Raspberry jam

Even the best shop-bought or cottage industry jam can't compete with a good homemade batch. There are just three keys to making it well at home:

• use good quality fruit (and don't bother to wash it)
• don't try to make too much at once (less is more)
• if you're not sure whether your jam has set yet, then it hasn't.

Ingredients

(makes two small jars)

• 650g raspberries
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 150ml water
• 500g granulated sugar

1. Put a clean saucer in the freezer for the wrinkle test.
2. Put the fruit, lemon juice and water in a large saucepan, and simmer gently for a few minutes, then add the sugar, and simmer until dissolved.
3. Bring the jam to a rolling boil, and boil for about 10 minutes, until you think it has reached setting point. (105oC, if using a thermometer; by eye/ear, when the bubbles on the jam become large and start to plop).
4. Remove from the heat and test for a set by placing a blob of jam on your cold saucer, leaving it to cool in the fridge, then push the blob with your finger. If the surface wrinkles and your finger leaves a trace, the jam has set. If the jam hasn't set, bring it back to the boil and cook for another minute or so before testing.
5. Transfer the hot jam into sterilized jars, seal with sterilized lids and allow to cool.

Simple salad dressing

This is our standard salad dressing. Simply add iPod and serve.

Ingredients
1 tsp French mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Method
Mix all of the ingredients in a jar. Put the lid on, and shake well to emulsify.

Damson, greengage and apple chutney

As part of my ongoing battle against the fruit mountain which has been threatening to overwhelm us, I made some chutney yesterday. The main ingredients were just what I reckoned was least likely to be eaten if I didn't cook them.


Ingredients (makes 1 kg)
500g granny smiths
250g greengages
250g damsons
8 spring onions
125g sultanas
175g brown sugar
200ml cider vinegar
good pinch of salt
4 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
10 coriander seeds
10 allspice berries
2 slices of fresh ginger

Method

1. Put the spices in a muslin bag. Core and peel the apples and dice. Cut the damsons in half, removing stones if possible. (If not, remove after cooking). Cut greengages into four, removing stones. Top and tail the spring onions, and cut into 1 cm segments.
2. Put all the prepared fruit, the spice bag, the sugar, vinegar and salt into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to minimum and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, stirring frequently. When the chutney can be parted with a wooden spoon to reveal the bottom of the saucepan, it is ready. Transfer to sterilised jars, seal and store for at least 2 weeks (longer if possible).

Pineapple salsa

We are caught in the middle of a fruit glut at the moment. Yesterday we went to a pick your own farm and returned with 5 kg of strawberries and another 5 kg of raspberries. When we got back, our veggie box was waiting on our doorstep, brimming with apples, bananas, pears, damson and greengages, together with the usual vegetables. And when I opened the fridge to try to clear some space for them, I was confronted by a pineapple staring aggressively back at me.


I thought about making a batch of pineapple picalilli, but as I was already planning to make some chutney with the damsons and greengages, pickle the pears, and produce industrial quantities of strawberry and raspberry jam, I decided to go for something a little less labour-intensive. A bit of googling and some improvisation on my part produced this pineapple salsa.

Ingredients
1 pineapple
4 tsps of minced red chilli
4 finely chopped spring onions
3 tsps of salt
juice of 2 limes
half a large bunch of coriander (or a couple of miserly supermarket packs)

Method

1. Remove the skin from the pineapple, cut into quarters, remove the fibrous core, and chops the flesh into small chunks.
2. Combine in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients, stir well to mix, and leave to rest for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.