preserves

Seize the short Seville orange season with homemade marmalade. Follow our simple step-by-step instructions to make this brilliant breakfast offering

How to make marmalade

1kg Seville oranges,

lemon

sugar

Squeeze the oranges and keep their juice. Scrape out the pith and pips with a metal spoon, again keeping everything. Juice the lemon, too, then put the lemon shells, orange pith and seeds into a square of muslin about 30 x 30cm, and tie it with string. Leave the string long &ndash; that way you can tie it to your wooden spoon, which will make it easier to lift out later.

Cut each orange shell into 3 petals, then finely shred with a large, sharp knife. Put the peel into a preserving pan, tip in the juices, then sit the bag in the juice. Pour in 2.4 litres/4 pints cold water and leave to steep overnight.

Next day, leaving the bag in the pan, bring the liquid to the boil, then simmer for about 1 hr, or until the peel is soft and translucent and the liquid has reduced by one third. Turn off the heat and lift the muslin bag into a large bowl. Leave the bag until it&rsquo;s cool enough to handle.

While you wait, get your jars ready. Wash 8 x 450g/1lb jars (or the equivalent volume larger or smaller jars) in hot, soapy water, then leave in a low oven to dry completely. Keep them warm. Alternatively, if you&rsquo;ve got a dishwasher you can run the jars and lids though a hot cycle, then let them dry. Put a saucer in the freezer at this point, too.

Now for the messy bit &ndash; I like to don a pair of rubber gloves at this point. Hold the bag over its bowl, and squeeze and pummel it until you&rsquo;ve extracted every last drop of juice and gunge through the muslin. This stuff contains the pectin &ndash; the crucial ingredient to the perfect set. You can now throw away what&rsquo;s left in the bag and wash the muslin, ready to re-use.

Stir the contents of the bowl, plus all the sugar, into the pan. Stir every so often over a very gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Don&rsquo;t boil before all the sugar has melted.

Slowly bring the pan to the boil. After 10 mins boiling, spoon a small blob of marmalade onto the cold saucer. Leave for a few secs, then push the marmalade with your finger. If it wrinkles, it&rsquo;s ready. If not, boil for 10 mins more then try again. Even if you have a sugar thermometer (look for 105C or where it says &lsquo;jam&rsquo;), I&rsquo;d still recommend the saucer test. If yours seems to be taking a while don&rsquo;t worry, it can take anything from 10 mins to 45 mins for marmalade to reach setting point, depending on your oranges. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface in the meantime.

Once you&rsquo;ve reached setting point, ladle the marmalade into the warm jars and seal. A funnel is really handy if you have one. The marmalade will keep for up to 1 year in a cool, dark place, and for up to a month in the fridge once opened.

James Martin's step-by-step guide to making homemade preserve - the resulting jars are ideal for gift hampers

Strawberry jam

strawberry

jam sugar

knob of butter(optional)

Prepare the strawberries by wiping them with a piece of damp kitchen paper. (Wiping the strawberries rather than washing them ensures the fruit doesn&rsquo;t absorb lots of water &ndash; too much water and the jam won&rsquo;t set easily.) To hull the fruit, use a knife to cut a cone shape into the strawberry and remove the stem. Cut any large berries in half.

Put the strawberries in a bowl and gently toss through the sugar. Leave uncovered at room temperature for 12 hrs or overnight. This process helps the sugar to dissolve, ensures the fruit doesn&rsquo;t disintegrate too much and helps to keep its vibrant colour.

Before starting the jam, put 2 saucers in the freezer. Tip the strawberry mixture into a preserving pan with the lemon juice. Set over a low heat and cook very gently. If any sugar remains on the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in hot water and brush the sugar away.

When you can no longer feel any grains of sugar remaining, turn up the heat to start bubbling the jam and bringing it to the boil. (The sugar must be completely dissolved before increasing the heat, otherwise it will be difficult for the jam to set, and it may contain crystallised lumps of sugar.)

