I’ll be honest, I’m not mad about marmalade. So it might seem odd to a few that I set too to make homemade marmalade. At first glance, it certainly isn’t the easiest of preserves to attempt. In fact I have been researching into the best recipe to follow for a while (so many!) and was left feeling confused and more than a little nervous. I needed have bothered.

I settled for one of the ‘easy’ methods published on http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/easy-seville-orange-marmalade-recipe-6464. It promised a sweet clear jelly with plenty of punch from the orange zest strands. It sounded perfect.

Marmalade is a well-known fruit preserve made from juice and peel of citrus fruits, which are then boiled with water and sugar. Often enjoyed on toast at breakfast time (and considered ‘part and parcel’ of a traditional British breakfast);  it seems widely accepted that the distinctive bitterness of the Seville Orange, which is imported from Spain, is the best citrus orange to use.

Locally sourced Seville Oranges

I bought mine from a local green grocers in Brigg, North Lincolnshire. When in season, between January to February, you can find Seville Oranges at all good green grocers and local market stalls. I didn’t think the price was too bad either.

Marmalade can be made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins and sweet oranges. For example, I understand that California-style marmalade is made from the peel of sweet oranges and consequently lacks the bitter taste of Seville orange marmalade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmalade). I can’t help thinking that I might prefer this version best on toast.

In any case, my mission to make homemade Seville Orange marmalade is simple. Firstly I’m a foodie and enjoy the challenge. Secondly marmalade is a must-have pantry preserve to be enjoyed and basted on joints of ham and used in flavouring cakes such as this Marmalade Cake from a Jamie Oliver recipe. Marmalade is a very versatile ingredient and can be used in pork gravy or casserole’s to boost flavour. (Yum!) In truth ‘spoonful’ uses are endless plus I’m told nothing beats homemade marmalade. So here’s what I did.

The recipe I followed can be found on http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/easy-seville-orange-marmalade-recipe-6464. It uses the following quantities to make approx. 6x 390ml glass jars. You will need the following ingredients and to print of the full method from the quoted site. I have simply shared my experience with you rather than detailing the full instructions.

Easy Seville Orange Marmalade

• 2lbs 8ozs/1134g of Seville oranges
• 10ozs of lemons/284g of lemons
• 4 pints/2273 litres of water
• 4lbs 4ozs/1927g of white granulated sugar

It starts by softening the oranges and lemons; simmering them in water then leaving them overnight. Next day they have a lovely character; soft and juicy-looking.

Here's the softened Seville oranges and lemons

In this recipe you then need to cut the Seville oranges in half and scoop out, and keep the flesh and the pips. The flesh and pips are then simmered with some of the poaching liquid to make the pectin-rich juice. This is what makes the marmalade set.

Scooped out Seville Oranges; peel ready to be prepared for gold sheds

Whilst the pulp and pips were simmering in the pan, I set too chopping just the orange peel. I hoped for elegant, thin slices of peel. Armed with my best kitchen knife, I sliced as thinly as I could to get the best marmalade I could muster.

Chopping peel into shreds - thin, medium or thick cut - however you like

Once this task once down, it was soon time to strain the pulp and pips in a muslin cloth; retaining all the pectin-rich liquid. Once cooled, squeeze as much of the sticky liquid out as you can out of the cloth, and add both the poaching liquid and pectin-rich liquids together in a pan.

Straining the pulp and pips to keep the pectin-rich liquid

Top tip; make sure you have a large, thick bottomed pan to tackle this next stage. Once the sugar and peel are added to the pan, and heated, the liquid will eventually form a rolling boil and almost double in size! You’ll also need to use a good wooden spoon. Keep stirring.

Poaching liquid, pectin-rich liquid, sugar and peel all placed in pan

The cooking times can be found on the recipe. They suggest approximate cooking times but I like to use my trusty kitchen thermometer too. I’m familiar with a ‘rolling boil’ (when the liquid cannot be stirred down) but it’s also useful to know the science behind cooking. Especially if it’s the first time you are preparing a recipe.

Bring the marmalade to a rolling boil; after 15 minutes test for a set

The widely accepted way of testing for a set is using the ‘cold plate’ method, just as you would when making jam. It involves placing a couple of small plates in the fridge, then spooning a little of the mixture onto the cold plate. Replacing the plate back to the fridge and checking for a set after 2 minutes. The marmalade is set when you are able to run your finger through the jelly and it crinkle’s, just as it started to here.

Testing for a set on Marmalade - the cold plate method

Setting my marmalade took a few ‘testing’ attempts but it did eventually set after 30 mins of a rolling boil. The result was as promised, a clear sweet marmalade with golden, punchy shreds of orange. Beautiful.

