Читать книгу Preserves: A beginner’s guide to making jams and jellies, chutneys and pickles, sauces and ketchups, syrups and alcoholic sips - Jill Nice - Страница 8

ARTICHOKE

There are two different types of artichokes readily available in the UK. The globe artichoke is the blue-green thistly plant, which throws out spectacular blue flowers if left too long (by which time the coveted heart will be of no use, so cut off the heads before they open out). Most globe artichokes are imported.

The Jerusalem artichoke is a very decorative plant, but the root is the part that is used as a vegetable. Knobbly and difficult to peel, it has the most unique, rather smoky, nutty taste, which many people find very appealing.

Artichoke Pickle

I think this pickle goes superbly well with smoked fish. The lemon gives a strange pungency to the delicate nutty flavour of the artichoke and it also has the added advantage of looking attractive and unusual. Don’t throw the vinegar away – it is excellent in its own right and particularly good with fish or in a salad dressing or mayonnaise.

MAKES 3 X 375G JARS

1kg Jerusalem artichokes

50g sea salt

2 lemons

4 bay leaves

1.5 litres white malt vinegar

3 x 375g sterilised jam jars

Wash the artichokes and scrub them well with a small brush. Peel them (this is a tricky business, but it’s got to be done properly). Cut any large artichokes in half and drop them all into a pan of boiling water to which you have added the 50g salt. Cover and cook until just tender; do not overcook because they are liable to disintegrate.

Whilst they are cooking, take the peel from the lemons in thin strips with a vegetable peeler, removing the pith as you go. Put this with the bay leaves and vinegar into a pan and boil for 15 minutes. Allow the vinegar to cool, drain off and keep the peel and bay leaves.

When the artichokes are just cooked, drain them and pack them carefully into the jars, dispersing the peel and bay leaves decoratively amongst them. Pour the cold vinegar over the contents of the jars to cover completely. Seal and label.

Keep for at least 4 weeks before using.

Globe Artichoke Pickle

This is an amazing pickle. If fresh artichokes are unavailable or you are a bit pushed for time, with discretion, tinned artichoke hearts can be used here instead.

MAKES 3 X 500ML JARS

12 small globe artichoke hearts or bottoms

1 tablespoon lemon juice

600ml white wine or white malt vinegar

24 small white pearl onions

50g black raisins

3 pinches of white granulated sugar

3 pinches of sea salt

3 thin strips of lemon rind

3 small garlic cloves, peeled

3 fresh basil leaves

1 litre white wine or cider vinegar

3 bay leaves

3 x 500ml wide-necked sterilised jam jars

(preferably Kilner jars

Place the artichokes in a large pan, cover them with cold water and add the lemon juice, bring to the boil and simmer for 7 minutes. Drain and place in a large china bowl. Remove the outer foliage until the heart appears. Cut it out, remove the choke, trim and return the hearts to the bowl, cover with the white vinegar and leave overnight.

The next day, peel the onions and blanch them briefly in boiling water. Rinse the raisins in boiling water. Drain the artichoke hearts.

Into each jar place a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt, 1 piece of lemon peel, 1 peeled garlic clove and 1 basil leaf. Pack the jars with an equal amount of artichoke hearts, onions and raisins and place them on a thick cloth.

Bring the white wine or white malt vinegar briefly to the boil and pour slowly over the contents of the jars (although commercial jam jars are pretty heatproof it is wiser to pour the hot liquid into them slowly and to keep the work surface protected). Add a bay leaf to each jar, seal tightly and label.

Keep for at least 1 week before using and tip each jar gently every day to allow the flavours to circulate.

BEAN

What a beautifully evocative word bean is, summing up the best in British vegetables. Everybody, no matter how small the space allotted them, should be able to grow at least one variety and reap a modest crop, for beans are accommodating, good-natured and productive.

The one bean that I would grow above all others is the broad bean. The white scented flowers with long, soft, green pods velvet-coated inside, provide soft hollows for the large, flat, green or white bean. When young, the beans are excellent lightly blanched and eaten in salads and they are also very good pickled.