Boil hard for 5-10 mins until the jam has reached 105C on a preserving or digital thermometer, then turn off the heat. If you don&rsquo;t have a thermometer, spoon a little jam onto one of the cold saucers. Leave for 30 secs, then push with your finger; if the jam wrinkles and doesn&rsquo;t flood to fill the gap, it is ready. If not, turn the heat back on and boil for 2 mins more, then turn off the heat and do the wrinkle test again. Repeat until ready.

Use a spoon to skim any scum that has risen to the surface and discard this. Do this only once at the end, rather than constantly during the boiling stage, to reduce wastage.

Add a knob of butter, if you like, to the finished jam, and stir in to melt. This will help to dissolve any remaining scum that you haven&rsquo;t managed to spoon off the top. Leave the jam to settle for 15 mins &ndash; this will ensure that the fruit stays suspended in the mixture and doesn&rsquo;t all float to the top of the jam jar. Meanwhile, sterilise your jars.

Ladle into warm jars, filling to just below the rim. Place a wax disc on top of the jam (this prevents mildew forming), then cover with a lid or a cellophane circle and elastic band. Pop on a label (include the date), plus a pretty fabric top, if you like. The jam can be stored for up to 1 year in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

Nothing beats homemade orange marmalade for Sunday brunch. Well, maybe hot scones to slather the marmalade on. Tart and sweet, this makes a great gift.

Orange Marmalade

lemons

Wash the fruits well and then chop them roughly but thoroughly. You needn&#8217;t worry that the pieces are all the same size, just that they&#8217;re small enough to give the marmalade a pleasantly chunky texture, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick or so. Remove and discard any seeds.

Combine the fruit and 4 cups water in a medium nonreactive saucepan with a lid. Bring to a simmer over low heat, then remove the pan from the heat and cover. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Return the pot to the stove, turn the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until the volume is reduced by half and the citrus rinds are tender, 60 to 75 minutes. Stir the pot from time to time and turn the heat down a touch if it looks or smells as though it&#8217;s scorching.

Once the fruit is tender, add the sugar a little at a time, stirring all the while, until you&#8217;ve added all 4 cups and it has dissolved. Turn the heat up to medium-high and boil until the mixture is thickened, not more than 15 to 25 minutes. When done, it will slide off a spoon in sheets, not droplets, and a spoonful poured onto a cold plate should gel and seem firm.

Transfer to jars, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to a couple weeks. Originally published April 15, 2005.

Serve this classic chutney with roast crackling pork for a change from apple sauce

Classic apple chutney

½kg cooking apples,

light muscovado sugar

raisins

onions,

mustard seeds

ginger

salt

cider vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium heat, then simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 30-40 mins, or until thick and pulpy. Remove from the heat, leave to cool and transfer to sterilised, clean, dry jars and seal.

This Thermomix Lemon Curd is creamy, sweet, tangy and oh so delicious! Smother it on toast or scones, or use it in a variety of desserts.

Thermomix Lemon Curd

butter

eggs

First zest and juice the lemons and set...

First zest and juice the lemons and set aside.

Add the sugar and lemon zest to the...

Add the sugar and lemon zest to the Thermomix bowl. Mix/mill for 15 seconds / speed 10.

Insert the butterfly attachment.

Add butter, eggs, egg yolks and lemon juice...

Add butter, eggs, egg yolks and lemon juice to the bowl and cook for 20 minutes / 80 degrees / speed 3.

Pour into a jar with a lid and...

Pour into a jar with a lid and cover while it cools. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Store in fridge.

This delicious jam is a perfect late winter pick-me-up combining seasonal forced rhubarb with health-boosting ginger

Rhubarb & ginger jam

1kg pink rhubarb, trimmed weight

1kg jam sugar (which has added pectin)

stem or crystallised ginger, finely chopped

ginger,

Wash the rhubarb under cold running water and slice into 2cm pieces. Tip into a large ceramic or plastic bowl and add the jam sugar, lemon zest and juice, and chopped stem ginger. Finely grate the peeled ginger directly over the rhubarb.

Stir the mixture thoroughly, cover loosely with cling film and leave to one side for about 2 hrs to allow the sugar to dissolve into the rhubarb juices. You may need to stir the mixture occasionally to encourage this process along.

