A neat row of jars of your own preserves is not only a satisfying conclusion to a leisurely hour or so in the kitchen, it's also a wonderful way to make the most of seasonal fruit and vegetables. Jars of chutney, pickles or jam also make excellent gifts. Charmian Smith talks to the authors of two recent cookbooks featuring recipes for preserves of all kinds.
Jam heaven is three jars of real strawberry jam you've made yourself, according to Alexa Johnston.
The fourth in her Ladies a Plate series of cookbooks, Jams & Preserves (Penguin) has recently been published. Of all her books re-creating recipes from old cookbooks, this is the one people kept asking about, she said.
It took more than a year to test the recipes as she had to wait for fruit and vegetables to come into season, and then taste them after a couple of months when they had mellowed to decide whether they were any good or not, she said.
The result is a beautifully illustrated book with recipes for jams, fruit curds, jellies and fruit cheeses, marmalades, mincemeat, chutneys, pickles and relishes, savoury sauces, bottled, spiced and brandied fruit, and fruit cordials and liqueurs.
Most are from her collection of old community cookbooks, but some come from family and friends, such as her aunt's chilli sauce or Ray McVinnie's hot lime pickle, which he got from an Indian chef in Fiji.
''It's a stunning recipe but finding a source for it in an Indian cookbook would probably be a bit hard,'' she said.
''The chilli sauce came from my aunt who came from Singapore - my uncle's wife. It's a Malaysian recipe. You don't pour it out of the bottle, you combine it with other things and use it in cooking.''
While writing the book, she pushed herself into new areas such as making liqueurs and ginger beer, she said.
''Rosalie Lockwood gave me this [ginger beer] recipe and now my husband's addicted and I have to make it all the time. It's very good,'' she said with a laugh.
Making pickled walnuts and elderflower cordial was also new to her. Living in the middle of Auckland she did not have elderflowers and walnut trees nearby but found some on a visit to friends in the South Island.
''I was trying to draw people's attention to things that might have got lost as life became busier and busier, and also to overcome the feeling that if you are going to make jam you have to make 27 jars and it's all too much so you don't make any at all. I think it needs to be pointed out that three jars of strawberry jam are worth making because it's so much nicer than jam you buy.''
She warns that when making jams and pickles you can't leave the kitchen for long as ending up with a burnt pot of jam or boiled-over pickle on your stove is
enough to put you off forever. But at the same time, in less than an hour, if you have some strawberries you can make the perfect strawberry jam.
Jam is more versatile than just for spreading on bread and butter. Have it with yoghurt, ice cream or baked custards instead of buying a fruit topping. You can even reduce the sugar although the jams won't keep as long and need to be stored in the fridge once opened, she says.
Many of the old recipes assumed you would be using less-than-perfect fruit, such as windfall apples or green tomatoes that might otherwise go to waste. Cooks didn't have fancy equipment but they made preserves and pickles because they had to. Today we are freed from the necessity and do it for pleasure.
''It's not just the pleasure of you in the kitchen with nice smells, it goes on when you give it to friends or share it with people,'' she says.
''You can't go out and buy that experience. It's the same with opening a jar of golden queen peaches [you've bottled]. You can't go out and buy them - you can buy a tin of Watties or black Doris plums but it's not the same as if you made it yourself. I do believe that.
''Sure, you are going to spend a little bit of time, but you are going to get a lot of rewards.''
Rhubarb chutney
Ingredients
125ml vinegar
125ml water
675g sugar
1.3kg rhubarb
340g raisins
For the spice bag
25mm cinnamon stick
tsp whole cloves
whole nutmeg
tsp whole allspice
In Aunt Daisy's Pickles and Sauces, Jams and Jellies (1949), this preserve is called spiced rhubarb -
but it really fits into the jam-like chutney category.
I like the fact it has so few ingredients, and if you use whole spices rather than ground ones, it stays a good strong red. As usual, I've reduced the sugar, and Aunt Daisy is right - this is very good indeed served with lamb.
Method
Preparing the ingredients
Cut the rhubarb into 25mm lengths. Bash whole spices with a mortar and pestle to crush them a little, then tie them in a piece of muslin.
Getting ready
Wash jam jars and their lids in hot water, rinse them and put them in the oven set to 120degC for about 30 minutes to drain and dry.
Making the chutney
1. Put the vinegar, water and sugar in a preserving pan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the spice bag and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the rhubarb and raisins and keep stirring. It looks as though there is not enough liquid, but the rhubarb will collapse quite quickly and give out a lot of juice. Keep at a slow simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chutney thickens.
4. Ladle into sterilised jars and seal. Makes 8 cups/2 litres.
Lemon curd
Ingredients
4 lemons
340g caster sugar
170g butter
4 large eggs
The classic. This is my mother Paula's recipe. She made jars of lemon curd for Christmas gifts, usually accompanied by some of her outstanding shortbread. She was very keen on butter, and lemon curd with shortbread is perfect bliss for a butter fiend.
Method
Preparing the fruit
Grate the zest from the lemons with a fine grater, avoiding the bitter white pith.
Squeeze out the juice and strain it.
Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
Getting ready
Wash small jam jars and their lids in hot water, rinse them and put them in the oven set to 120degC for about 30 minutes to drain and dry.
Heat some water in the base of a double boiler, or a saucepan over which you can sit a heatproof mixing bowl.
Making the lemon curd
1. Put the zest, juice, sugar and butter into the top of the double boiler or a heatproof mixing bowl. The water underneath should be just simmering. Stir with a wooden spoon until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Taste to see if you think it needs more juice.
2. Beat the eggs in a small bowl until smooth. Pour a little of the hot mixture onto the eggs while stirring well, then pour it all into the double boiler, and return to the heat.
