Preserves of Note

£1 per pot (cost price)

. . . . . . . . . I started making Jam in 2009. To date, I have made

Marmalade (pictured, three times, one time with Ginger),

Cherry Jam,

Strawberry jam (my best so far),

Damson jam (with Damsons which would have fallen and rotted on Lockfield Drive Woking, pictured),

Mango Chutney (one spicy version, one less so),

Mustard Piccalilli (with our home-grown tomatoes, rather bland),

Crab Apple jam (with Crab Apples given by a piano pupil who lives in Hook Heath, Woking),

and Quince jam (with Quinces that normally rot on the ground, given by another pupil).

I use recipes from Good Housekeeping Colour Cookery, Ebury Press, London, 1971.

My aim is to reduce waste, encourage others to do the same, and to have fun. So far, only the Quince Jam has been a disappointment, because I did not boil the fruit for long enough to soften it properly. Provided the fruit is not over-ripe, setting is not a problem; I keep the gas on full for a rolling boil. The longest part of the process is preparing the fruit. It took 100 minutes to de-stone the cherries.

Do ask for a taste when you visit our house, or email me for a recipe.

Thankyou, David Pennant