Autumn is the season of 'mists and mellow fruitfulness' Autumn is the season of 'mists and mellow fruitfulness' and it certainly is a great time for fruit, and vegetables too. Lots of delicious British-grown/northern hemisphere varieties are in season, such as blackberries, plums, apples, pears, pumpkins, leeks, courgettes and parsnips, to name but a few. Here we look at a selection of autumnal fruit and veg and the variety of things you can do to them. Please do send in receipts of your own which will be added to this page. Chutneys Chutney is a product traditionally associated with curries and Indian food… and for good reason. The Hindi word "catni" means spicy, and refers to fruits and/or vegetables that have been slowly cooked into a jam-like condiment. The addition of sugar, spices and vinegar adds flavor and ensures the chutney will keep for a long time. While it's true that many chutneys are fiery hot, there are also tamer versions; some, like Major Grey's, a mildly-spiced mango-based chutney, were created for English tastes during the Raj. Green Tomato and Apple Chutney Ingredients 2 pounds (1 kg) green tomatoes, chopped 2 pounds (1 kg) tart apples, peeled and chopped 1/2 pound (250 g) onions, chopped 1 pound (500 g) raisins 3-3/4 cups (750 g) light brown sugar 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp black peppercorns, crushed 2 tsp quatre-épices (four spices) 2 tbsp coarse salt 2 garlic cloves 3 cups (700 ml) wine vinegar Instructions Combine all the ingredients, except the vinegar, in a stainless-steel saucepan. Add 6 tbsp of the vinegar and cook over low heat, adding the remaining vinegar gradually as the mixture boils. Stir as the mixture thickens about 45 minutes. When thick, transfer to sterilized jars. Seal when cool. Store in a cool, dark place. Yield: About 8 pounds Apple chutney Ingredients 1.5 kg (3 ¼ lb.) green apples 450 g (1 lb.) onion 500 ml (2 c.) sultana raisins 375 ml (1 ½ c.) cider vinegar 500 ml (2 c.) sugar 1 tbsp. crushed mustard seed 1 tsp. pickling spice ½ tsp. cayenne pepper ½ tsp. powdered ginger Preparation Peel and core the apples; cut into large dice; place all the ingredients into a saucepan; bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 hours or until the liquid has almost completely evaporated; once the mixture begins to thicken, stir frequently so that it doesn't stick; if you lift up a spoonful of the mixture it should keep its shape; immediately put into hot sterilized jars. Mango chutney Ingredients 700 g (1 ½ lb.) slightly underripe mangos 150 ml (10 tbsp.) boiling water 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 125 ml (1/2 c.) seedless raisins 150 ml (10 tbsp.) white vinegar (with herbs) 250 ml (1 c.) brown sugar 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. powdered ginger ½ tsp. garam masala Preparation Peel the mangos and remove the large flat pits; chop the flesh into small dice; in a large saucepan combine the mangos, the water and the other ingredients; bring to a boil; lower the heat and let simmer 45 minutes or until the mixture is fairly thick; immediately put into hot sterilized jars. Tips for making Chutneys 1. All are prepared from mixtures of fruit and vegetables or a combination of both. 2. Vegetables should be ripe but not over-ripe. Fruit should be almost ripe and certainly not over ripe. 3. Fruits and vegetables are usually prepared before cooking. 4. Cook with the lid off. 5. Those vegetables with a high water content are often salted before cooking to draw out the water, eg cucumber. 6. Chutney and relish should be stored for some months before using to allow the flavours to develop. At least 4 months is preferable. 7. Should mould appear on stored product it is due to imperfectly cleaned jars and lids or it has been kept in a damp area. 8. Label well, including name and date of making. Jams 1. Fruits for making Jam and Jelly need to have the necessary pectin and acid content to enable them to set. 2. Fruits should be mature but not over-ripe. 3. Do not use fruit with any rot in it. 4. Cut away any bruised flesh 5. Fruit for marmalade need to be mature so that there is a good balance of pectin and acid. 6. Be wary of buying fruit from stalls following a good down pour of rain as often this can make the fruit swell and look lovely and plump, but they may be too full of water for preserving. 7. All fruit should be washed and drained and or dried before use. 8. Always boil with the lid off. Mrs Beetons Jams and Preserves Revisited Plum Jam Plums To every 450g (1lb) of Plums, weighed before being stoned, allow: 340g (12oz) Sugar In making plum jam, the quantity of sugar for each 450g (1lb) of fruit must be regulated by the quality and size of the fruit, some plums requiring much more sugar than others. Divide the plums, take out the stones and put them on to large dishes, with sugar sprinkled over them in the above ratio and let them stand for one day. Put into a preserving pan, stand them over a low heat to simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Then boil rapidly for another 15 minutes. The scum must be carefully removed as it rises and the jam must be well stirred all the time or it will burn at the bottom of the pan and so spoil the colour and flavour of the preserve. Some of the stones may be cracked and a few kernels added to the jam just before it is done, these impart a very delicious flavour to the plums. Pour into sterilised jars. Allow to cool and cover with airtight lids. Store in a dry place. The above ratio of sugar would fine for Orleans plums, the Impératrice Magnum-bonum and Winesour would not require quite so much. Best plums for preserving. Violets, Mussels, Orleans, Impératrice Magnum-bonum and Winesour. Time: 30 minutes to simmer gently, 15 minutes