French beans, dwarf or stringless beans are smooth and rounded, requiring only topping and tailing. Runner or scarlet beans are longer and flatter than French beans and have to be strung and sliced before cooking. Both of these green beans are abundant croppers and British-grown ones should be widely available. Recipes including French and runner beans are dotted throughout this book as they make more interesting pickles when used in conjunction with other vegetables and fruit.

Pickled Broad Beans

Pickled broad beans are a wonderful addition to the hors d’oeuvre table and make a stunning present – especially if given with a jar of Pickled Artichokes.

MAKES 2 X 375G JARS

1kg unpodded broad beans

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 orange

1 garlic clove

2 cardamom pods

2.5cm piece of dried root ginger

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

600ml white malt vinegar

2 x 375g sterilised jam jars

Shell the beans and do not be alarmed at the meagre remains of your kilogram. Put them in a pan of boiling water to which you have added the salt. Boil gently until they are just soft, but if the beans break up they will ruin the pickle, so bite one and see. The skin should be firm, but the inside soft. Strain the beans and leave them to cool.

Pare a few strips of rind from the orange, peel and crush the garlic, scrape the seeds from the cardamom pods, bruise the ginger and put all of these and the cumin seeds into the pan with the vinegar. Boil for 10 minutes and then remove from the heat.

Allow the vinegar to become quite cold before straining it (reserve the orange rind). Pack the beans carefully into the jars, taking great care that they do not break or mash. Place a few pieces of orange rind amongst them for decorative effect. Pour the cold vinegar over them to cover completely, making sure there are no air bubbles. Seal and label.

Keep for at least 2 weeks before using.

Mixed Summer Pickle

This is a useful recipe with which you can experiment using a variety of different vegetables. Without the chilli it is mild and unassuming, with the chilli it is quite fiery.

MAKES 3 X 375G JARS

450g runner beans

450g small shallots or pickling onions

225g cauliflower

225g cucumber

1 red pepper

1 fresh red chilli (optional)

several bay leaves

100g sea salt

175g white granulated sugar

900ml white malt vinegar

3 x 375g sterilised jam jars

Wash and string the beans and cut them into smallish chunks. Peel the onions. Remove the leaves and stalk from the cauliflower and separate into small, neat florets. Wash the cucumber and cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and cut into large dice. Cut the pepper into strips, discarding the seeds, and shred the chilli, taking great care to keep the volatile oils away from your eyes.

Place all the prepared ingredients into a large bowl with the bay leaves, sprinkle with the salt and mix well. Cover and leave to stand in a cool place for 24 hours.

Drain the vegetables and rinse them well under cold running water, drain and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Remove the bay leaves. Pack the vegetables into the jars, leaving a 2.5cm space at the top.

Dissolve the sugar in 225ml of the vinegar over a low heat, cool and add the remaining vinegar. Pop a bay leaf into each jar and pour the vinegar over to cover completely. Tip and tilt a little to remove any air bubbles. Seal tightly and label.

Keep for at least 1 week before using.

BEETROOT

Beetroot is an ancient vegetable, which was very popular with the Romans. When cooked it is sweet and tasty. It is most familiar when pickled, but it also makes an excellent hot vegetable and a traditional soup. Beetroots may be steamed, boiled or baked in the oven in a tightly lidded dish with a small amount of water. Do not boil beetroot too hard or for too long – a large, fresh beet will take about two hours to boil. Try not to cut the green tops or the root off the beetroot or to damage or score the skin prior to cooking or the beet will bleed and lose its colour. After cooking and while the beetroot is still hot, rub your finger and thumb over the skin, which will come away in your hand, taking the tops and tails with it.

Apart from the familiar ruby red beetroot, there is now a golden beetroot and a white one. And, as a bonus, it’s worth remembering all young beetroot have deliciously edible leaves.

Sweet Beetroot Pickle

This makes a nice change from the ubiquitous pickled beetroot in vinegar – the spices add a kick and the sugar brings out the sweet beetroot flavour.