Pop a few saucers in the freezer. Scoop the fruit and all the sugary juices into a preserving pan and set over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, and bring to the boil. Continue to cook at a fairly swift pace until the rhubarb is really tender and the conserve has reached setting point – this should take about 10-15 mins.

To test for a set, drop ½ tsp of the jam onto a cold saucer, leave it for 30 secs, then gently push it with the tip of your finger. If the jam wrinkles the setting point has been reached. If not, continue to cook for a further couple of minutes and test again.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to one side for 2-3 mins before pouring into sterilised jars. Seal immediately and label with the date once completely cold.

Chunky and with hearty apricot flavour, this sticky jam is great on toast or with cheese.

Traditional apricot jam

(4 cups) white sugar

1kg firm ripe apricots, flesh

water

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5580111799001&=domain=taste

5348771529001-5580111799001

Take ordinary cheese bites to a new level with these Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Bites. Made with apricot preserves, jalapeño slices, bacon and cheese, these Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Bites will fly off the plate.

Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Bites

apricot preserves

OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon

jalapeño

Cover rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

Spread 1 tsp. preserves onto each bacon slice.

Top each jalapeño slice with 1 cheese piece; wrap with bacon slice, preserves side facing in. Secure with wooden toothpicks.

Stand wrapped cheese pieces on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 10 min. or until cheese is melted; cool slightly.

Transfer wrapped cheese pieces to platter. Drizzle with any glaze remaining on baking sheet.

An easy and refreshing no-waste summer snack, watermelon rind pickles are the finest thing you can do with a watermelon besides greasing it up and chasing it around the pool. Crystallized ginger, allspice berries and apple cider vinegar keep these things from becoming overly sweet or tart. Great as a side with grilled dishes or as a salad tossed with crispy, crumbled bacon and served over greens.This recipe first appeared on altonbrown.com.

Watermelon Rind Pickles

watermelon rind, watermelon

apple cider vinegar

red pepper flake

allspice berries

star anise pod

Using a sharp peeler, remove and discard the exterior green portion of the watermelon rind. You should now have rind that is mostly white, with a little bit of pink and/or red on one side. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

Add the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, ginger, salt, and spices to a 2-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and hold for 1 minute, then carefully add the watermelon. Return to a boil and turn off the heat. Remove the pan from heat and cool for 30 minutes.

Move the pickles to a 2-quart jar using a canning funnel and ladle. Pour on as much of the pickling juice as possible. Cover the jar and leave at room temperature for another 1 1/2 hours.

Refrigerate overnight and consume within a month. These pickles must be refrigerated.

A jar of Homemade Seedless Blackberry Preserves only takes minutes to make. It's delicious on toast, yogurt parfaits, ice cream, or breakfast pastries.

Seedless Blackberry Preserves Recipe

blackberries (fresh

cornstarch

Tablespoons honey

Place the berries in a saucepan over low...

Place the berries in a saucepan over low heat. Stir and heat until they soften and release their juice.

Mash the berries with a fork or potato...

Mash the berries with a fork or potato masher. Remove the pan from the heat.

Press the mixture one spoonful at a time...

Press the mixture one spoonful at a time through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Use the back of the spoon to press the berry mixture through. You should get about 3/4 cup juice.

Mix 2 Tablespoons of the juice with the...

Mix 2 Tablespoons of the juice with the cornstarch.

Place the rest of the blackberry juice in...

Place the rest of the blackberry juice in the pan with the honey. Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture. Heat over medium heat until thickened. (about 4 minutes)

Remove the pan from the heat and let...

Remove the pan from the heat and let cool before placing in a jar and refrigerating.

Rhubarb Curd is a silky sweet/tart spread with the unforgettable flavor of spring rhubarb.  Spread it on toast, scones, biscuits, or just eat it out of the jar with a spoon!

Rhubarb Curd

365 g fresh trimmed rhubarb, cut in 1 inch pieces

eggs,

Tbsp room temperature unsalted butter

pink food coloring

Put the rhubarb and water in a high speed blender like a Vitamix, or a food processor and process until very smooth.

Press the puree through a fine mesh sieve so the rhubarb juice comes through, leaving the solids.  Use the back of a spoon to as much through as you can.  You'll need 1 cup of juice.

