Preserving season

[Seatallan]

Autumn always feels like preserving season to me. I love planning what chutneys, pickles, jams and jellies I'm going to make. I'm already finding it difficult to pass any bush or tree with fruit on without screeching to a halt. I noticed last weekend that the sloes are beginning to appear too- can't wait to start on this year's sloe gin

Whilst I hate to use the 'C' word, I do like to make a good batch of stuff for presents (and for home consumption). Hurrah for Autumn!!

[ianinfrance]

Yup, know the feeling well. Old Doverhouse chutney is coming up soon, and some spicy tomato. With the end of the high holiday season here, some of the summer fruits are being sold off cheap (raspberries, strawberries etc) so that will be jams for next year. And I'm just going to HAVE to make some bacon jam for presents. I hope we'll be able to get some September Cepes, because jars of them were very well received last year. And then there are the obligatory jars of concentrated stocks as for presents. And then there's quince jelly to make. What fun.

[MrsWWoof]

I've spent the weekend making Marrow & Ginger Jam and Marrow & Autumn Fruit Chutney after being "gifted" some unsold marrows at the sale I did on Saturday

[Marmalade]

Ooooh, I absolutely love making jams and jellies and each year I like to try and find one I haven't done before - this year I'm going to try Rosehip and Hawthorn and maybe elderberry.

It must be the squirrel in me, but there's something inherently satisfying about a line of jars containing jam or sparklingly clear jellies - trouble is, I can't stand eating jam and the rest of the family aren't that bothered either. Free jam anyone?

[ianinfrance]

[Sloe-Gin]

As one who makes the bloomin' stuff all year round (according to what I can get) I find I still have enthusiasm for it! I had a 10kg sack of british pickling onions delivered on Tuesday and 10kg of British shallots last week.

There's a dearth of Bramleys at the moment, and pears are very expensive. Luckily, I have a neighbour with a fantastic apple tree; it's not got a bumper crop this year, but what it does bear is mine (in return for a jar or two, of course!!) Otherwise they'd just fall and rot.

I have a box of courgettes looking balefully at me, so my next job is.... Courgette chutney as a 'special' for Anglesey Oyster festival in 4 weeks' time. I must prep a batch of Piccalilii this afternoon, too.

Happy pickling!

[Sloe-Gin]

Just thought I'd post this - not made it, but if you're a foraging chutney maker, it could be for you:

http://my-pickles-and-jams.com/chutney- ... ey-recipe/

[ianinfrance]

[Sloe-Gin]

My fingers are also sore, Ian, as, on top of that, I've had chillies to deseed and chop.
My choice, so can't complain!!

[4dogsagain]

It's spring in the southern hemisphere, and the lemon and orange trees are full of fruit. We had a storm that blew half the lemons off the tree. It rained hard onto a very dry garden, so the lemons were all covered in mud. My gardener kindly washed them all and spread out on metal lattice chairs and table to dry. After he and the maid had each taken a bag full, there was plenty left for me.
So I have been making lemon curd. As I cook it on the stove top, as opposed to using a bowl over hot water, I make big quantities. One thing that I always do when making curd is to pass the beaten egg through a sieve. Then I dont get whte string bits in the final mix.
I'm going to freeze some, then thaw and pack into pretty jars as C gifts.
The oranges are very sour at the moment, and won't be ready for another month. Then we will be having fresh orange juice every day.

[suffolk]

I always put the beaten eggs through a sieve for lemon curd too. I used to do it for scrambled eggs too, but now I'm older and my eyesight isn't so good I'm unaccountably unsqueamish about stringy white bits in my breakfast

[BelgianEndive]

Stoned 5 kgs of mirabelles and made a jam that is to be proud of. Before that I made apricot jam and I think the next in line might be quince jelly, if I can lay my mitts on some quince.

[Sloe-Gin]

I know of a great quince tree - no fruit this year.

[BelgianEndive]

I know, I have a friend who has a great quince tree too - no fruit this year either. I wonder why?

[Sloe-Gin]

Poor weather means the bees weren't as active, so little pollination, I'm lead to believe

[ianinfrance]

Same for us, no fruit on our Quince tree.However it's still very early for quinces. I'l not be looking for them till we get back from Hungary and after the Wildfood weekend here.

[karadekoolaid]

Just like Sloe-Gin, there's no preserving season for me either. Pickles, chutneys, marmalades, hot sauces and pepper jellies all year round, with the added plus of a tropical climate!
However, it's not all plain sailing. The hurricane season, which affects the Atlantic and the Caribbean, occasionally produces unwanted tropical storms which drench Venezuela.Global warming has also played havoc with weather conditions. Finally, there's "El Niño" and "La Niña" which affect the Pacific coast of S America and bring extremely dry or extremely wet "winters" (usually the dry season!).
I've got 2 huge mango trees in the back garden. When we moved here in 2009, and again in 2010,I picked about 150 kgs of mangoes!
Last year and this year, none. Not even one tiny,eensy-weeny one. Heavy rains in February and March destroyed all the blossom.
This morning I had the same story with the Jalapeños I use for two of my products. " Sorry, mate," chirped my supplier, " the heavy rains wahshed the crop away".
No Jalapeños then; doesn't matter. Tomatoes are plentiful so I'll use some of those!

[4dogsagain]

We had a similar problem with lemons last year. There were only four lemons on the tree, and they disappeared - I think the birds got them. This year the tree is loaded with fruit, but due to an excessively long drought, they are very small. I have noticed that those still on the tree (hundreds were blown down by strong wind) are getting a little bigger, as we had in excess of 130mm rain ten days ago. More rain due this weekend - hooray!