recipes like the ones below, you can also use your own judgement once you've made one or two. You can throw in almost any fruit or vegetables you have on hand. You can also use your favourite spices instead of the ones in the recipes. Why put in ginger, for example, if you hate it but would prefer to use cinnamon instead?

There are a few very definite dos and don'ts.

Pans used for Cooking Chutney
Under no circumstances use brass, copper or iron pans to make chutney, they will give a nasty metallic taste to it. Use aluminium, stainless steel or enamelled pans.

Storage Jars and Lids
Prepare the jars by washing them in clean, soapy water then rinse well. Put them in the oven on a very low temperature about 20 - 30 minutes before the chutney is ready so you put it into warm jars.

They should have either plastic or vinegar proof lids. Plain metal lids will be attacked by the vinegar.

Vinegar
Use the best quality vinegar you can get with an acid content of at least 5%. Clear vinegar can give a more natural and prettier appearance than brown malt vinegar although some people prefer the flavour of the latter. You can also use vinegars that have been infused with herbs or spices.

Spices
Although I have included spices in the recipes, don't feel you have to stick to them. Just put in what you like best. I also add different kinds of fruit and vegetables without much regard for recipes. These are just to give you general guidelines.

Apple Crate Label Art Print
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3 pounds cooking apples
3 pounds onions
1 pounds dried fruit like sultanas or raisins
1-1/2 pounds demerara (brown) sugar
2 lemons
1 pint malt vinegar

Method
1. Peel, core and dice the apples, peel and chop the onions. Grate the lemon rind and squeeze and strain the juice.

2. Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.

3. Simmer until the mixture is very thick with no excess liquid at all.

4. Pot up.

Making Chutney
Copyright: jc_091447's buddy icon
jc_091447 Used under Creative Commons License

1 pound cooking apples
3 pounds green tomatoes
8ozs onions
8ozs dried fruit like sultanas or raisins
8ozs demerara (brown) sugar
2 or 3 pieces of whole root ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
3/4 pint malt vinegar

Method
1. Peel, core and dice the apples, peel and chop the onions. Slice the tomatoes but keep the ginger roots whole.

2. Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.

3. Simmer until the mixture is very thick with no excess liquid at all.

4. Remove the root ginger and pot up.

Red Tomato Chutney
Copyright: Dalboz17 Used under Creative Commons License

Ingredients
4 pounds tomatoes
8ozs white sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
3/4 pint white vinegar

Method
1. Remove the skins from the tomatoes by putting them in boiling water for a couple of minutes then put them in cold water and the skins will come off very easily.

2. Put the tomatoes into a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until they are very soft and pulpy. Then add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil again.

3. Simmer until the mixture is very thick with no excess liquid at all.

4. Remove and pot up.

Tomato Chutney made with Green and a few Red Tomatoes
Copyright: Kusine Used under Creative Commons License

Ingredients
1 pound cooking apples
3 pounds green tomatoes
8ozs onions
8ozs dried fruit like sultanas or raisins
8ozs demerara (brown) sugar
2 or 3 pieces of whole root ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
3/4 pint malt vinegar

Method
1. Peel, core and dice the apples, peel and chop the onions. Slice the tomatoes but keep the ginger roots whole.

2. Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.

3. Simmer until the mixture is very thick with no excess liquid at all.

4. Remove the root ginger and pot up.