Simply pour into warm sterilised jars, then seal immediately. We’ve used a selection of recycled glass jars from around the home as well as a few special glass jars, which make the perfect home-made gift.

Our beautiful 'Marvellous Marmalade Jars' work a treat and make gorgeous gifts for friends and family

Our glass jars are available to order now from www.freshlyforked.com or www.notonthehighstreet.com/freshlyforked, when Seville Oranges are in season. Making marmalade needed be rocket science and the smell around the house was amazing. I can’t wait to get cracking and enjoying my marmalade; I might even try it on toast!

If you’re still not inspired, check out these wonderful marmalade recipe links.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/29/seville-orange-recipes-fearnley-whittingstall?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/feb/01/nigel-slater-tart-duck

Marmalade can be made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins and sweet oranges or any combination thereof. For example, California-style marmalade is made from the peel of sweet oranges and consequently lacks the bitter taste of Seville orange marmalade.

We would like to share with you some of our best sellers so far. We are already on the look out for new products – hot on the wish list for us are Bird Feeders.

English Apple Bird Feeder

New this Christmas is our gorgeous English Apple Bird Feeder. Made in England from beautiful terracotta, our feathered friends can look forward to a Happy Christmas too as well as keeping your outside space looking warm and friendly throughout winter.

Potato Harvesting Scoop

Traditionally gardeners (who may think they have it all!), are sure to be delighted by some of our new, specialist traditional gardening tools. Our distinctive Vegetable Harvesting Knife has serrated teeth on the curved blade to ensure a clean-cut through tough stemmed vegetables every time. Another all year favourite is our Potato Harvesting Scoop. Designed to cleverly harvest home-grown potatoes without encountering the usual ‘stabbing’ caused by the prongs on a gardeners fork.

You’ll find everything from Seed Tin Organisers, to Pickling Jars and Herb Pots on our website. Plus, we’re thrilled to become a new partner selling on Notonthehighstreet.com too.

We've made it!

It’s wonderful to share our gorgeous range with such an innovative and customer focussed site. You can visit our shop here by clicking on www.notonthehighstreet.com/freshlyforked

We’re bursting with ideas for 2012 and look forward to keeping you posted.

Home grown pumpkin and squashes

When I think of pumpkin’s and squash, I think of Autumn at it’s best. I think of Halloween and the warmth of Bonfire night. My kids think of ghosts, witches and Cinderella’s stagecoach! So it’s official, a pumpkin on the patch is hard to beat.

Once cured (a simple process whereby you harvest a pumpkin and keep it somewhere warm for up to ten days), a pumpkin will keep for weeks.  Store in a cool, airy, dry place such as an outhouse or garage. With care and attention, your pumpkin and squash could last up to 2/3 months. (Do check on them regularly – trust me, there’s nothing worse than rotting pumpkin!).

A pumpkin on the patch - August 2011

Although I am a big fan of pumpkin, enjoying it in highly spiced soups and curry’s, I’ve found this sweet Pumpkin Muffin recipe really does capture the magic for kids (and big kids too!). I’ve followed a Good Food recipe and found it to be utterly moorish. It’s based on a similar principle to carrot cake in the that vegetable (or fruit in this case!) keeps the cake nice, sweet and moist.

Grated squash works well and similar to adding carrots to the mixture in a cake

You can tweak it by adding stem ginger and other dried fruits, but the original works well for me. It tastes even better when enjoyed the next day as the moisture is released from the pumpkin.

Finished Magical Pumpkin Muffins; decorate as you wish with cream cheese or icing

One word…

Please take care when preparing pumpkins and squashes; especially if they reach the size ours did! Cured pumpkins and squashes are rock solid; even when armed with the sharpest of knifes. I tend to cut a slither off the base to help it stand firm then trim the skin in downward motions towards the board. Keep uncooked, cut pumpkin and squash in the fridge; just as it is. Aim to use it up as soon as possible, as it won’t store well for very long (often turning softer and spongy).

Tomatoes still ripening in October 2011

It’s 19th October 2011 and whilst the days are quickly drawing in, we’re still very fortunate to have many, many tomatoes still ripening on the vine  down on the allotment. The first frosts have started to arrive so get chutney making…..

Here’s the recipe which has proven to be one of my all time favourites.

Red Tomato Chutney (makes 3 jars)

1kg ripe red Tomatoes, chopped (I don’t bother peeling)

200g onions, chopped

250g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped

300g sugar

225ml cider vinegar

2tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground all spice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

100g sultanas (optional)

Method

1. Heat ingrediants gently in a stainless steel pan

2. Bring to boil stirring, then simmer on a low heat, stirring regularly for about 1 hour or until thick and pulpy.

3. Pour into warm sterilised jars and cover.

Enjoy straight away with cold meats or best left to mature for a couple of weeks.

