With this in mind I had to go back to that classic old skool treat of home made strawberry jam (or preserve if you are being posh and using plenty of fruit!)  This is a recipe that I cannot take complete credit for because it is adapted from a Marguerite Patten one from 1968 as used by Mother of Marge.  However it stands the test of time and I say get jammin’!

Ingredients:

• 1lb strawberries (450g in new money)
• 1lb granulated sugar (or jam sugar with pectin added)
• juice of one lemon

Method:

1. Wash your strawberries well and remove the green stalk (d’uh!)  Chop up the strawberries into slices or quarters, set aside.
2. Take a large pan, and by large I mean large as you will need plenty of room for the jam mixture especially when it starts boiling.
3. Also have your clean-to-within-an-inch-of-their-lives jam jars, lids, and cling film (or wax circles if you are posh) ready.
4. Now if you want you can use jam sugar which includes pectin to make things easier for the jam to set, but ordinary sugar will work fine.  Also do note that not all recipes will work on the ’1lb fruit to 1lb sugar’ as this depends on the natural amount of pectin in the fruit, hence my tip to use jam sugar.
5. On a medium heat you want to stew the fruit slowly with just a little water (half a teacup full or so) so that the fruit is soft.  Jam making takes time and you need to keep a watch on the pot, no breaking off to answer the phone etc.
6. Now add the sugar and stir it in.  Make sure the sugar is dissolved by tapping the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon to check for sugar crystals.
7. Now comes the scary bit: once the sugar is all dissolved you need to boil the jam rapidly on a high heat for 5 minutes – and don’t stir the pot! (And don’t leave it alone!)
8. After 5 minutes give the jam a stir and then test for setting.  To do this take a teaspoonful of jam and put it on a saucer, wait for 10 seconds and if it doesn’t ‘drag’ when the saucer is lightly tipped upwards then it is not ready.
9. If the jam is not ready then let it boil again for another few minutes and then test again (repeat this step again if necessary).  Once the jam is setting nicely turn the heat off under the pan.
10. Take your jam jars and sterilize them in the microwave as per my green tomato chutney recipe.
11. Now take great care, and do not answer the phone etc (even if George Clooney is calling!) transfer the jam to the sterilized, warm jam jars using either a soup ladle or funnel.  Remember hot jam is dangerous and can burn your skin so don’t rush.
12. Place your wax circle or piece of cling film directly in contact with the jam to make a seal and put the lid on.
13. When the jam has cooled down test it on a piece of toast or just dive straight into the jar!  Totally yum!

In the midst of all this busy-bee-ness I am delighted to see so many of you are trying my green tomato chutney recipe.  Many of you have tried adapting the recipe to suit your own tastes which I think is a great idea.  It is wonderful that my humble recipe is bringing creativity to your kitchens

I have been blown away by tremendous positive response for my previous chutney recipe that I just had to come up with a new one.  It has taken some time – having a cold etc notwithstanding – to get this chutney recipe perfected but I think you will find it is worth the wait.

Ingredients:

• 500g courgettes or a marrow (after all a courgette is just a marrow-in-waiting!)
• 250g eating apples
• 250g aubergine
• 500g granulated sugar (if you want to use jam sugar then please do)
• 2cm root ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 150g equal mix of dried prunes and dried apricots
• 500ml mix of white malt vinegar and cider vinegar
• 2 large heaped tsps of French mustard (or you can use mustard seeds)
• 250g onions

Method:

1. In a large, deep cooking pot place the sugar and salt and then pour on the vinegar.  I have found that by doing this the sugar dissolves beautifully making things much easier.
2. In a food processor chop up the dried fruits and mix in with the sugar/vinegar to infuse.
3. Peel the aubergine  and chop it up roughly (I don’t bother to salt it), and do the same to the courgette.  Blitz the vegetables until close to a mush consistency as this chutney is more smooth.  If you like things more chunky then this fine.  Add the courgette and aubergine to the pot and stir in.
4. Put the onions and apples (leave the skin on the apples) in the processor and again, mushify!
5. Lastly add the French mustard or mustard seed and the root ginger, which you have peeled and squashed a bit (so you can remove it easily after the chutney is done).
6. Now put the heat on high under the pot and give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon.
7. Bring the chutney to a rapid boil and keep it boiling (though you can turn the heat down a bit if need be), for at least 5 minutes as this helps with getting the chutney to set.  You will need to keep stirring all the time so that the chutney doesn’t catch.
8. ** Remember be careful around hot chutney and watch out for splashes.
9. After the rapid boil turn the heat right down to a light simmer.  You will need to stir the chutney from time to time and be prepared for this to take a long time.  I found the batch of courgette and aubergine chutney that I made took 50 minutes to simmer.  You may find yours takes longer.
10. To test if the chutney is ready take a teaspoonful and place it on a cold plate, and see if the chutney ‘drags’.
11. Whilst the chutney is simmering you can take your glass preserving jars and sterilise them.  You do this by cleaning them until scrupulously clean (attack with steel wool soap pads if need be!) including the lids, washing the jars again in clear water, and then putting them in the microwave for 2 minutes on high.
12. Another note; the smell of vinegar will abound!  I suggest wearing a headscarf a la 1970s housewife  (or Mother of Marge suggests a shower cap!) and opening the kitchen windows!
13. Once you are satisfied the chutney is of the right consistency then you are ready to (carefully!) spoon the chutney into your glass jars.  Remember to remove the squashed ginger first.  Apply a layer of clingfilm directly on the top of the chutney to make a seal, and then put the lid on.  As you can see I used a bit of tin foil as I didn’t have a lid for the littlest jar!
14. Keep the jars of chutney to one side for at least a week (if you can!), or a month if possible before trying.
15. This courgette and aubergine chutney goes particularly well in a cheese sandwich.  Serious yum time!

