Green Tomato Chutney

So 2015 was a dismal year for my tomatoes unless you like tiny green ones. However, after making the following recipe, I have discovered that I like tiny green tomatoes very much. I will no longer fear a crop that refuses to ripen now that I have found a way to use them. I got this recipe from one of my favourite cook books - Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen. It tastes along the lines of a spiced apple chutney, and is quite Christmassy making it a perfect food gift. It is simple, once the tedious peeling and chopping is taken care of.

Ingredients

Makes around 1.4 litres

• 1kg cooking apples, peeled and diced
• 1kg green tomatoes, chopped (no need to peel)
• 450g onions, peeling and diced
• 450g sultanas
• 350g white granulated sugar
• 350g Demerara sugar
• 2tsp ground ginger
• 2tsp all spice
• 2tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 900ml white wine vinegar

Method

 

Put everything in a large pot, leaving the vinegar until last to help dissolve the spices and sugar and mix well.

Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 45mins - 1 hour uncovered, or until the mixture has thickened and reduced by half. Stir regularly throughout the cooking to prevent sticking, keeping a close eye on it towards the end of the cooking.


How it looked at the end of cooking:

Drool.

Pour the hot mixture into hot sterilised jars and seal immediately to help the jars form a tight seal.

Use jars with non-reactive lids (plastic coating on the inside) so the metal won't react with the vinegar. If you are reusing jars, those from relishes, chutneys and pickles should be ideal.

Ideally leave to mature in the jar for at least two weeks but I recommend saving some of the hot fresh chutney for your dinner today. I had mine with a pork chop and mash - divine.

Spiced Apple Chutney

This is yet another seasonal preserves recipe to use up those cooking apples you might have gotten your hands on. I have made this chutney as part of Christmas hampers and out of all the goodies, it commanded the biggest applause with everyone loving it. Like all of the recipes I post, it is simple with chopping being the biggest effort required. See the original recipe here. I get no more excited by Christmas than the next person but if you are going to make homemade gifts, bear in mind that some benefit from a few months of maturing. The following recipe calls for two to three months of sitting around before it is at its best for eating.


Spiced Apple Chutney

Fills 4 standard jam jars

Ingredients

225g onions chopped
900g cooking apples chopped (no need to peel)
110g sultanas (the original recipe calls for a mix of sultanas, currants and chopped dates - I figure readers are more likely to have sultanas at home but the dates would be wonderful if you have some)
15g ground coriander
15g paprika
15g mixed spice
15g salt
340g granulated sugar
425ml malt vinegar

Method

Put all the ingredients into a pot.

Slowly bring to the boil until all the sugar has dissolved.

Simmer for 2 hours, until the mixture is thick (keep an eye on it and stir regularly once thickening, to prevent sticking).

Fill your hot sterilised jars with the hot mixture and seal.

Leave in a dark cupboard for a few months before eating.

Three Fruit Marmalade

As a child I always thought marmalade to be the grown up version of jam, and I still feel the same way! It is only in recent years that I have begun to appreciate this preserve. Here is a beautiful recipe using three fruits - grapefruit, orange and lemon. It is slightly messy and time consuming to prepare the fruit but it is an easy recipe and a great way to pass some time should you wish to stay indoors. It is a soft set but not runny.

Ingredients

1 grapefruit
1 orange
2 lemons
3lbs granulated sugar
3 pints water

Method

Place a saucer in the fridge - this will be used later to test if the marmalade has set

Half all fruits and squeeze into a large saucepan, adding some of the soft flesh.

Scoop out everything (membrane, pith and seeds) from the skins of the fruit and place in a piece of muslin and tie into a bag. I used a piece of clean net curtain in the absence of muslin and it worked perfectly. If removing the flesh is difficult, try cutting it from the skin.

Blitz the skins in a food processor (or chop finely by hand) and add to the saucepan of juice.

Place the muslin bag into the saucepan and add the three pints of water.




Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 1.5 hours and until the peel is soft.


Squeeze as much juice as possible from the muslin bag.





Add the sugar gradually until dissolved and then boil rapidly for 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.

To test if the marmalade will set, put a blob of the mix on the chilled saucer and push with your finger. If the top wrinkles, the marmalade is ready to pot. If not, boil for a further five minutes and check again.

Fill your sterilised jars and seal.

The photo below is a double batch, middle jars being your standard sized jam jars:

Beetroot Chutney

I have these to use up:

Beetroot, cooking apples and onions make up a holy trinity of ingredients that taste wonderful together. This week I've already made up a batch of soup and today I am trying out a Darina Allen recipe for chutney.