Red Tomato Chutney - a must for the colour and taste!

The Chicken Brick is back!

Freshly Forked are already a huge fan of terracotta in the garden. Terracotta has many advantages for the gardener and flower grower. One of the greatest is the fact that terracotta is completely natural. It’s sophisticated too. Terracotta is porous, which in the garden means you cannot easily overwater plants allowing the roots to breathe. Terracotta clay has superb thermal properties, which is also great news for plants during the colder months (just make sure that you use adequate drainage to prevent freezing and cracking incidents!). All of this adds up to great plant care in the garden.

Terracotta Salt Pig - the perfect way to store salt in the kitchen

In the home, the natural proporties of terracotta means that it lends itself perfectly to cookware and food storage. We love the fact that terracotta pre-dates most other forms of cookware, so it’s no wonder we appreciate it’s authentic character, and proven-performance in the kitchen. Our large, sturdy Salt Pig  is the ultimate cook’s hand helping to keep salt dry and clean, whilst adding warmth and character to your home.  Any moisture is absorbed by the terracotta thus keeping the salt dry and ready for use. Neat, hey?

The Chicken Brick - it's back!

The Chicken Brick, uniquely named for its distinctive shape, is a beautiful piece of English terracotta cookware. Enjoy cooking large joints of meat, including whole chicken’s in this traditional and timeless earthenware, terracotta pot. Which is not only beautiful to cook in, but even better to serve from too.  Based on a traditional design, this Chicken Brick still retains the original ‘hand-thrown’ character and makes a wonderful kitchen gift for Mum’s, Dad’s and Grandparents who may fondly remember them back in the 1970’s. The Chicken Brick is back and perfect for busy families and family occasions!

The current English Terracotta range includes; The Chicken Brick, The Garlic Baker, The Dozen Egg Rack, The Garlic Pot, The Salt Pig and a gorgeous Apple Bird Feeder for the garden – kids love it and makes a perfect for Grandparents.

The Terracotta Baker - makes the perfect gift this Christmas for Foodies and Friends

Terracotta planters and hanging containers will be available from Feb 2012.

For further details about our range, please visit out online shop or view the range on our partner site, http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/freshlyforked Please feel free to leave a comment if you like our new range.

Salting the vegetables to ensure that they remain crunchy is a distinctive part of the piccalilli process. I am always amazed at the amount of water the vegetables lose!

Your choice of diced vegetables - salted

Piccalilli will consist of many different salted vegetables, usually including cauliflower, with the bold colouring and seasoning of turmeric and mustard. Autumn is the perfect time to make pickles, piccalilli’s and chutneys to enjoy at Christmas and throughout the winter months. Making them in autumn allows the piccalilli’s and chutneys to fully develop in flavour and allows time to Christmas gift-tag a few for friends and family.

Adding the curried vinegar to the salted and washed vegetables

I don’t yet have a favourite recipe since I’ve only been making Piccalilli for two years (which is why I haven’t posted it on the blog – but if you like the look of ours, please feel free to ask me).  I think the best way to find any favourite recipe is to try one and tweak it to individual taste. Think about the vegetables you like and what you have available. Ask friends and family for any hand-me-down recipes they might have. Everyone I know has a slightly different way of making Piccalilli, so the best way to start is by just choosing one which you think you like the sound off.  For example last year I didn’t include tomatoes, but this year I have; mostly because we have so many left to ripen! I’ll taste test it later this year.

Either way, good piccalilli is something you make yourself – it just can’t be compared to the factory-made alternatives. It’s lovely with cold meats and sharp English cheeses but perhaps, best of all, with fresh farmers ’ market pork pies.

Jars of Home made Piccalilli - with gift tags for friends and family

We hope you enjoyed this blog and welcome any favourite recipes you could recommend.  Thank you.

Loving Autumn Raspberries

This year’s crop has been impressive. We’ve been harvesting non-stop over the last few weeks and I wish that she had weighed her crop in! The autumn raspberries smell wonderful and stand proud. The plants are full with plump and juicy scarlet and crimson berries. Like all raspberries they can be delicate but freeze exceptionally well (which is just as well because we’ve picked containers of them!). I love the fact that you can freeze them in perfect condition to enjoy as a huge treat later in the season. Typically grabbing a handful as I go for smoothies, cookies and fruit garnishes.

A plentiful supply of Autumn Raspberries

With thanks to my Mum, I’ve discovered so much over the last few weeks and fallen totally and utterly back in love with the raspberry. So much so, that I’ll now be planting canes of my very own! I’ve dug out two new raised beds and the smallest will form the new raspberry patch.

Our new patchFreshly-dug new raised beds

I’ll order and plant the bare-root canes during the dormant season, which is from November to March. It will be wonderful to hear if anyone is during a similar thing.

