Projects and preserving

I'm loving these last days of summer, the weather is just perfect,warm sun, lovely cool mornings, with the smell of Autumn in the air, and the relief of of cooler evenings and nights,I've had my fan on full every night for months! I like it when it gets dark earlier too, the garden looks really pretty with there fairy lights on.

 I'm already preparing for winter, making Jam's, and chutneys and  pickles, I really enjoy this, and find it very satisfying looking at a stash of homemade jars in my dresser. The market was selling strawberries and raspberries cheap today, they needed to be eaten straight away, but I made jam , delish it was too. Will make some nice Xmas gifts!

I still have more pickles and chutneys to make, I'm just waiting for all my chilli plants to turn red , the ones that have fallen off the plant I have put into the banana bowl, and they are ripening quickly, I'm storing them all in a sandwich bag in my fridge and once I have enough I'm going to make a massive batch of chilli jam or 'Chelly' we get through a lot in this house, very yummy with cheeses, and very versatile for use in cooking and dipping sauces, mixing in with mayo, endless uses...Another favourite chutney of mine is caramelised  onion, so will be making that soon too , I will post up pics and recipe.

Chilli plant

Those bananas have seen better days, banana cake tomorrow me thinks.

I have also been  painting some old pieces of furniture, and picture frames, still have a few more to go.
It's very therapeutic, transforming junk into something special. This old table used to sit in my nan's hall, I think it's one of her oldest pieces of furniture originally purchased in the1950's, from where I have no idea, I have been after a table for a while, but thought I would have this from my nans house clearance, It's nice to keep something of hers in the family, and it was made to fit! but No matter how old or frumpy a piece may look, a lick of ivory paint transforms it into something elegant and beautiful.

Before at Nan's house

After!

Boot sale frame 15p

Revived

We are off to our beloved Cornwall on Monday morning, just for a few days, and I can't wait! We are staying in Looe, we haven't been to this part before, as always go to St Ives,  I'm excited about exploring new places, such as Polperro, and Fowey, think we will still have to spend at least one day in St Ives though, need my fix, can't resist the shops! So will take a drive down just before we come home, buckets, spades nets at the ready!

My little one starts school full time, when we get back, don't know where the time has gone... :(

On the up side this means I have many hours of total peace and quiet during the day, and can now resume with my oil panting, I'm bursting with ideas and can't wait to get started! My aim is to be doing this for a living so I don't have to go to work, and can be at home with my child, I want to be my own boss, It's just a case of building up my portfolio, and good marketing, networking.  Fingers crossed...

My eldest starts college, and and am hoping he settles in well and gets stuck into his studies as he's had a bit too much relaxation and free reign this summer!

Purchasing roses was most definitely a good decision this year, I got so fed up with slugs eating everything I planted, they don't touch these they have flowered all summer and are still doing so.

Warm wishes

Twice in a blue moon

Ena Harkness

I took cuttings from my nan's pink blush roses and yippee they have taken!

My garden is a mix of all styles, people had said you can't have cottage garden mixed in with contemporary plants such as the bamboos and maples, I don't care and don't conform to me it all works fine, roses are my fave thing of all, great to cut and bring in they add cheer.

Enjoy the last days of summer everybody. xx

Sunday blackberry picking = Jam!

We all decided to go blackberry picking  yesterday afternoon, as I have noticed everything is fruiting early this year, and we were pleasantly suprised, We got 4lb of fruit in just under 1 1/2 hrs, not bad! I shall be back in a couple of weeks to pick more as there were stashes that are red and ripening. I noticed there were also lots of elderberries and sloe berries, has anyone made jam out of these before?

I  thoroughly washed all the fruits and de- thorned as soon as I got home yesterday, and stored in the fridge overnight.

I bought my sugar this morning and got to work on making jam.

You will need:

A big heavy bottomed preserving pan
Sugar thermometer (optional)
Saucer placed in the fridge

Its an equal ratio of sugar to fruit so I had:

4lbs blackberries
2 kg Jam sugar (or preserving sugar-both have pectin)
1/2 pint water.

Tip all the blackberries in the pan, pour the water over and bring up to a simmer and cook gently for 10 mins, then add all the sugar, and bring up to a rolling boil on maximum heat, it should still be boiling high up in the pan even when you stir it, it should look like this:

 Do this for 10 mins, then test for setting point,  spoon a little jam onto the cold saucer and push your finger through it , if it wrinkles or doesn't run back in then it's ready, or take off the heat when your thermometer reaches 220 F jam stage.

I got 8 jars out of this, so 8 jars of quality jam for the cost of £3.50, so am I am best pleased, the only down side was getting stung badly in the nettles , thank god that dock leaves are always in abundance to relieve the stinging, I also had loads of minute thorns embedded in my fingers, had to tweezer them out so a little sore today, but was worth it!

Go raid your hedgerows, and make jam, it's easy free and delicious!