3. Stir over still-simmering water until the mixture thickens (5-6 minutes). Don't let it boil; it will thicken further as it cools.
4. Pour the lemon curd through a sieve and then carefully into the heated jars. Seal. Store in the fridge once it is cool and eat within 4 weeks. Makes 2 cups/500ml.
Recipes reprinted with permission from Ladies, A Plate : Jams & Preserves by Alexa Johnston. Published by Penguin Group (NZ), RRP $47.
Match made in heaven
Growing up on a farm near Kaitangata in South Otago, Rowan Bishop learnt about not wasting seasonal produce, and making preserves and pickles, something she has continued to do all her life.
The former Dunedin caterer who moved to Hamilton in 1999, has a new book out, her fifth, With Relish: fine chutneys, pickles and more (Bateman).
There are traditional and innovative recipes, from zucchini relish and lutenica (roasted capsicum dip) to smoke and lime feijoa chutney, preserved grape leaves, Schezuan plum sauce, roast beet and fennel pesto and rhubarb ''champagne''.
''I have a significant interest in the way other cuisines use spices and herbs, methods, flavours and textures, so I try to incorporate that as well,'' she says.
She makes a lot of preserves, not only for herself but also for her adult children who were brought up with them and love them, and as gifts for friends.
''They are so different from ones you buy in a supermarket which are often diluted with additives, thickeners, emulsifiers and preservatives and so on, there's no comparison in taste.''
She says you can't get anything as good as her life's-too-short marmalade made with oranges, limes and ginger, unless you pay a fortune for an artisan product.
''I really like the idea of the natural flavours of the produce you are using and heightening that, intensifying that, like in the French style of condiment,'' she says.
''Not all of what's in the book are strong flavours, but there's always an emphasis on making the most of the natural flavours of the produce in some way, and cutting back on sugar.''
''I'd never really been keen on a lot of baking and never had a lot of time for that, but if you make pickles or chutneys you've always got something that's personal to offer people with biscuits and cheese.''
She likes to serve home-made condiments, tapenades or salsas with bread or crackers as a starter, a quick and easy way to entertain, once you've made them.
Some people think of chutneys and pickles as something you put on the side of everything you eat, but she prefers to match particular condiments with the food she is serving. A good chutney or sauce can transform a humble dish into something remarkable and lovely, she says.
''I love what you can do with a range of condiments; you know what's in them and they have great flavours. You can match them to what you are eating as long as it works in harmony with the dish.''
An example is her spiced banana and kumara chutney which is good not only with samosas but is a revelation on top of laksa because of the coconut and spices in it, she said.
Life's-too-short marmalade
Makes 3 jars
Ingredients
1kg thin-skinned oranges
250g limes (3-4, depending on size)
500g sugar
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (optional)
This marmalade is for those who like the best in life. It's a little more time-consuming in terms of yield, but absolutely worth it. The secret is in the method; flavour is maximised by keeping sugar to a minimum, and no water is added - it's just fruit flesh, zest and a minimum of sugar to preserve and enhance the flavours.
Method
Using a zester* remove the zest from all the fruit, ensuring that none of the pith is attached. Chop roughly. Alternatively, peel with a potato peeler and finely julienne the peel, then chop roughly. Transfer to a large saucepan.
With a sharp knife, pare the pith from all the fruit and discard. Chop the flesh into 5mm dice, discarding any core or obvious membrane. Try not to lose any juice.
Transfer the diced fruit and juice to the saucepan with the zest, stir in the sugar and bring to simmer point. Simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, stirring regularly.
Test by placing half a teaspoon of the marmalade on a saucer to cool, then nudging with a finger. If the surface ripples, it is ready to pour into hot, sterilised jars. Seal with sterilised metal screw-on lids.
*A zester has a truncated ''blade'' with 6 small holes.
Use all oranges for this marmalade if you prefer, or experiment with a combination of citrus.
Brinjal
Makes 8-10 jars
Ingredients
2 large eggplants, about 500g each
4 tsp salt
1 cup oil cup yellow mustard seeds
2 Tbsp fenugreek seeds
2 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
100g crushed garlic
100g minced ginger
1 Tbsp chilli powder
3 x 410g cans peeled tomatoes in juice, chopped cup tamarind paste*
1 cup malt vinegar
1kg sugar
This eggplant chutney literally took years to perfect, but is universally popular. Sweet but piquant, it complements curries, cheeses, pastries and just about anything.
Method
Slice the unpeeled eggplant into small (5mm) dice. Place in a colander and sprinkle evenly or toss with the salt. Set aside over a sink or bowl to drain for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or jam pan, over a medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and heat until they start to pop.
Remove from the heat and stir in the fenugreek, coriander and cumin seeds followed by the garlic, ginger and chilli powder. Return to a lowered heat and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Stir in the salted and drained eggplant without rinsing or patting dry - just shake the colander before adding the eggplant, then saute for 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes with juice, the tamarind paste, vinegar and the sugar. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, for about 1 hours, stirring occasionally. Oil should rise to the surface after about an hour, and further cooking produces a medium-thick chutney, reduced to almost half the original volume.
Bottle in hot, sterilised jars with hot, sterilised screw-on lids.
*Take 125g from a block of tamarind pulp, available from any Asian food store. Break it up and soak in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes, breaking it up further as it soaks. Push it through a sieve and discard leftover fibre and seeds.
This will produce more than you need, so measure out the amount required and freeze the excess for future use. An acceptable alternative to making your own is ready-made tamarind paste, available from Asian outlets (especially the Pantainorasingh brand).
Use processed garlic and ginger to save time.
Recipes reprinted with permission from Rowan Bishop's With Relish: Fine chutneys, pickles and more. Published by Bateman, RRP $25.