to boil rapidly. Seasonable from the end of July to the beginning of October. PLUM JAM To every lb. of plums, weighed before being stoned, allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar. Mode - In making plum jam, the quantity of sugar for each lb. of fruit must be regulated by the quality and size of the fruit, some plums requiring much more sugar than others. Divide the plums, take out the stones, and put them on to large dishes, with roughly-pounded sugar sprinkled over them in the above proportion, and let them remain for one day; then put them into a preserving-pan, stand them by the side of the fire to simmer gently for about 1/2 hour, and then boil them rapidly for another 15 minutes. The scum must be carefully removed as it rises, and the jam must be well stirred all the time, or it will burn at the bottom of the pan, and so spoil the colour and flavour of the preserve. Some of the stones may be cracked, and a few kernels added to the jam just before it is done: these impart a very delicious flavour to the plums. The above proportion of sugar would answer for Orleans plums; the Impératrice Magnum-bonum, and Winesour would not require quite so much. Time - 1/2 hour to simmer gently, 1/4 hour to boil rapidly. Seasonable from the end of July to the beginning of October. Best plums for preserving - Violets, Mussels, Orleans, Impératrice Magnum-bonum, and Winesour. Apple & Blackberry Jam 1 kg (2lb) blackberries 375 ml (I2fl oz) water 375g (12oz) cooking apples, peeled and sliced thinly 1.5kg (31b) granulated sugar Put the blackberries and half of the water in a saucepan and simmer until tender. Put the apples and the rest of water into another saucepan and simmer until soft. Combine the blackberries and the apple along with the sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Keep the jam at a rolling boil until the setting point is reached. Remove from heat, stand for 10 minutes, ladle jam into sterilised jars, label and cover. From Anne Garrison Fig and Ginger Jam Makes 2 x 450g/1 lb jars Preparation time over 2 hours Cooking time 10 to 30 mins Ingredients 1.35kg/3lb ripe figs, washed and diced 1.35kg/3lb warm preserving sugar (see note below) 1½ tbsp ground ginger 1 cooking apple, peeled and diced 4 tbsp crystallised stem ginger, chopped roughly 5 tbsp white wine vinegar 3 lemons, juice only 290ml/½ pint water warm, sterilised jam jars and jam pot covers - prepare jars by washing in hot soapy water and leaving to dry and warm in a cool oven - 130C/250F/Gas ½ for 10-15 minutes. Method 1. Put the figs, sugar and ground ginger into a large non-metallic bowl, cover and leave for 6-8 hours. 2. Transfer the figs and sugar to a large saucepan or preserving pan, add the apple, crystallised ginger, vinegar, lemons and water. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the fruit is soft and setting point is reached. 3. Remove the jam from the heat and leave to cool for 20-25 minutes. Pour into the warm jam jars and cover/seal straight away. 4. Label and store in a cool dark place for 2-3 weeks to allow the flavours to develop. N.B. To warm the sugar, pour into a baking tray and then heat in a low oven - 140C/275F/Gas 1 for 15-20 minutes before using. Sloe Gin The Sloe, or Blackthorn, is a wild ancestor of the plum. The bushes grow in hedgerows all over the country, bearing blue-black, marble-sized fruits which develop a light blue, powdery bloom in dry conditions. It's often said that you should pick them after the first frost, but in my experience (in S.E. England) early September is the best time; later in the year you'll be lucky to find any left, and the all-important sharpness which makes this drink special will have diminished (if you bite into a raw sloe you'll appreciate why they don't tend to be eaten by humans). Incidentally, don't be put off if you dislike the taste of gin, because it's completely transformed in this drink. Sloe Gin Recipe Ingredients 450g/1lb sloes 225g/8oz caster sugar 1 litre/1¾ pint gin Method 1. Prick the tough skin of the sloes all over with a clean needle and put in a large sterilised jar. 2. Pour in the sugar and the gin, seal tightly and shake well. 3. Store in a cool, dark cupboard and shake every other day for a week. Then shake once a week for two months. 4. The sloe gin will now be a beautiful dark red and ready to drink, although it will still improve with keeping. 5. Variation: make blackberry brandy in the same way, substituting blackberries for the sloes and brandy for the gin. Blackberries do not need pricking. Sloe Gin Recipe Pick your sloes from blackthorn hedges in October or November when they are most ripe - probably after the first frosts. Take a litre bottle of gin, and drink half a litre Cut or prick the sloes and drop into the half-empty bottle so that they displace the remaining gin to near the top. Add one wine goblet of sugar (approx 150g) All you have to do now is turn or agitate the bottle daily for a week, then weekly for a month or two ... by which time it will be ready to drink (but it is really best kept until the next winter). Plymouth Sloe Gin liqueur Description: Plymouth Sloe Gin liqueur is made by gently steeping the finest sloes in Plymouth Gin and soft pure Dartmouth water. The process is carefully monitored and never hurried, until the perfect liqueur flavour is acheived. The winner of several awards Plymouth Sloe Gin liqueur is ideal as a winter warmer. In summer try it with Bitter Lemon in a traditional west country "Long Pedlar". Wipe the glass rim first with lemon and dip in castor sugar! Made of course, at the Black Friars Distillery, Englands oldest working distilery. Producer: Plymouth Gin   -   http://www.plymouthgin.com

http://forum.rivercottage.net/index.php Great site for handy tips