Fruits of the Earth

REPRO - THICKER RULES INDICATE WHERE FLAPS NEED

Photography by Gloria Nicol

Printed in China

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FRUITS OF THE EARTH

100 recipes for jams, jellies, pickles and preserves

£14.99

Gloria Nicol is a journalist and photographer who loves to work on projects close to herheart. She has written features for many of theUK’s leading magazines and has authored anumber of lifestyle books. She currently writes amonthly column for Country Living magazine.After 30 years of city life, recent relocation to arural setting on the border between England andWales has given Gloria the opportunity to live‘the good life’ for real and put into practice theskills akin to sustainability and living in a moreenvironmentally friendly way. Gloria runs theonline company, The Laundry, selling vintagehomewares and linens, as well as writing theexcellent online blog www.laundryetc.co.uk.

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THE GREEN HOME

gloria nicolThe Laundry

‘I began my jam-making odyssey 30-odd years ago, and my first attempts weren’t particularly successful. I remember my sticky kitchen, the black burnt pan, and staying up until the early hours, surrounded byplates covered in splodges of fruity syrup from testing to make the contents of my bubbling cauldron reachsetting point. It all seemed such hard work, but by trialand error I learnt what to do so that making preserves is now really easy.’

GLORIA NICOL

Preserves and pickles, chutneys and cordials arethe added extra in life, the relish to the meal, thefruity kick to your morning toast, the squidgyfilling in your cake, and the sweet hit that makesafternoon tea such a treat. You only have to lookon the shelves of the smartest delicatessens tosee that making jams and jellies has never beenso popular, with flavours and combinations thatrange from the traditional tried-and-testedrecipes to the more adventurous and exotic.

In times of abundance it makes perfect sense to squirrel away food for use in times less plentiful. Jam and jelly making and foodpreservation have always been an importanthousehold craft, an essential part of the culinarycalendar. Whether you cultivate your own plotand grow your own produce, set out onpick-your-own expeditions or shop at the localfarmers’ market, there are 100 recipes here tomake the most of a glut, when fruits andvegetables are at the best and their cheapest.

In essence, this is a great way of appreciatingthe seasons and capturing times of plenty in abottle. There is something very satisfying about a row of neatly labelled jars in the larder, eachholding the fruits of the season. Like a capturedgenie in a bottle, that moment when you twistthe lid and pop open the seal on the jar releasesa glorious memory of a bountiful time.

■ 100 recipes for jams, jellies, curds,pickles, chutneys and cordials, plusinformation on all the basic techniques and equipment you will need.

■ Recipes range from traditionalfavourites to classics with a twist and new combinations of ingredients.

■ Whether you grow your own produce or shop at the local farmers’market, the recipes show how to make the most of a glut, when fruitsand vegetables are at the best and their cheapest.

IW CB278_FRUITS_PLCJ_UK:Layout 1 17/11/08 11:25

This material is © Cico Books

For my mum, Alice Nicol, for her

unconditional love, help and support,

without which I would be lost.

Published in 2009 by CICO Books

an imprint of Ryland Peters & Small Ltd

20–21 Jockey’s Fields

London WC1R 4BW

www.cicobooks.co.uk

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text copyright © Gloria Nicol 2009

Design and photography copyright

© CICO Books 2009

The author’s moral rights have been

asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this

publication may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, or otherwise, without the

prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is

available from the British Library.

ISBN-13: 978-1-906525-26-2

Printed in China

Project Editor: Gillian Haslam

Text Editors: Alison Bolus

and Eleanor Van Zandt

Designer: Barbara Zuñiga

Photographer: Gloria Nicol

Stylist: Sue Rowlands

(Pages 93, 95, 120 and 125 –

photographer: Winfried Heinze; stylist:

Rose Hammick)


contents

Why make jam? 6

Choosing your ingredients 7

Preserving equipment 8

Preserving techniques 10

Jams 15

Jellies 53

Marmalades 61

Curds 71

Cordials 83

Fruits in syrup 97

Chutneys 105

Pickles 127

Useful addresses 142

Index 143


why make jam?There is something so satisfying about opening a food

cupboard, pantry or larder to find the shelves stacked

with colourful jars of homemade preserves. These

containers of summer and autumn flavours might be

just what’s required to lift the mood on a dark, gloomy

winter’s day, when a good dollop of strawberry jam on

your bread reminds you of longer, warmer, lighter days.

For me, that is what making preserves is all about:

capturing the essence of whatever fruit or vegetable

it is and sealing that flavour in a jar for another day.

I started making jam 30 or so years ago and have

always enjoyed it, despite my fair share of sticky

mistakes. It is a traditional part of homemaking that

celebrates the seasons and somehow makes life cosier

and more comforting. My preserves are handmade and

full of chunky pieces, which sets them apart from

anything shop-bought. The flavours of the fruits shine

through and are rarely masked with spices. Where

possible, I reduce the amount of sugar, as the tarter

the fruits, the fresher tasting the results.

