Spring Rhubarb Relish

We recently started getting a small Abel & Cole fruit and veg box delivered every week and although there are some things I've banned from the box one of the reasons I wanted to try out the delivery system was to widen my knowledge of how to actually use the fruit and veg that I'm not so keen on. This was put to the test a few weeks ago as I hovered next to the bin with the rhubarb that I hated, the baby I knew wouldn't touch and there was no point putting in a pudding for my away-with-work husband. There's got to be something I can do with this, I thought. And there was.

I like any excuse to get out my Preserves book and it didn't disappoint with my rhubarb problem. Really easy to make and Joe loves it this relish is perfect with cheeses, quiches and pork pies and makes a really nice change from more traditional chutneys.

Spring Rhubarb Relish

Makes about 4 x 340g jars

500g granulated sugar
100ml cider vinegar
1kg rhubarb (untrimmed weight)
125g raisins

For the spice bag:
50g fresh root ginger, bruised
2 cinnamon sticks, snapped in half
6 cloves

You will need a spice bag or 20cm square of muslin, a preserving pan and some jars.

1. First make the spice bag by tying up the bruised ginger , Cinnamon sticks and cloves in a 20cm square of muslin (or a pre-made spice bag).

2. Put the sugar, vinegar , 100ml water and the spice bag into a preserving pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar and allow the spices to release their flavours into the syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for about 20 minutes.

3. While it's infusing, trim and wipe the rhubarb stalks and chop into 2-2.5cm chunks.

4. Add the rhubarb and raisins to the spiced syrup. Cook gently for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is thick, but the rhubarb is still discernible as soft chunks.

5. Remove from the heat and pour into warm, sterlised jars and seal with vinegar proof lids.

Use within 12 months.

Rhubarb relish does not photograph well...

Sweet Tomato Chutney

This is without a doubt my favourite chutney. If I make any others they never live up to this one so I make double quantities of the original recipe and make sure I always have some in the fridge. This is also perfect for presents so if you fancy doing something homemade this festive looking preserve is just the thing and amazing with cheese.

Based on a Madhur Jaffrey recipe I've kept the quantities in their old fluid ounce and pound measurements but you can convert these if you want - you really shouldn't need to as most scales and measuring jugs have both sets of measurements on them.

This recipe makes about 1 pint jar so I recommend doubling or even tripling it but here it is in it's original 1 pint form

Sweet Tomato Chutney

Makes about 1 pint

1 whole head of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
A piece of fresh ginger about 2 inches long, 1 inch thick and 1 inch wide, peeled and coarsely chopped
12 fl. oz. white wine vinegar
14 oz. tinned whole tomatoes (or 2lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled)
3/4 lbs (12 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp golden raisin

You can use fresh tomatoes when they are in season - they need to be peeled first. You also need a large, heavy bottomed pan with a non-metallic finish... now I use my large metal preserving pan and it all seems to be fine so make of this what you will.

1. Put the chopped garlic, ginger and 4 fl. oz. of the vinegar into a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.

2. In your heavy bottomed pan, place the tomatoes and juice from the tin, the rest of the vinegar, the sugar, salt and cayenne pepper.

3. Bring to the boil, add the puree from the blender, lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 or 2 hours until the chutney becomes thick and a film clings to a spoon when dipped into it).

Simmering chutney

4. Stir occasionally at first and then more frequently later as it thickens and you may need to lower the heat as the liquid diminishes.

5. Add the raisins and simmer stirring for another five minutes.


6. Turn the heat off and allow to cool before putting into your sterilised jar.

My finished chutney - I made double amounts

Sarah Raven's Uncooked Autumn Chutney

A lot of people I know are scared of making chutney and so for some time I've been trying to track down the easiest chutney recipe to put on here so those people have somewhere simple to start. I think I have finally found it, once again thanks to Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook.

I made half quantities of this because my fridge is filling up ridiculously fast at the moment with things I've made in jars and I just wanted to try this out to see what it was like but I've put the full quantity amounts here as per the recipe. It is also, apart from the 36 hour wait, very quick to make. I did the chopping etc quite late on a Sunday night and it didn't take very long at all!

Uncooked Autumn Chutney

Makes 7-8 jars

900g apples, peeled and cored
450g onions, quartered
450g stoned dates
450g sultanas
450g demerara sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
Cayenne Pepper to taste
450ml white wine vinegar

You will just need a big china mixing bowl and your food processor if you have one otherwise a sharp knife and something good on the tele to watch while you chop, will do. I used granny smiths and I weighed them before I peeled/cored them.

1. Chop the apples, onions and dates or pulse them carefully in the food processor - you don't want to over-do it and make a puree. When you are chopping everything remember that it's not going to be cooked down so you want it to be as fine or as chunky as you would want to eat - I think I could have done with making mine a bit smaller.

2. Put the mixture into a large china bowl and add the rest of the ingredients (sultanas, sugar, ginger, salt, cayenne and white wine vinegar) and stir together.

Everything in it's bowl

3. Cover with clingfilm and leave for 36 hours, stirring occasionally.

Everything in it's bowl after 36 hours

4. Put into warm sterilized jars. This will keep for months if not years and is delicious served with cheese on toast.

River Cottage Onion Marmalade

This recipe comes from the Preserves: River Cottage Handbook No.2. Not written by the man himself  but by Pam Corbin known as 'Pam the Jam'. I love these handbooks and recently bought myself No 3 which is bread which I haven't even attempted making but will do at some point... honestly.

Anyway, I'm never happier really than when making some sort of jam, pickle or chutney and having made this marmalade for Joe's family's Christmas hamper I was desperate to make some for me! Luckily it made a big kilner jar for our fridge and two jam jars for my parents and godparents so I looked like I was living in some sort of bubble of domesticity when in fact I had made it rather frantically that morning, left Joe to bottle it and run to get my hair done reeking of onion (the flat still has a slight whiff about it... that is one of the side affects.

Before discovering this recipe I made Rachel Allen's red onion jam from her book Bake, and I do really love this still so think I shall alternate between the two depending on my mood. This one is really great with cheese but you can use it on anything and makes for a yummy gift. I advise making it on a sunny day though as even the dog smelt oniony afterwards so you need windows open.

ONION MARMALADE
Makes 5 x 225g jars

100ml Olive oil
2kg onions, peeled and finely sliced
200g demerara sugar
150g redcurrant jelly
300ml cider vinegar
50ml balsamic vinegar
1 rounded tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

You'll need a big pan - the bigger the better. We used 14 onions in the end which is a lot once sliced. You need to have jars - whatever kind you like but they need vinegar proof lids. They'll need to be sterilised and warm though.

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over and medium heat and add the onions. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes until the onions are collapsed and beginning to colour.

Joe can chop 14 onions without crying. I can take the peel off one...

2. Add the sugar and the redcurrant jelly. Increase the heat and continue to cook, stirring more frequently for about 30 minutes until the mixture turns a dark, nutty brown and most of the moisture has been driven off.

3. Take off the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before adding the vinegars (if you add vinegar to a red hot pan it will evaporate).

4. Return to the heat and cook rapidly for another 10 minutes or so, until the mixture becomes gooey and a spoon drawn across the bottom of the pan leaves a clear track on the base for a couple of seconds.

5. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into warm, sterilised jars and seal with vinegar proof lids. Use within 12 months.