Pretty jars of jam, chutney or candied peel tuck easily into stockings and make excellent host gifts, too. For the raspberries and cranberries, frozen is perfectly fine (even preferred if the choice is between frozen domestic and fresh imported) – just make sure to weigh them before defrosting.
Cranberry chutney
This pairs well with poultry, cheese and charcuterie, making it indispensable for the holiday table. Make it a few weeks ahead, to allow a bit of time for ageing.
Prep 20 min
Cook 40 min
Makes 6 x 250ml jars
1kg cranberries, fresh or frozen
500g brown sugar
300ml cider vinegar
3 small onions, peeled and finely chopped (360g)
100g currants
2 bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1½ tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
Heat the oven to 120C (110C fan)/250F/gas low and put six clean jars in for at least 20 minutes. Have new lids at the ready.
Combine all the ingredients in a large nonreactive pan, bring to a boil on a medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally and gradually reducing the heat, for about 40 minutes, until it reaches a jammy consistency.
Take off the heat and immediately ladle into the prepared jars to just below the rim – if any chutney strays, wipe the jar rims with a damp paper towel. Top with the lids, seal tightly and invert for one or two minutes. Leave the jars to cool for 24 hours, then check the seals before storing somewhere cool, dark and dry, where the chutney will now keep for at least a year. Ideally, let it mature for at least three weeks before opening. Once open, this keeps for up to a year in the fridge.
Raspberry jam with candied citrus and star anise
Despite being a summer fruit, raspberries pair remarkably well with the more seasonal flavours of peel and spice, yet this mixture is not so heavily spiced that it isn’t welcome at the breakfast table long after December. Frozen raspberries work well here (and are preferable, if domestic) – just be sure to weigh before defrosting.
Prep 10 min
Steep 15 min +
Cook 20 min
Makes 4 x 250ml jars
1kg raspberries
500g sugar
50ml lemon juice
60g diced candied citrus peel
1½ star anise
Heat the oven to 120C (110C fan)/250F/gas low. In a large bowl, mix the berries, sugar and lemon juice, cover and put in the fridge to macerate for at least 15 minutes and up to a week.
Prepare clean jars by putting them in the oven for at least 20 minutes. Have new lids at the ready.
Transfer the macerated fruit to a wide, heavy-based pot, add the citrus peel and star anise, and bring to a boil on a medium-high heat, stirring frequently. When the froth subsides and the bubbles become regular and splutter violently, test the jam for doneness by putting a teaspoon on a plate in the freezer. After two minutes, it should form a skin that wrinkles when prodded; if not, cook a little longer and test again.
Take off the heat and fish out and discard the star anise. Ladle the jam into a heatproof jug, then pour into the prepared jars to just below the rim; if any jam strays, wipe the jar rims with a damp paper towel. Top with the lids, seal tightly and invert for one to two minutes, then tip back upright.
Leave the jars to cool for 24 hours, then check the seals before storing somewhere cool, dark and dry, where the jam will keep for at least a year. Once open, it keeps for up to six months in the fridge.
Campari candied grapefruit peel
These Campari-infused batons of tender candied grapefruit peel are coated in a sour sugar for a sophisticated candy that’s difficult to stop eating. Making this will also leave you with a good deal of grapefruit-Campari syrup that makes a wonderful base for punch or spritzes.
Prep 20 min
Cool 8 hr+
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Dry 48 hr
Makes 625g
1kg pink grapefruit (ie, 2 large ones), preferably organic
1.2kg sugar
250ml Campari
30g glucose, or light corn syrup
1 tbsp citric acid
Wash the grapefruits well, then halve and juice them – save the juice for another use. Pull out all the flesh and membranes from the halved grapefruit shells, then cut each one into quarters. Cut each quarter on the diagonal into 1cm-wide strips.
Put the peel in a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then cover, turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the peel is tender and no white pith remains.
Drain and set aside the peels. In the same pot, combine 1kg sugar, 850ml water, 150ml Campari and all the glucose. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then return the strained peel to the pot and immediately turn down the heat to medium. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, until the peel is shiny and translucent. Take off the heat, add the remaining 100ml Campari and leave to cool, ideally overnight.
Once they are cool, drain the peels and save the syrup for another use (see recipe introduction). Put a large cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet, then arrange the peels on top in an even layer. Leave at room temperature for about 24 hours, to dry until just tacky.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 200g sugar and the citric acid, then, working in small batches, toss peels in the sour sugar to coat. Return to the drying rack and leave for another 24 hours, by which time they should be dry and ready to package up. The candied peel will now keep in an airtight container for at least two months at room temperature.
-
Camilla Wynne is a cook, writer and teacher based in Canada
https://ift.tt/CAhpRQJ
Entertainment
No comments:
Post a Comment