MAKES 3 X 375G JARS

1.1 litres malt vinegar

3cm piece of cinnamon stick

6 cloves

2 blades mace

7 whole allspice

1 small dried chilli

500g soft brown sugar

1kg beetroot

3 x 375g sterilised jam jars

Place the vinegar in a pan with the spices, bring to the boil and boil hard for 2 minutes. Cover and leave to get cold.

Strain and bring to the boil again, then add the sugar, stirring well to make sure it is dissolved, and cook gently until the mixture turns slightly syrupy. Set aside to cool.

Wash, prepare and cook the beetroot in boiling, salted water until tender. Whilst still warm, remove their skins. Leave to get cold then slice or dice them.

Pack the jars with the beetroot and cover with the syrupy vinegar.

Seal and label.

Keep for at least 2 weeks before using.

Beetroot Chutney

A nice earthy chutney, which complements cheeses.

MAKES 4 X 375G JARS

1kg beetroot

350g onions

1 garlic clove

450ml white malt vinegar

350g hard cooking, eating or windfall apples

250g sultanas

1 teaspoon pickling spice

2.5cm piece of dried root ginger

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 dessertspoon grated horseradish

350g white granulated sugar

small muslin bag for spices

4 x 375g sterilised jam jars

Wash, prepare and cook the beetroot in boiling, salted water until tender. When cool, peel and dice them.

Peel and chop the onions and garlic, put them into a large pan with a little of the vinegar and cook until soft. Wash, peel, core and dice the apples. Wash the sultanas, tie the pickling spices in the muslin bag, bruise the ginger, and put these, with the apples, beetroot, lemon zest, horseradish and half the remaining vinegar, into the pan with the onion and garlic. Cook until very soft, stirring occasionally and taking care not to burn.

Add the remaining vinegar and the sugar to the pan, heat gently, stirring well until the sugar has dissolved. Boil steadily until the chutney is thick. Remove the spice bag. Carefully pour into the jars and seal and label.

Keep for at least 1 month before using.

CABBAGE

There are so many varieties of cabbage, but the one cabbage preferred by the enthusiastic home preserver is definitely the red cabbage – a very firm round cabbage, which is just marvellous when pickled. When preparing cabbage, it is necessary to remove the thick white ribs and stalks before slicing it. I use the shredder attachment on my mixer for this as, when pickling, I find it gives a finer and less erratic result than hand slicing and it is so much easier.

And once you’ve finished your jar of pickled red cabbage, don’t just discard the remaining vinegar – heated up and drunk it is an antidote (albeit a rather strong one…) to tickly coughs.

Hot and Spicy Pickled Red Cabbage

A fiery pickled cabbage, which gives rise to a sharp intake of breath. If you would prefer a milder vinegar, halve the amount of each spice and leave out the chillies and garlic.

MAKES 4 X 375G JARS

1kg firm red cabbage

sea salt, for sprinkling

1.2 litres malt vinegar

15g black peppercorns

8 blades mace

6 bay leaves

2 x 4cm pieces of dried root ginger, bruised

5cm piece of cinnamon stick

4 dried chillies, crushed

1 tablespoon cloves

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon whole allspice

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 x 375g sterilised jam jars

Wash the outside of the cabbage and throw away any discoloured leaves. Halve and quarter it and remove the white stalk and ribs. Cut into strips across the cabbage – this way you get nice fine shreds, not great floppy hunks. I do this on a shredder and it does make shorter shreds, which you may prefer. Lay the cabbage in a large dish or basin and sprinkle each layer with sea salt. Cover and leave for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, make the spicy vinegar by boiling all the remaining ingredients together for 5 minutes. Cover and leave to cool. Then strain and set aside until ready to use.

The next day, tip the cabbage into a colander to drain off any surplus salt, rinse under cold running water if necessary, and drain again. Pat dry and then pack the cabbage loosely into the jars and pour the spicy vinegar over to cover. Leave a short while for the vinegar to permeate and any air bubbles to rise, then press down to see if it needs topping up with more vinegar. Seal and label.

Keep for 2 weeks before using, but use within 3 months or it will go soft.

