Archive for Preserves

Saurkraut

October 26, 2008 at 4:47 pm · Filed under Dairy-free, Preserves, Vegan, Wheat-free

For any meal involving sausages, a sizable helping of pickled cabbage is a must. The sharp, tangy flavour is brilliant when counterpointed with the spicy robustness of a good Cumberland, and gives zest to even the most processed-tasting frankfurter.

Ingredients:

1 large head of white cabbage
2 large onions
400ml cider vinegar
50g salt
3 juniper berries
a bayleaf
5 cloves
5 peppercorns
a blade of mace
80g sugar

1. Finely shred the cabbage and onions, and place in a large mixing bowl (NB don’t use a metal bowl!). Pour over the salt, and mix well. Cover and leave for 24hrs. This will draw the moisture out of the vegetables. If you have the opportunity, it’s a good idea to drain the bowl and toss the cabbage/onion/salt mixture every few hours.

2. Drain the cabbage and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry, and set aside to dry completely. Once it’s dry, pack the cabbage into a large, sterile jar (the easiest way to sterilise a jar is to rinse it with boiling water, then dry in the oven at about Mark 3 for half an hour.

3. Put the vinegar, sugar and spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about twenty minutes. Strain out the spices, and bring back to the boil.

4. Pour the boiling vinegar over the cabbage, and dislodge any air bubbles with a skewer. Seal the lid tightly as soon as the jar is sufficiently cool.

5. This will keep for about six months out of direct sunlight. Try it in sanwiches with some strong cheddar, or to add some zing to a crunchy salad.

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Apple, mint and chilli chutney

September 7, 2008 at 12:15 pm · Filed under Preserves, Vegan

Great as an accompaniment to a curry, or with a bit of really strong cheese, this is a simple chutney to create. There’s a lot to be said for the slow, tantalising process of chutney-making, witnessing the lovely tangy, spicy smell infusing the kitchen and stirring the dark and mysterious liquids in the saucepan. It’s a sort of alchemy, whereby perfectly ordinary fruit and veg is converted to delicious preserves, and is best experienced wearing a wizard’s outfit and false beard…

Ingredients:

1 kilo cooking apples, cored, peeled and chopped
400ml white wine vinegar
200ml pickling vinegar
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
small piece of root ginger (about 1 cubic centimetre), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
350g brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
bunch of fresh mint, chopped very finely

1. Sterilise your chutney jar by rinsing it in boiling water, then drying it in the oven at Gas Mark 1.

2. Put the apples and vinegar in a saucepan, and bring slowly to the boil.

3. In a dry frying pan, toast the coriander, cumin and peppercorns. Crush them very slightly in a mortar and pestle, but don’t grind them to a powder. Put them into a spice infuser (alternatively you can wrap them in a small muslin bag) with the ginger and chilli flakes.

4. Add the salt and sugar to the pan, along with the infuser. Stir, then simmer (uncovered) until the chutney is thick and gooey, stirry occasionally.

5. Take out the infuser and turn off the heat. Stir in the mint and pour the mixture into your sterilised jar(s). Once cooled somewhat, seal the jars and label them with the date (and also the type of chutney, this can be important if you make other jams and preserves… discovering that you’ve accidently spread your toast with chilli chutney rather than rasperry jam can liven up breakfast considerably.) This will keep for about six months. Once opened, keep in the fridge, and eat it up within two weeks – this will not, I assure you, be very difficult.

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