Tag Archives: Preserving

Deliciously simple rhubarb jam.

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Once a rhubarb patch becomes established, you can find yourself with masses of it, here’s a very simple jam recipe that will use plenty. This recipe is based on one we found on https://www.taste.com.au and it’s so easy.

Ingredients.
1kg (2.2lbs) rhubarb
1kg (2.2lbs) caster sugar
120ml (1/2 cup) lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla essence.

Method.
Remove the leaves from the rhubarb, wash and roughly chop it.

Wash and chop the rhubarb.

Wash and chop the rhubarb.

Mix together the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla essence in a large bowl. leave to stand overnight for the flavours to infuse and mingle.

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Your rhubarb pieces will shrink a little and the sugar will become syrupy.

your rhubarb will have released liquid overnight.

your rhubarb will have released liquid overnight.

Transfer the rhubarb mixture to a large pan and bring to the boil over a medium to high heat. You should use a large spoon to skim any froth from the surface. Cook it for 35-40 mins, stirring regularly.

cook for 35-40 mins.

cook for 35-40 mins.

The jam is ready when it “jells” when tested. To test your jam, place 1 teaspoon of it on a chilled saucer and place in the freezer for a couple of minutes until it has cooled to room temperature. Then, lightly push the jam with your finger, if the surface wrinkles, it’s ready.

Spoon your hot jam into sterilised jars and seal, leave to cool.
Enjoy your jam on toast or scones or how about trying it drizzled over ice cream!

Simple Pickled onions.

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We’re big fans of pickles on Franger Farm, and nothing pickles better than an onion. We always keep our little onions to pickle and we use this very simple recipe to do it.

Ingredients.

1Kg (2.2lb) small onions
500ml (16fl oz) white wine vinegar
50g (1.7 oz) sugar
50g (1.7 oz) salt
Pickling spice (to taste)

Drop your peeled onions into a pan of salted water with a spoonful of vinegar.

Drop your peeled onions into a pan of salted water with a spoonful of vinegar.

Begin by peeling your onions and dropping them into salted water with a couple of spoonfuls of vinegar added, leave them for five minutes. Then drain and dry them.

Boil vinegar, sugar, salt and pickling spice for 1 minute.

Boil vinegar, sugar, salt and pickling spice for 1 minute.

place the vinegar, salt, sugar and pickling spice in another pan, bring to the boil for one minute.

Pour vinegar mixture over onions.

Pour vinegar mixture over onions.

Pack the dried onions tightly into jars that have been boiled to sterilise them. Then poor the vinegar mixture into the jars, over the onions. Put the lids on immediately.

Leave the pickles for three to four weeks.

Leave the pickles for three to four weeks.

You should leave your onions for three to four weeks before opening. You can adjust the recipe to taste, adding more or less sugar or more spice depending on how ” bitey” you like your onions. We love this recipe for it’s speed and simplicity, try it and let us know what you think.

How to freeze fresh peas and beans.

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It’s so easy to freeze your home grown peas and beans to use all year round. So, if you have a glut, or even if you’ve bought a large amount of fresh peas and beans, here’s how to deal with them.

Wash and shell your peas.

Wash and shell your peas.

Begin by first washing and then shelling your peas, don’t freeze any that are not perfect. It’s best to begin this process as soon as you pick your peas to make sure that you freeze them when their flavour is at it’s best.

Peas ready for blanching.

Peas ready for blanching.

Once you have shelled all your peas, you need to prepare a pan of boiling water and a bowl with ice water in it. Put the peas into the boiling water and blanch for no longer than two minutes. Drain the peas and immediately transfer into the bowl of ice water. This cools them quickly and stops them from cooking any further. You should leave them in the ice water for a further two minutes.

Bag the peas for freezing.

Bag the peas for freezing.

Drain the peas again and put them in sealable or zip lock freezer bags. Don’t be tempted to over fill the bags, they will freeze better if they can be spread out flat in the freezer with the peas separated. If possible, use the quick freeze function on your freezer, the faster they are frozen, the better they will taste when they are cooked. Once they are completely frozen, they no longer need to lay flat and can be stored in your freezer as normal, ready for use throughout the year, as tasty as the day they were picked!