In the current climate of concerns about being less

wasteful, clocking up fewer food miles and eating

seasonal, locally grown food, making preserves has

never been so popular.


1 Place the raspberries and lemon juice in a preserving pan. Heat them gently to draw out the juice, mashing the berries with a spoon until the fruit is soft andthere is plenty of juice. If you want a smooth jam, push the fruit through a sieveto remove the seeds.

2 Add the warmed sugar to the fruitand stir over a gentle heat until thesugar has completely dissolved. Turnup the heat and bring the jam to a fast boil until it reaches setting point(see page 10). Skim if necessary (seepage 11).

3 Pour the jam into hot, sterilized jars(see page 8) and seal (see page 11).

Makes 1.3kg (3lb)1kg (2lb 4oz) raspberriesjuice of 1 lemon800g (1lb 12oz) warmed sugar (see page 10)

raspberry jamSome people like jam with lots of seeds in it; some don’t. With raspberry jam you have a choice.If you love the flavour of this fruit but find the seeds annoying, push the softened fruit through a sieve for a smoother finish. The result will taste just as good as the kind with the seeds in it.

jams 23


curdsThese little pots of

fruity loveliness aretotally delicious. I make

a selection of curds and servethem in teaspoon-sized dollops in

bite-sized sweet pastry cases. Eachone can be savoured, discussed

and relished with due ceremony.Fruit curds don’t keep quite so

well as jams, but they won’t hangaround long enough anyway.


Makes 400g (14oz)zest of 2 small grapefruit6 tbsp grapefruit juice

85g (3oz) butter, preferablyunsalted, cut into cubes

200g (7oz) caster sugar3 large eggs, beaten

grapefruit curdHere’s another citrus variation on the lemon curd theme. This curd is smooth and creamy butstill has its own distinct tang.

Follow the instructions for making Lemon Curd using the ingredients above.

curds 81


cordialsCordials and syrups

are, in fact, the samething. These sweetened fruity

concentrates are delicious dilutedwith water, added to milk for milk

shakes, poured over ice cream orswirled through cake mixtureprior to baking for a marbled

effect. At best they really capturethe essence of the fruit. Use

over-ripe fruit for best results.


143index

aallotment chutney 108apples

Aunt Edna’s chutney 122and blackcurrant marmalade 62in chutney 107, 108, 111, 112, 117,121, 124and cranberry marmalade 63and damson jelly 59and date chutney 122dumpsideary jam 52hedgerow jam 35rosehip/rowan jelly 57and sloe jelly 59

apricotschutney 107cordial 92curd 75jam 18mostarda di frutta 132and orange chutney 107pickled 134and rhubarb jam 40in syrup 98and vanilla jam 19

bbeans, runner

allotment chutney 108piccalilli 139

beetroot chutney 108blackberries

bramble jelly 60cordial 94hedgerow jam 35and nectarine spiced jam 17spiced jam 16

blackcurrantsand apple marmalade 62cordial 84jelly 54tutti frutti jam 46

blueberry and lime curd 76brandy 103butternut and ginger curd 82

ccauliflower, in piccalilli 139

cherriesin eau de vie 104jam 32

chillies 20, 108, 112, 115, 121, 122chutneys

making 8, 9, 12–13recipes 107–26

cordialsmaking 13–14recipes 84–96

courgettes, allotment chutney 108crab apples

hedgerow jam 35jelly 58spiced pickle 128and vanilla curd 72

cranberry and apple marmalade 63

curdsmaking 12recipes 72–82

ddamsons

and apple jelly 59chutney 111cordial 84jam 28pickled 134in syrup 99

dates, in chutney 111, 122dumpsideary jam 52

eeau de vie 104elderberries, hedgerow jam 35elderflower

cordial 87and gooseberry jam 48

equipment 8–9

ffigs

green fig jam 42and lemon marmalade 66mostarda di frutta 132and pear jam 42in vanilla syrup 100

food mill 9, 12free food 7, 35, 91fruit

cooking 10, 11dispersing 11, 14ingredients 7in syrup 98–104

gginger 82, 88, 107, 115, 117, 121,

124, 134gooseberries

curd 79and elderflower jam 48jam 48and redcurrant jelly 55and strawberry jam 24

grapefruit curd 81greengages in brandy 103

hhawthorn hips 35hazlenuts 35hedgerow jam 35

iice-lollies 96ingredients 7

jjam

funnel 9making 10–11problems 14recipes 16–52thermometer 9, 10

jars 8, 11jelly

bag 9making 12recipes 54–60

llabels 9lemons

adding pectin 7curd 80and fig marmalade 66

indexThis material is © Cico Books

Fruits of the Earth

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