Put the juice into a saucepan and stir in the sugar and lemon juice.  Add the whisked eggs and whisk everything together well.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring or whisking constantly, over medium to medium high heat.  You can add a few drops of food coloring at this point if you need it.

Once the mixture comes to a boil it should be slightly thickened and should coat the back of a spoon (it will thicken more as it chills.)  Remove from the heat and add the butter, a bit at a time, whisking in to melt each piece before adding the next.

Pour the curd through a mesh strainer to remove any bits of cook egg, then fill your jars.  Let cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating overnight.

Use the curd within 2 weeks.

Homemade jam doesn't have to be just a summer treat with this sweet-sharp seasonal recipe

Rhubarb & vanilla jam

rhubarb

vanilla pods

Put a small plate in the freezer. Put the rhubarb into a preserving pan or your largest saucepan with the sugar and halved vanilla pods. Heat gently, stirring, until all the sugar has dissolved, then squeeze in the lemon juice and increase the heat.

Boil for about 10 mins, skimming off the scum as you go (the fruit should be soft). Test for setting point by spooning a little onto your chilled plate. After 1-2 mins, push your finger through the jam &ndash; if the surface wrinkles it is ready, if not, keep cooking for 2-min intervals, testing in between. (Or if you have a sugar thermometer it should reach 105C)

Once the jam is ready, let it cool for about 15 mins before ladling into warm sterilised jars and sealing. Will keep for 6 months in a cool, dark place.

Italian Plum Jam is one of our absolute favorite jams and is totally pectin-free! The perfect jam to spread on toast or drizzled on yogurt. Even better eaten straight out of the jar with a spoon!

Italian Plum Jam

plums

In a large bowl, toss the plums, sugar, and lemon juice.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours).

Place a small plate in the freezer right before cooking the plums (this is to use to check if plum jam is ready).

Place the plum mixture in a medium sauce pan on high heat. Bring to a boil for a couple of minutes. Lower heat to a low simmer. Stir with a wooden spoon and loosen any pieces that may stick to the bottom.

Be sure to keep stirring for about 15-20 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when juices become thicken like a syrup. You could check temperature with a candy thermometer to make sure it’s never over 220 F. As it simmers, remove any white foam that could come to the surface.

To make sure the jam is ready, remove the small plate from the freezer. Place a teaspoon of jam on the plate. If it sets within a minute, it is ready. If it still appears runny, return the plate to the freezer and continue to cook the plum mixture. Test again in a few minutes.

Carefully spoon the jam into sterilized jars. Apply lids jars.

Wipe rims with a clean, damp towel and screw lids on securely but not too tightly.

Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Carefully remove jars using tongs. Use potholders to tighten the lids. Place jars on a rack upside-down and let them cool. When they’ve cooled down, store them in the refrigerator. The jam should keep unopened for several months.

A great base to any pasta sauce, soup or stew; Canned Stewed Tomatoes is an inventive way to jazz up baked chicken or broiled seafood. Each jar is packed with tomatoes, onions, celery, and green bell pepper, making meal prep fast and easy!

Canned Stewed Tomatoes

tomatoes,

paprika

chili powder

basil

black pepper

Wash mason jars and screw lids in soapy water and rinse soap off well under running hot water.  Place clean jars on a baking sheet and place in oven preheated to 200 degrees.  Set screw bands aside.  Next, boil a kettle of water and pour into a clean glass bowl.  Carefully submerge the sealing discs in the bowl of hot water.  Set aside.

To peel the tomatoes, start by bringing a small pot of water to a full boil.  Next, just slightly score the bottom of each tomato making an X with your knife.  Don&#x27;t cut too deep - the point is to just slice the skin.  Next, place a bowl of ice water in your sink.  Once the water comes to a full boil, carefully drop about four tomatoes into the hot water for 30 seconds.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes and place directly into the ice water.  Place four more tomatoes into the hot water.  Continue to do this until all tomatoes are done.  You will notice that the bottom of each tomato has opened up.  You can now use your finger to peel the skin off, placing the peeled tomato into a clean bowl.  Once done, chop the tomatoes, removing and discarding the core.