There's a good bit of a peelin' and a choppin' to be done. I waited until my small man was napping and sat on the floor by the open back door listening to music and peacefully getting to work. It was quite therapeutic.

Ingredients

900g raw beetroot peeled and diced
450g cooking apples peeled and chopped
450g onions peeled and chopped
25g ginger grated
1tsp salt
600ml cider vinegar
350g granulated sugar

Sterilised jars and lids

Method

Put all the chopped fruit and vegetables in a big pot, add the ginger and salt and pour over the vinegar.

Stir to mix, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1-1.5 hours until the beetroot is soft.

Add the sugar, mix and cook for a further 15 minutes until the chutney is thick. I removed the lid, turned up the heat and gave it a good bubbling for the last 5 minutes.

Pour into sterilised jars and seal.

The mix filled these jars almost exactly (about 1200g jar space - nutmeg for scale):

It looks great and tastes gorgeous, rich and sweet but not overly:

I'll definitely make this again.

Homemade Chocolate Orange Truffles

Ingredients

• 200ml double cream
• 340g dark chocolate finely grated
• Zest from one orange
• One cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp orange flavouring
• Mix of cocoa and cinnamon to taste - for coating

Method

Heat the cream, orange zest and cinnamon stick until the cream begins to boil

Sieve the hot cream over the grated chocolate and whisk the mixture steadily until the mixture is entirely smooth. If the chocolate is not grated finely enough, you may need a double boiler to achieve this.



...



Add the orange flavouring to the chocolate mix. Place a layer of cling film directly on top of the mix so it is not exposed to air.



Leave to harden at room temperature overnight. Do not refrigerate. The result is ganache.



Using a spoon, shape into balls [might have to get messy with your hands here] and allow to harden in the fridge for an hour.  Coat in the cocoa/cinnamon powder mix and enjoy!

Christmas Pudding

This is my first time ever attempting the Christmas Pudding, an almost prehistoric looking sumptuous lump of aged rich ingredients. It’s an easy pudding but requires patience and 8 hours steaming. I made it in June, and gave it a "feed" of rum this week (Oct) by stabbing it with a knife and pouring the drink over the pudding slowly, allowing it to soak through.

My Ingredients:

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• 125g self raising flour
• 175g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 175g currants
• 175g sultanas
• 125g pitted dates chopped
• 250g pitted raisins
• 175g shredded suet
• 50g cut mixed peel
• 50g blanched almonds chopped
• 1 apple peeled, cored and grated
• Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground mixed spice
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• Lash of good cider
• 250g soft dark brown sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons brandy to serve

Mixed ingredients:

After eight hours steaming (I covered the plastic bowl in tin foil):

And the finished product:

The pudding now rests in a dark cupboard covered in tin foil until the festive season comes upon us.

Haw Jelly

Haws are the fruit of the Hawthorn and are abundant in Ireland at this time of year [Autumn]. Once you know how to identify them, you’ll see them everywhere. I made jelly this weekend and after testing it on toast this morning, I’ll be making many more batches.

Ingredients for two small jars:
300g haw berries
500ml cold water
400g granulated sugar heated (haws are high in pectin and should not need jam sugar to set)
Juice of one lemon

Firstly, put a plate in the fridge to cool (used for testing the jelly)

Wash the berries and remove as much leaves and stalks as possible:

Pulverise them (your bare hands will do…get all that stress out..)

Add berries and water to pot and boil for 30 minutes, until reduced to a pulp

Strain all the juice out (the juice will look brownish at this stage but don’t worry, it will improve)

Add the lemon juice and bring to the boil

Add the warm sugar (you can warm it in the microwave - bout 2 minutes should do)

Bring back to the boil and boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Skim any scum from top.

To test if the jelly will set, put a little on the cold plate, put back in to the fridge for a minute and then check if it wrinkles when pushed with your finger. If not, boil for longer.

If it’s ready, fill your sterilised jars and cover

Sweet Courgette Relish

Ingredients:

900g finely chopped courgettes

1 large onion finely chopped

500ml cider vinegar

350g granulated sugar

2 tbsp English mustard power

1 tsp tumeric

1-2 tsp chili flakes

2 tsp cornflour

2 tsp coriander seeds

Mix ingredients together:

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook for an hour:

Fill sterilised jars and leave to mature for a few weeks before opening:

Homemade Tomato and Chili Relish

This relish was one of the first vaguely labour intensive foodie ventures I have undertaken - and it wasn’t difficult at all.