These roses are gorgeous are they not?

They are a two tone pink blush, I cut them from my mums garden, they originally came from  my nan's garden, so I have now taken some cuttings and poked them into some soil, hope they take, great to have free roses for the jug, £10 for 6 in supermarket yesterday, Rip Off!!

Hope you had a happy productive weekend. :)

Chilli Jam

Last October I made a batch of Apple, Tomato and Chilli chutney, which I didn't open until December... WELL! what a disappointment, it was bland, tasteless, and not at all chutney like in texture, so a thumbs down for the recipe I followed. :( {I gave a few jars away as well, its no wonder nobody had commented, probably being polite!}

So I got rid of the aforementioned  remaining jars of chutney this morning, and washed out my jars ready for something a bit more special.

Over the Xmas period I watched a lot of Nigellas Christmas specials, and she made Chilli Jelly/Jam or chelly as some call it, and it looked so easy to make, can be done in 20mins, and couldn't wait to make it.

Like the shop bought stuff, it's very versatile, can be used in cooking to pep up a stir fry etc, as well as a jam/chutney. Also good as a dip, nice mixed into mayo and served with potato wedges.

Once cooled in jars can be eaten straight away, Hurrah, no months of waiting for it to mature! I wanted something nice to have with cheeses, and cold meats. I love hot, spicy chutneys, pickles. A fave of mine is Mr Naga (recommended by a friend) I am seriously addicted to the stuff, I will eat it with anything, if I'm dieting I stir it into cup a soups, soo good.. Maybe that why I don't catch colds...

So off I  went to market this morning and bought red peppers and red chillis and got to work, you need very few ingredients to make this, so very economical.

Only used a few of these!

Recipe here

I used one more chilli than stated in recipe, and left a few seeds in, as I like it HOT!
I also added a tsp of ginger paste in at the end when waiting for it to cool, as is personal flavour preference.

As recipe say's bring to a ROLLICKING boil  for 10 mins (LOVE that word!)

Then leave to cool for 40 mins or so until it thickens, the give a little stir, then ladle in to sterilised jars.

I got this amount, the jars are approx 230 ml each, one in the middle was bigger, so if you like that sweet chilli sauce in bottles from the supermarket, then make this! you get a fair bit more ,and it tastes so much better. And you will feel proud that you made it yourself!

* I would recommend wearing gloves when chopping the chillies, I didn't.  I have a few sore bits around my finger nails and they are still stinging 5 hours later. Be warned! *

Taste test

                                                          DELISH!!

Back for Autumn, with recipe!

Well I'm back, I've been so lazy, haven't blogged since March!! Although I haven't stopped reading everybody elses blogs, I've been busy, got hitched in May, been on a couple of  holidays in July, and September, and have enjoyed the glorious summer we have had!

Autumn is however my favorite time of the year, and I've come over all Mrs Beeton, and have been making Jam and chutney, it's very satisfying foraging for  food, and my little girl really enjoyed blackberry picking!

 Have been given a windfall  of apples, by my mum, and making wonderful jars of goodies, that will have many uses, and keep us going through the long winter months, and all for free!!


                                        Anyway as requested by fellow preserver Dee,


                                         A recipe for Tomato, Apple and Chilli chutney:


I made a huge pan of this, but you can halve the quantities:


4lb ripe tomatoes roughly chopped ( i didn't skin them)
400 g Onions,  chopped , same as above
9 cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into biggish chunks
3 mild red chillis, chopped fine, seeds n'all (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Thumb size piece fresh ginger, finely chopped, or 2 heaped tsp dried ginger
4 tsp black mustard seeds
5 cloves
350 g light muscavodo sugar,( I didn't have it so used white granulated)
500 ml malt vinegar
Handful fresh  coriander chopped.(save for the end)

                              You will need a big, preferably  heavy based stainless steel pot.

                                      
                             And lots of jars, ask people to save them for you, to build up a supply.

                               

                                           Mix everything up except the vinegar and coriander

Now add half of the vinegar, give a stir and place over a med heat and heat gradually, until the sugar starts to dissolve, continue stirring, bring to a simmer,  and leave for 30-40 mins.

Stir in the remaining vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste, you will have to taste until it's right! and continue simmering for another 30 mins, until it starts to thicken, if  its a little runny, then give another 15 mins.

Add your coriander in 5 mins before you turn off heat.

Ladle into hot sterilised jars, seal straight away (I put my clean jars and lids on a baking tray, in the oven on a low heat gas 1 for 15 mins.)

All that remains is to label your jars, kids will enjoy getting involved with this :)


                                                        I got all this! really pleased!

                                      This chutney will be best left to mature for a couple of months...
                                  
        That's if I can resist not opening one before Xmas, to have with a lovely mature cheddar and crackers!

Will also be lovely with cold meats....

I will be giving away a few for Xmas gifts!

Now what to make next?