Stocking up for winter

Marrow (or overgrown courgette) chutney.

1.5 lb peeled and de-seeded courgette or marrow flesh.
Put this on a flat plate and sprinkle with about 3 oz salt and leave overnight to draw out excess moisture.
1lb peeled and cored chopped apple (prepared weight)
1 lb chopped onions
8 oz golden sultanas
1 lb light brown sugar
chopped flesh of 2 peeled large oranges
1 chopped fresh chilli
half pint white wine vinegar (or vinegar of your choice - make sure it's 6% acidity)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground paprika
3 crushed cloves garlic
crushed seeds from 6 cardamom pods

Drain, rinse and pat dry the overnight-salted courgette flesh.
Put all ingredients into a big pan or preserving pan. Heat gently till the sugar is dissolved then boil down will the mixture is fairly thick. This takes quite a while - keep stirring regularly so it doesn't stick. I prefer to do this rather than add less vinegar as I want the vinegar for flavour and also its keeping qualities.

When it's thick, put it through a blender. If you have a glass goblet blender like I do you'll have to cool it first! Then I re-heated to boiling before potting into hot jars. It made 4 big and 2 small jars - about 5 lb. It resembles a mango chutney in colour and flavour.



Tayberry conserve

3 lb Tayberries (I freeze them as they become ripe, in batches. This was my total)
3 lb jam sugar
Couple of tablespoons lemon juice

Put all the ingredients into a jam pan.
Heat VERY gently till the sugar dissolves. Jam sugar is coarser and takes longer but helps with the set as it has pectin in.
When the sugar is all dissolved, boil till a set is achieved.
Pot into clean hot jars. Makes 6 lb.

This is a softish jam but has some whole fruits in - really lovely.