I have also learnt that;

• Raspberries should be picked dry rather than after rain because they’ll keep better
• You need to be careful when picking raspberries, not only are the shrubs super-spiky (do wear thin gloves!) but you can easily damage ripe raspberries when picking them
• Top tip; try to pick the berry with your thumb and finger and pluck the raspberry from its white hull
• Place rather than fling your raspberry into your container and don’t pile too many on top (especially if they are very ripe!). Raspberries can easily damage.
• Raspberries freeze better than most other fruits (which is probably why my mum always had some in the freezer!)
• Raspberries need little cooking or embellishment in my humble opinion; simply served with single cream and a sprinkling of sugar is my food heaven
• My favourite food marriage has to be dark chocolate and raspberry; bliss.
• Raspberries are easy to grow. Like most things you just need the best place and right soil conditions

You can follow my raspberry-growing journey via our blog or on Facebook as the first canes will go in around December / January when the soil is ready.

Freshly harvested courgettes in the kitchen

I picked the first courgette late July. With its green stripes and speckles the courgette is a fragile veg and needs to be harvested before it gets too big. This is a tricky task because courgettes seem to erupt overnight and can grow to the size of marrows if not kept an eye on! I prefer courgettes harvested at a tender age, about 10-13cm; enjoyed raw or simply BBQ’d throughout the summer.

Young tender yellow courgettes at their very best

It’s now 18thh August and the courgettes seem to becoming more regular than ever!  I’ve missed a few that have grown much larger (20-23cm) and will be woollier inside. These courgettes are still very edible and enjoyable but I like to use them in ratatouille and in cakes. At first it may seem odd to suggest a cake to cope with a glut of courgettes but trust me; it works! Based on a similar principle to carrot cake, a courgette cake is simply a means to inject plenty of moisture. You don’t taste the courgette but you do get a glimpse of tiny ribbons that do suggest to the finer eye that there may be more to the chocolate cake than meets the eye.

Grated courgette

Ingredients to fill a 23cm square brownie tin

• 175g / 6oz quality dark chocolate
• 250g / 9oz finely grated courgette
• 200g / 7oz plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 120g / 4oz golden caster sugar
• 175ml / 6fl oz sunflower oil
• Handful of raisons
• 2 large eggs

• 175g / 6oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 350g / 12oz icing sugar
• 50g / 2oz cocoa powder
• A little water to bind

The Method

Preheat the oven to 180⁰C / 350⁰F / gas mark 4.

Brush the tin with a little oil and line with greaseproof paper.

Sieve the dry ingredients

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over barely simmering water.  Then finely grate the courgette. Sift the dry ingredients; baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon into a bowl.  Mix in the sugar, raisons and grated courgette.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil and stir into the dry ingredients. Once combined stir in the melted chocolate.

Mixture ready for baking

Pour into the tin and bake for 40 mins, or until the cake is well risen. I use the skewer technique to check the middle is cooked if the skewer comes out clean.

Leave in the tin for half an hour before turning out carefully onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

To make the frosting, simply cream the butter and add the sieved icing sugar and cocoa. Add enough water to make the frosting easy to spread. Top the tray bake and decorate to own taste.

Iced Chocolate Courgette Tray Bake

*This tray bake freezes well without the frosting so if you have a glut of courgettes maybe you could bake a few trays but just top one for now.

My first onions

Now that the leaves have started to yellow and die back, I’ve started to harvest them. If dried and stored correctly I am told that onions will keep for up to six months (but I’ll be impressed if they keep for three!).

The onion foliage needs to be completely dry before storing the onions. All you really need is a spell of warm, dry weather and a drying rack. I made a simple drying rack with a few bricks and old wire rack. (It felt a bit like building a DIY barbeque!).

Once you’ve lifted the onions and you have your drying rack ready, brush off the mud and lay the bulbs on the wire rack to start drying in the sunshine. It will take a good few days, even up to a week, for the onions to completely dry. You’ll notice how the foliage goes papery just as you see them on the market and in the shops.

Use any softening onions straight away and store the best, dried onions in a dark, cool, dry place. Popular storage techniques are either by hanging in nets or old tights if you’re feeling eco-friendly! Packing carefully in layers in wooden boxes or trays also works well, which is what my Nannie used to do in her cold store.

Storing onions in trays

I like to keep a dozen onions close to hand in the kitchen so I find these black-out onion bags quite handy. They are washable and can be refilled again and again as kitchen demands.  Feeling quite smug right now that the onions I’ll be cooking tonight are my first onions that I’ve harvested and dried myself.

Storing onions in the kitchen

I’m already planning to grow shallots and pickling onions next year, which will be much smaller and sweeter.