White Currant Jelly-Jam

One of my work colleagues brought some bags of white currants into work for us to help ourselves to.  Well, it would be rude not to, so I brought home a little bag marked 8oz White Currants.  As it was such a small amount currants I wanted to do something that would make the best of them so I did what I usually do and had a search on the internet and found this recipe for White Currant Jam from The Well Seasoned Cook.

It's a strange one, not quite jam, because you sieve the berries, and not quite jelly as it has a slight thickness from the white currant flesh.  Mine looks more like jelly than the picture on The Well Seasoned Cook, so I decided to call it White Currant Jelly-Jam.  It tastes similar to red currant jelly although I think it is a little sweeter, I love the peachy colour which develops as the berries cook and it sets really easily.


Here are some other ideas for fruit jellies that you might like to try

Kavey's Apple Lemon Verbena Jelly - Kavey Eats
Crab Apple Jelly - Fuss Free Flavours
Rochelle's Grape Jelly - It's Not Easy Being Greedy 
Spiced Apple Jelly - Foodie Quine
Plum Jelly: Sunshine in a Jar - Kavey Eats


I'm entering this recipe for the No Waste Food Challenge at Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary

Labels: berries, currants, jam, jelly, preserves, summer, white currants

posted by Janice @ 22:20 10 Comments

Gourmet Burgers and Luscious, Spiced Beetroot Relish

Sometimes two recipes just come together in a perfectly delicious union, and so it was with the Beetroot Relish and the Beetroot Burger.



The Beetroot Burger comes from Burgers  the new book from Paul Gayler MBE, hailed by James Martin as "the book I have been waiting for", which was sent to me for review. Paul Gayler was Executive Chef at The Lanesborough Hotel London, the five-star hotel on the edge of London’s Hyde Park. He has 20 years’ experience in some of the most respected kitchens and restaurants in Europe. As well as having made many appearances on British TV, he is the author of over 20 cookery books. He has also won the Guild of Food Writers’ Cookery Book of the Year and has been nominated for a prestigious André Simon Award.

  It is a fun book, shaped like a burger layered with goodies.  In Burgers, Paul Gayler presents his favourite 25 burger recipes. As well as the expected Ultimate burger with ‘the works’, there’s a wealth of delicious and imaginative offerings. For carnivores, there’s an eclectic mix and not just beef: choose, for instance, from a Caribbean pork burger, Smoked chicken cobb burger, Tandoori lamb burger or Turkey BLT burger stack. Vegetarians and fish eaters can enjoy a Feta club burger, Southwest red bean 
burger, Lebanese kibbeh burger or Jumbo prawn burger, among others. There really is a burger for everyone. There is also a section for 'Sides' including Simple Tomato Ketchup, Oven Cheese Fries, Moroccan-style Caponata  and Calypso Mojo.   But back to the Beetroot Burger, which is made with minced (ground) beef, the beetroot adds a glorious sweet and sour flavour, but doesn't overpower the beef at all and provides only a slight pinkish tinge, I made the smaller burgers as I felt that four burgers from this quantity of mince would make to large a portion for us. The smaller ones fit nicely on the muffin too!
Beetroot Burger
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
500g minced beef (ground chuck) chilled
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp pickled beetroot, finely chopped (or 3 tbsp Beetroot Relish)
1 tbsp pickled beetroot juice (omit if using relish)
vegetable oil, for brushing and frying.

To serve: 4 English Muffins, salad of tossed green leaves or wilted spinach, small boiled new potatoes.

1. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan (skillet).  Cooke the onion slowly until pale and soft, then allow to cool
2. Combine the minced beef, egg yolks, capers, sea salt and pepper.
3. Add the onion and mix thoroughly together
4. Add the beetroot and juice (or relish), mix well.
5. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 4 large flat patties (the traditional shape, or 8 smaller taller patties.
6. Heat a char grill or pan grill, oil it and the patties lightly and cook them on a medium heat for about 5 minutes each side (alternately heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook them that way).
7. Split and toast the muffins, serve the burgers in the toasted muffins with a little salad of tossed green leave or with  a little wilted spinach and boiled new potatoes. I added an extra spoonful of Beetroot Relish on top of the burger, just because.

BURGERS: FROM THE ULTIMATE BURGER TO THE SOUTHWEST RED BEAN BURGER
by Paul Gayler MBE
Published by Jacqui Small
Shaped hardback 
August 2014
RRP £9.99


The Beetroot Relish comes via Not Quite Nigella and is made to her recipe for Lazy, Luscious, Spiced Beetroot Relish.  I bought some beetroot at the Farmers Market and was planning to make the Beetroot Chutney I made last year.  That particular recipe has a chunky texture which isn't very good for spreading on sandwiches, so I was looking for more of a relish with a softer texture and found this super simple recipe.  I cooked my beetroot in the Slow Cooker which has to be the easiest and least messy way to bake beetroot.
Simply wash the beetroot, place a piece of foil in the base of the slow cooker and put the beets on top. Bake for 5-6 hours depending on the size of the beetroot.  Then, wearing a pair of rubber gloves, slip the skins off before preparing for the relish. 


I can't emphasise enough how good this relish is, sweet, spicy and just enough acid tang to counteract the sweetness, but no burn and no earthy taste, it's just delicious and I plan to make another batch very soon. Thanks to 'Not Quite Nigella' for allowing me to link to her recipe. 

