Fresh fig’s fleeting visit is somehow elongated by this soft set jam – more a conserve in the manner of preserving small whole early season figs in thick syrup. The pieces stay whole, the honey adds smooth stickiness and the bay leaves take it in the direction of drizzling over hot grilled cheese but sliding over thick creamy Turkish yoghurt will do just nicely.
As there is no “setting” to worry about it really is very easy and quite fast to make.
Continue reading “Black fig, honey and bay jam”A tomato chutney that does justice to the sun ripened tomatoes we know and love in this part of the world. Spiced with hot smoked paprika, coriander, a lot of fresh ginger and a few other treats too. Golden sultanas add more sweet and the sour is provided by apple vinegar. This version is made with grape juice concentrate and fruit sugar but regular sugar will work just fine.
Its brilliant with cheddar, adds zing to a ham sandwich and gives fried eggs a little “shakshuka” treatment.
This makes quite a lot of chutney 15-16 small jars but it is a good use of a glut of tomatoes and so far, a very popular chutney; it just seems wrong to give smaller quantities!
Making chutney is a slow affair and this is no exception. First roast the tomatoes very slowly so that they lose approx half their weight. I roast mine at 90C iin a convection oven. If you do not have a food mill then take out the seeds first. (A food mill makes like a lot easier as you simply pass the tomatoes through and a fine puree results)
Make a paste of the onions, garlic and ginger by processing in a blender with a couple of tablespoons of water.
Dry fry the paste together wth all the spices to fully develop the aromas
Now add all the wet ingredients, the sultanas and the sugar/ fructose and bring to the boil. Then turn down and simmer very very gently for 3-4 hours until reduced and thickened. Leave overnight or for 1 day in the fridge.
After one day bring to the boil again and pot in sterilised hot jars.
Flat white peaches ooze and drip peachiness; smelling like peaches did in childhood holidays. They peel like a dream and miraculously retain their fleshiness when cooked – magical fruit indeed. A light sprinkling of cardamon seeds is just enough to complement them in this blushing pink jam which is all you need with a sourdough toast, sharp spreadable goat cheese and hot coffee type summer breakfast.
for 7-8 200ml jars
1kgs cut pieces of peach flesh (from approx 1.25 kgs flat white peaches)
1 lemon, juiced and the rind saved to add to the jam
1/2 litre of apple juice from boiled whole quartered sour apples such as Granny Smith, passed through a fine cloth
900g sugar
Cardamon seeds, slightly crushed, 1 teaspoon of the inner black seeds
Step One: Make a syrup by lightly boiling (five minutes) the sugar, apple juice and lemon. Leave to cool and add the peach pieces and macerate overnight.
Step Two: Boil to a rolling boil until setting point – which will take 20-30 minutes depending on your pan and the liquid in the peaches (I measure on a jam thermometer until 105C and test for set on frozen plates too) . Remove the lemon rind pieces and jar in sterilised jars following the Jam Sessions – Rules for making jam.