The original recipe comes from here, although I alter it slightly each time. The recipe describes it as a jam, although I find the result definitely more relish-like.


Equipment needed:

Weighing scales

Knife

Chopping board

Pot

Wooden spoon

Sieve

Sterilised jars (done very easily by giving the jars a good wash and baking them in a low oven (gas 3) for ten minutes.

Ingredients:

2 red onions, finely chopped

400g/14oz ripe cherrytomatoes, halved

400g/14oz ripe plum tomatoes, quartered

3 large mild red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped

I sometimes add some green/red/yellow bell pepper for taste but more so for colour

5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, grated

1 star anise

250ml/9fl oz white wine vinegar

300g/10½oz soft light brown sugar

2 tsp fish sauce (substitute soy sauce for vegetarians)

Method:

Heat the red onion and chopped tomatoes in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. 

Add the chillies, ginger, star anise, vinegar and sugar. 

Bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for about an hour. 

The original recipe states that the mix will thicken to allow you to draw a channel through it, but I find quite a bit of liquid is retained. 

You could drain this off and use it for other culinary wonders.

Add the fish sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes, then spoon into sterilised jars.

For best results, allow to sit for a further two weeks.

I’ve given this relish for many gifts and it has always been a hit. It’s sweet taste is best enriched with strong cheddar cheese or strong dark meat.

*Personalised handmade stickers were bought in this eBay shop, and the labels were from a handy little pack bout in Lidl.

Step by Step Photos: Brewing Elderflower Champagne

Elderflower is in season from end of May to June.

I'll always remember my first time brewing Elderflower Champagne. It wasn’t planned but I had been thinking about elderflower brews for a while but I wasn’t sure where to find the plant and what it looked like.  I had visions of trekking miles across fields and wasteland trying to find the illusive plant, when in actual fact, I found it three minutes from my house at the side of a very busy road. While walking, I spotted a plant that looked quite like the elderflower image I had in my mind, so I pulled off a piece. Walking on, I spotted another tree with similar flowers. The moment I picked it, I was almost certain I had the right flower. The smell was divine and I could just imagine consuming it. I brought it home, took a photo and uploaded it to a gardening forum requesting identification:

When I was satisfied it was the right plant, I sourced some right by my house, not near the road and headed to the shop to buy sugar and lemons for the brew.

I adapted this recipe from my ever-loved River Cottage show. The recipe admits that it sometimes causes "collateral damage", i.e. exploding bottles, but this can be totally avoided by leaving the brew for three weeks before bottling, as opposed to six days as directed by the recipe.

For once I could justify the collection of odds and ends at the side of the house, and pulled out a perfect bucket. I gave it a good soaking and cleaning, killing one little spider in my path (sorry little spider, I didn’t see you in time).

ELDERFLOWER CHAMPAGNE

Ingredients

3 litres of water (2l boiling, 1l cold)
350g sugar
Juice and zest of three small lemons
Tablespoon of white wine vinegar 
About 20 Elderflower heads

Directions:

Collect your elderflowers on a sunny day, preferably in the evening, when the scent and natural yeast in the flowers is at it's most potent.

Pick the best blooms, with mostly open flowers.

Give the elderflower a good shake to remove any insects but don't wash it. Using a scissors, remove as much of the green stem as possible.

Put the sugar into the bin.

Add the boiling water and stir with a clean, sterilised spoon to dissolve.

Add the cold water, lemon juice and vinegar.

Allow the mix to cool and then add the elderflower.

**Photo from another batch** showing the mix:





It's not much to look at now, at all but after three weeks covered with a clean muslin cloth and sitting in a cool, dark place the mix is darkened and frothy and smells gorgeous:
  

There may be some mould on top but that is no problem.

BOTTLING

You will need:

1 glass

1 measuring jug

A few squares of muslin

Empty clean bottles to make up 3 litres. I prefer simple plastic screw top bottles as you can open them slowly, thus avoiding blasting the liquid everywhere. However, if you want that effect use swing top glass bottles for a show stopping opening!

Fill your glass from the bucket. You will have a mix of liquid and flowers:

Cover the measuring jug with a piece of clean muslin and pour in the contents of the glass. The weight of the wet flowers may drag down the muslin so try to keep it taut:

Discard the spent flowers from the muslin before each fill.

Here is the filtered champagne ready for bottling:

Prime each bottle with a teaspoon of sugar before filling with liquid.

Ta da!

Leave the bottles to sit for a few days. It you squeeze the sides you will feel the pressure that has built up. It is now time to open and enjoy!

It's so simple. Do it.