Red Cabbage Relish

A softer cabbage preserve than the spicy pickled cabbage, this is ideal for spreading and is particularly good in cold meat sandwiches.

MAKES 3 X 375G JARS

1kg firm red cabbage

sea salt, for sprinkling

2.5cm piece of dried root ginger, bruised

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon whole allspice

4 blades mace

15g white granulated sugar

finely grated zest of ½ orange

1.2 litres white malt vinegar

small muslin bag for spices

3 x 375g sterilised jam jars

Wash the outer cabbage leaves, removing any blemished pieces. Halve and quarter the cabbage, cutting out the white stalk and ribs. Grate on a coarse grater or use a shredder attachment. Place the cabbage in a deep bowl, sprinkling each layer with salt as you go. Cover and leave for 24 hours.

The next day, drain the cabbage in a colander and rinse it briefly under cold running water. Shake well to remove any excess moisture and leave to drain.

Meanwhile, place the spices in the muslin bag and put this with the sugar, orange zest and vinegar into a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and boil for 3 minutes, then reduce to barely simmering. Cover and leave for 10 minutes.

Return the drained cabbage to the bowl, remove the muslin bag from the vinegar and pour the hot vinegar over the cabbage. Cover and leave for 24 hours, giving it an occasional stir.

Pack the cabbage into the jars, making sure it is well covered with vinegar. If it isn’t, heat up a little more vinegar and use this to top up. Seal.

Keep for at least 1 week before using.

CELERY

As I have consigned more than one crop of celery to the compost heap, I do not consider my advice on the subject of growing it to be of any value! Nor do I consider the pale and anaemic polythene-wrapped variety to be worth buying, finding that dirty celery (from a market, farm shop or, if you have more luck than me, your own garden!) when well washed, to be infinitely preferable. The good, firm, white sticks tinged with green are crisp and well-flavoured and make super pickles and an excellent vinegar, which can be used in salad dressings and mayonnaise.

Celery and Tomato Relish

A gentle, flavoursome relish.

MAKES 6 X 375G JARS

2 heads of celery

500g tomatoes

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

8 medium-sized onions

2 large garlic cloves

300ml white malt vinegar

150g white granulated sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

½ teaspoon mustard powder

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon celery seeds

6 x 375g sterilised jam jars

Wash the celery thoroughly, taking care to remove all the mud. Remove the leaves and chop the stalks into 12mm pieces. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, then into cold. Skin and chop them. Wash and chop the peppers, removing the seeds and pith. Peel and chop the onions and garlic.

Put the vinegar into a pan with the sugar, salt and spices, bring gently to the boil, stirring well until all is dissolved, and boil together for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables, bring to the boil again and then simmer gently for about 40 minutes, giving an occasional stir. Pot, seal and label.

Keep for at least 1 week before using.

Celery Vinegar

Many vegetables such as celeriac and fennel can be used to flavour vinegar by this method and it is wonderful in mayonnaise, salad dressings and sauces.

MAKES 3 X 500ML BOTTLES

1 head of celery

1.5 litres white malt vinegar

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 tablespoon white granulated sugar

3 x 500g sterilised jam jars

muslin cloth for straining

3 x 500ml sterilised bottles

Wash and scrub the celery thoroughly and cut it into small pieces.

Put the vinegar, salt and sugar into a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Pack the celery into the jars and cover completely with the vinegar. Seal tightly and leave for 2 weeks to macerate.

Strain through a muslin cloth. Bottle, seal and label.

You can start using the finished vinegar straight away. Although it keeps well, the flavour will deteriorate after 6 months, so do use it up quickly.

CHILLI

There are many different varieties of chillies with varying degrees of heat, of which the best-known hot one is the Scotch Bonnet. It usually appears that the smaller they are, the hotter they are. Dorset seems to have taken over as the chilli centre of England since two enterprising young men set up a chilli farm in the Dorset countryside. Having gained a reputation for growing some of the hottest chillies ever, the farm has gone from strength to strength and the chillies it produces are used in everything from relishes to chocolates and ice cream.