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Garden produce recipes

We are all busy enjoying the fruits (or vegetables) of our labour and so I thought it would be a good idea to share some ideas. Jams, cordials, butters relish, whatever is your favourite please share. I will start with my family's favourite

Herb Butter, gather all herbs, chop finely add some salt, if wished, and mix thro a pack of butter.  Roll into a sausage shape and either freeze or use immediately. Try all sorts of combinations.  I have masses if dill this year so did dill and lemon yesterday.

 

Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
A A Milne
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  • Doogie72Doogie72 Posts: 62

    I've just made raspberry vinegar for the first time.  The recipe book tells me you can use it like Balsalmic vinegar and is particularly good on goats cheese.  Take 1kg of raspberies and leave in a covered bowl or jar with 600 ml of white wine vinegar for 5 days giving it a stir every now and then.  Then strain the liguid through a jelly bag and boil for 8 minutes with sugar (450g per 600 ml of liguid) then bottle.

    I haven't tried it on goats cheese yet - but i have tested it and it has a lovely sweet and sour taste. 

  • LesleyKLesleyK Posts: 4,029

    Sounds lovely Doogieimage.  LilyP how about the recipe for your rose syrupimage.

  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    I have a lot of cucumbers so I make cucumber pickle

    2lb cucumbers, 1lb onions, 300g sugar,5 scotch bonnets, 7 cloves of garlic, 400ml malt vinegar, 2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp celery seed, 2 1/2 tsp mustard seed.

    Put everything except veg in sauce pan simmer for 3 mins add chopped veg simmer for 3 mins thicken with 4 heaped tsp of arrowroot. Put in jars leave for 6 weeks. I increased the spices a bit so you can if you want.image
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Great ideas, here is the Rose Syrup

    225g rose petals, darker the stronger the flavour

    400g jam sugar

    750ml water

    toss petals in sugar and leave overnight.

    bring water to the boil add petals and stir till sugar dissolved

    allow to boil for at least half an hour or until you think syrup texture reached

    cool then bottle.  Very very sweet but strong flavour and fab over icecreamimage

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    I make a fruit compote any fruit you have mine is 8oz each of redcurrants, blackcurrants, white currants, gooseberries, 8oz cooked rhubarb. The currants and gooseberries put in pan with 1lb sugar bring to the boil add 5 heaped tsp of arrowroot let it thicken and take off heat let it cool completely add drained rhubarb. I use it on jam tart and with my porridge with lots of fresh fruit.
  • MobowMobow Posts: 92

    I use soft fruit in a similar way to Logan but I make Soft Fruit Butter . Simmer 2lb soft fruit in a little water until tender. You can use various combinations of fruit such as blackcurrants, strawberries, rapberries, loganberries etc that you have to hand. Ideally equal parts of each)

    Push the cooked pulp through a sieve. Return the sieved pulp to a clean pan and add 12oz sugar to each 1lb of fruit pulp. Heat gently stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and boil gently for about 20 mins until fruit puree is very thick and creamy, stirring so it doesn't stick. Pour into sterilised jam jars

  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    Mobo. Would I be able to do that without straining it? image
  • MobowMobow Posts: 92

    Hi Logan

    Fruit butters are softer and less sweet than jams 

    I think you should be able to make it though you would have to top and tail the gooseberries and blackcurrants (which I don't do because these are sieved out). 

  • Katherine WKatherine W Posts: 410

    Our favourite dessert in spring is a bowl of about 1/2 and 1/2 by volume of baked (not boiled) rhubarb (soft, not mushy, and sugared to taste) and fresh strawberries, with a few kumquats sliced on top (skin and all) and a sprinkle of finely chopped pineapple sage.

    It might work very well also as a tart, but I did not try it.

    Some unknown critter stole ALL the kumquats from my tree last week, so I am not sure if I will have any ripe ones next spring image

  • Doogie-I have got to try me some of that Vinegar!!

    My recipe for Cucumber Pickle-

    4 large cucumbers

    3 large onions

    2oz salt

    570ml white wine/cider vinegar

    454g sugar

    1/2 tsp tumeric

    1/2 tsp ground cloves

    1 tbsp mustard seeds

    Thinly slice and layer the cucumbers,onions and salt in a bowl,weigh down with a plate and leave for 3 hours. This will get rid of excess liquid from the veggies. Pour away this liquid and rinse the veggies and drain.

    Put vinegar ,spices and sugar in a stainless steel pan and heat, when sugar is dissolved add cucumber and onions and bring to the boil for 2 minutes. Remove the veggies, then put into sterilised jars.Allow the cooking liquid to boil down to a thick syrup.Pour this onto the veggies, then finish with a plastic lined lid whilst still hot

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