Labels: Beetroot Relish, Burgers, chutney, Cook book review, Jacqui Small, Paul Gayler, preserves, relish

posted by Janice @ 21:39 12 Comments

Slow Cooker Challenge August - Preserves

August is a month of plenty and a time when traditionally we preserve the fruits and vegetables from our gardens and markets by making jams, jellies, curds, chutney and relish and even some bottling and canning.  The Slow Cooker is ideal for making some preserves and can be used for softening the fruit for those that need a rapid boil on the stove to bring to a set.

Apple and Apricot Chutney

To celebrate the World Jampionships, which take place in August,with winners announced in September, your challenge this month is to make a preserve in your Slow Cooker, write about it on your blog and link the post to the Linky below.



If you would like to take part, then please: 

• Make your recipe in your Slow Cooker and post a photograph and the recipe, or a link to a recipe, on your blog
• Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen
• Use the Slow Cooker Challenge logo in your post
• If you use twitter, tweet your post with @FarmersgirlCook and #SlowCookerChallenge and I will re-tweet it to my followers AND post your picture on the dedicated Pinterest Board. 

Rules: 

• Please do not publish recipes from cookbooks on your blog without permission, they are copyright.
• If you are using recipes from another website, please link to the recipe on the website rather than publishing the recipe.
• One entry per blog.
• Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month.

Labels: August, chutney, Curd, jam, jelly, preserves, relish, Slow Cooker Challenge, world jampionships

posted by Janice @ 10:20 6 Comments

Apricot and Apple Chutney

I have a passion for apricots. I like them fresh and I like them dried and I particularly like them in jams and chutneys.  My neighbour gave me some apples from her tree and I always have a pack of dried apricots in my cupboard, so I thought I'd make some chutney.

Apricot and Apple Chutney (makes a couple of jars, multiply the quantities if you want to make more)

150g dried apricots, chopped
225g chopped, peeled apples (about  2 apples)
180ml vinegar
40g sultanas or raisins
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
200g granulated sugar

1. In a large stainless steel pot combine fruit, vinegar, raisins, garlic, salt and chilli flakes, stir well.
2. Bring to the boil.
3. Next, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the apricots have plumped up.
4. Stir in sugar and return to a simmer, cook uncovered, stirring until the mixture is thickened.
5. Sterilise your jars by rinsing in very hot water, then baking upside down in a low oven until the steam has evaporated.
6. Ladle the chutney into the jars and let it cool a little before covering with a screw top lid.

Recipe adapted from a recipe on Food.com

I'm entering the Apricot and Apple Chutney in the Home made and well preserved challenge at A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate

Labels: A little bit of Heaven on a Plate, Apple, Apricot, challenge, chutney, Home made and well preserved, preserves, vinegar

posted by Janice @ 11:50 6 Comments

Time to eat the Chilli Jam!

Back in September I made some Tomato Chilli Jam and in October I made Pineapple Chilli Jam. Today I was entertaining my family and served both of these preserves in the crystal jam dishes left to me by a friend of my mum's.  They usually on make an appearance round about Christmas and always make whatever is served in them look elegant and inviting.  You also get a little peek at my Christmas tree in the background.


Both of the jams were delicious, but I have to say, that the pineapple one was particularly good, my son commented that it had a 'sweet and sour' flavour and it was delicious with cold ham and turkey, the turkey from my Forman and Field hamper, which was also very good. 

Labels: chilli, Christmas, crystal, jam, pineapple, preserves, tomato

posted by Janice @ 20:29 10 Comments

Tomato Chilli Jam

I'm entering this as my bookmarked recipe for this month. The challenge is hosted by Tinned Tomatoes from an idea from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.  It's quite a recent bookmark as I only got the Tamasin Day-Lewis book 'Supper for a song' from the library a couple of weeks ago, but straight away I knew I wanted to make this relish or jam as she calls it.

Store in a larder or cool place, not the fridge, for up to 9 months.


I had a little taste and, boy is it hot!  I hope it is going to mature nicely as I have forbidden Mr Farmer from trying it yet, as he would put it on everything and it would soon be gone.  I got two Kilner jars and a small jar from this recipe.  I may try and make it again using only tinned tomatoes, I've made tomato chutney with tinned toms before and you get a brilliant colour and as you are cooking the tomatoes anyway there is no real difference in taste although the fresh toms give a bit more texture.

26th September 2011


I'm entering this in  the 'Homemade and Well Preserved" challenge hosted by Sue at A little bit of Heavan on a plate.

Labels: chilli, garlic, preserves, root ginger, tomatoes, wine vinegar.

posted by Janice @ 21:31 14 Comments

Apple Pickle

I've been making Apple Pickle off and on for many years. The recipe comes from a little paperback book which was produced by a magazine called 'Home and Freezer Digest' I checked the publication date for the book and it is 1981 :o At the time there were very few food magazines and I loved that little magazine. Anyway, back to the Pickle, all the recipes in the book were provided by readers of the magazine and this one came from a Mrs Una Spear from Devon who got it from a friend.

1lb (450g) onions, peeled
1 1/2 lb (675g) cooking apples, peeled and cored
1lb (450g) stoned dates
1lb (450g) sultanas
1lb (450g) soft brown sugar
1 lev teasp salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pint (550ml) ready spiced malt vinegar

Labels: apples, chutney, pickle, preserves

posted by Janice @ 21:25 9 Comments