Thank you to those of you who have already sent in photos.  I am still putting together a page feature your pics.

I will also be making some Chanukah cards and will post about that soon too.

In fact I have been spurred on to try out some more chutney and jam recipes myself, and yes, in the fullness of time I will be posting them here too

Plus to stay true to Mother of Marge the ingredients are listed in ‘old money’ weights and not metric … and I couldn’t  be bothered to covert them

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs  prepared eating apples
• 1/2 lb prepared plums
• 1 peach
• 1 lemon
• 2 and ‘a bit’ lbs of sugar (basically a 1kg bag!)
• 4 tbsps water

Important Notes about making jam:

• Prepared fruit means you have washed, peeled, and cored or destoned the fruit and THEN weighed it.  I.e. so you have 2 lbs of fruit once it has been prepared NOT before.
• You will need about 3 x 1 lbs jars for this recipe (for tips on how to sterilize the jars see my Green Tomato Chutney recipe).
• If you are into crafting you can make your own labels, or use bought ones, or even a scrap of paper taped on to the jar!
• If you want to use different fruit you will need to change the amount of sugar.  This is because different fruits have varied amounts of pectin needed to set the jam.  For example, if using cooking apples you will only need 1/2 a lemon, and it will set quicker.
• Have ‘Jammin’ by Bob Marley and the Wailers playing in the background

Method:

1. Cut the fruit into small pieces and cook it down SLOWLY in a large pan with the water and the juice and halves of the lemon (not the pips!)
2. Once the fruit is really soft add the sugar and stir it well until it dissolves completely, this can take ages but hang in there One tip is to tap the wooden spoon down into the pan to ‘feel’ for any undissolved sugar.
3. Once the sugar is fully dissolved bring the jam to a vigorous boil and NO STIRRING.
4. Boil the jam for between 3-10 minutes.  Stir it rarely to stop the jam from catching.  Over stirring jam will not help it set.  If you are concerned turn the heat down a bit.
5. To check if the jam is set put a teaspoon of jam onto a cold saucer, then taking a another teaspoon  see if the jam wrinkles when you pass the spoon through it.
6. Once the jam has set (and you have scooped out the halves of lemon), transfer it to warm, sterilized jars using a ladle.  Place clingfilm onto the jam surface to make a seal.  Allow the jars to cool and then put the lids on.
7. Label the jam
8. Try not to scoff all the jam in one go – you will be tempted, oh yes you will! 

Fairy Betty's Jam

Now the first thing I would suggest when it comes to making chutney is to allow yourself a good few hours.  This is very much like jam making as you are effectively making a savoury jam, and cannot be rushed.  (I understand Tefal have produced a jam making machine which cuts the time down.  If you make a lot of jam and preserves them it might be worth considering?)

Ingredients:

• 1kg green tomatoes
• 2 medium size apples
• 500g soft brown sugar
• 500ml malt vinegar (or about 3/4 of a pint)
• 2cm of root ginger
• 3 red chilis (you can use more if you like things hot!)
• 125g raisins
• 300g shallots
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Wash the green tomatoes well.  If you see any with blossom end rot (like a nasty bruise), or any yukky bits then chuck them out.
2. Prepare the chilis (carefully!) and set them aside.  I used chilis from the garden that I had frozen so I didn’t need to wash them again.  I also kept the chilis whole.
3. Peel the ginger using a sharp knife.  They are so knobbly it is too much of a faff to use a peeler! Give the ginger a light bash with a rolling pin.  You want to squash it a bit without breaking it into pieces.  Set aside
4. Take the green tomatoes, shallots, and apples and bung them in a food processor.  You want things nicely chopped but not mushy.  If you are a tough guy (or don’t have a food processor) you can chop things with a good sharp knife, but bear in mind this will take a while.
5. In a large, deep cooking pot place the chopped items along with the vinegar, sugar, raisins (I like to leave them whole for this recipe), and salt.  Give it all a mix with a wooden spoon.
6. Add the chilis and ginger and stir again.  Put the heat on and bring the chutney to the boil.  You will need to keep stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves and the bottom of the pot doesn’t catch.  When stirring make sure you don’t break the chilis or you will have chili seeds all over the chutney!  If you have one of those tea cage things you can use that to put the chili and ginger in if you wish.
7. Once at a good boiling stage turn the light right down to a simmer.   And this is where patience comes in handy.  You will need to simmer the chutney for ages, at least an hour, if not more.  Also you will need to stir the chutney from time to time.  Whilst the chutney is simmering you can take some ‘me’ time.  Personally I like to do a bit of tapestry needlework or read .net magasine – true!
8. One thing you can do whilst waiting for the chutney to simmer is to prepare the chutney jars.  Being resourceful you can use old coffee, jam, or pickle jars.  You MUST clean the jars and lids until scrupulously clean in very hot water.  Whilst the jars are still wet microwave them for 2 minutes on high.
9. Once the chutney has attained a jam like consistency it is done.  Take out the chilis and ginger (or just remove the tea cage thing) and discard.
10. Carefully spoon the chutney into the sterilized jars.  It is a good idea to make sure the jars are warmed too so as not to crack when the hot chutney goes in!  You want to pack the chutney in so there are no air bubbles.  Create a seal over the surface of the chutney with a bit of folded clingfilm. Put the lids on tightly.   Leave the jars to cool thoroughly.  Once opened keep the chutney in the fridge.
11. Serve in a nice cheese sandwich, or as a relish with a lovely meat dinner.

Green Tomato Chutney