Place the chopped tomatoes and all of the other ingredients into a large sauce pan or pot.  Bring to a full boil over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring often.

In the meantime, fill your water bath canner to the halfway mark with water and add the jar rack.  Bring to a full boil.

Ladle the stewed tomatoes into prepared mason jars using a funnel to prevent the mixture from touching the rim of the jars.

Use the non-metallic bubble remover to remove any air bubbles.

Wipe down the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel to ensure none of the stewed tomatoes has come in contact with the rim.

Carefully remove the sealing discs from the hot water with a magnetic lid lifter.  Position the sealing disc directly onto the lid of the jars.  Do not touch the underside of the lid.

Screw on the screw bands until firm - do not apply pressure!  Just use your fingertips to tighten the screw bands.

Using the jar lifter, place the jars into the water bath canner with the boiling water.  Do not place the lid on the canner.

Boil for 20 minutes.  Carefully remove each jar from the canner using the jar lifter.  Try not to tilt the jars.  Place jars onto a wire cooling rack that has been covered with a clean kitchen towel.

Leave the jars to cool for a minimum of 12 hours.  Once cooled, wipe the jars of any residue that might have been transferred to the outside of the jar during the boiling process.  Label the jars and store in a dark, cool cabinet for up to one year.

To Prepare Mason Jars:

This gorgeous purple jam, with blueberry and pear, has a hint of spice for even more flavour.

Blueberry, pear & star anise jam

Granny Smith apple

1.1kg (41/2 cups) white sugar

blueberries

star anise

A warm scone with homemade strawberry conserve and cream makes a classic afternoon tea treat.

Microwave strawberry conserve

(1 1/2 cups) white sugar

lemon, halved, juiced, halves reserved

A twist of lime cuts through the sweetness and adds a tropical flavour to this deliciously sticky peach conserve.

Peach & lime conserve

1.5kg firm ripe peaches

limes, halved, juiced, halves reserved

Treat yourself to some homemade blueberry jam, the ideal accompaniment to toast, fruit scones or dolloped onto natural yogurt at breakfast time

Blueberry jam

granulated sugar

vanilla pod

Put a plate in the freezer for you to test your jam is set later. <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-sterilise-jars">Sterilise</a>&nbsp;two 500ml jam jars so they are&nbsp;ready to use.&nbsp;

Put the blueberries, sugar, vanilla and lemon in&nbsp;a large heavy-based <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/five-best-saucepans">saucepan</a> over a medium heat. Crush the blueberries a little with a potato masher. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 mins. Skim off any skum that has formed on the top with a spoon and discard.&nbsp;

Test the jam is set by spooning a mound on to your cooled plate. Put in to the fridge for 3 mins. If the jam forms a skin and ripples when you push it with your finger,&nbsp;it&#39;s ready. If not,&nbsp;return to the heat for 5 more mins then repeat the test. Do this until you reach setting point.&nbsp;

Leave the jam to sit for 10 mins off the heat. Ladle into your warm, sterilised jars and seal the lids on top. Leave to cool completely. Will keep for six&nbsp;months unopened in a cool, dry place,&nbsp;or two&nbsp;weeks once opened in the fridge.

Preserving a fall harvest is an experience like no other, and every home chef should try canning at least once.  Dad&#039;s Canned Pickled Beets is the perfect place to start, because their very easy to can. No fancy equipment needed for this one! They&#039;re sweet, vinegary, and fork-tender; these beets will keep you smiling all winter long!

Dad's Canned Pickled Beets

beets, (boiled until fork tender, cooled and skin removed (see notes))

white vinegar

Once the beets are boiled and cooled, follow the peeling and cutting directions in the notes section.

Next, prepare the brine by adding the vinegar, water, and sugar to a sauce pan.  Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil.  Stir occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.  Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer.

In the meantime, prepare the jars by following the instructions in the notes section.

Use a canning funnel to fill the jars with the prepared beets. A canning funnel will help to keep the rim of the jars clean which will help to guarantee a better seal.

Ladle in the brine, leaving at least 1/4-1/2 inch head space.  Remove the funnel and place a warmed, sterilized seal on the jar, followed by a ring.&nbsp; Tighten just until snug.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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