Bread and butter pickles
Delicious served with cheese and cold meats.
Makes about 500ml
2 x 450g punnets of fresh gherkin cucumbers
3 onions, thinly sliced
salt
375ml cider vinegar
250ml white sugar
2ml ground turmeric
5ml mustard seeds
5ml fennel seeds
Thinly slice gherkins with a mandolin slicer or a very sharp knife and put them in a sieve. Mix in the onions. Sprinkle with salt and leave to drain for a few hours. Rinse and pat dry with paper towel.
Combine vinegar, sugar and spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 6-8 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add the onions and gherkins and boil for 1 minute.
Pack into sterilised jars and seal. Once opened, store in the fridge.
Green mango chutney
Makes about 500ml
4 green mangoes,
peeled and diced
180ml sugar
250ml white vinegar
15ml chopped garlic
2ml chilli flakes
5ml cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick of cinnamon
5 whole cloves
3ml salt
5 black peppercorns, crushed
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Simmer the mixture gently, stirring occasionally until thick.
Bottle and seal in sterilised jars.
Tomato Chutney
Makes 500ml
1kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 onions, chopped
250ml raisins
2 large apples,
peeled, cored and chopped
350g white sugar
250ml cider vinegar
10ml salt
3ml ground allspice
3ml cinnamon
5ml ground ginger
3ml cayenne pepper
a good grinding of
black pepper
Put ingredients into a large saucepan and heat gently until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring frequently until mixture is thick.
Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until well blended. Spoon into sterilised bottles and seal.
Leave to mature for one to two weeks before using.
Asian Plum Sauce
This sauce is delicious in stir fries, over burgers and as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. Once you taste this, you’ll never buy a bottle of plum sauce again.
Makes about 1.5 litres
2kg red plums, pitted
4 large onions, chopped
100g ginger,
peeled and chopped
1 head of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
250ml soy sauce
250ml rice vinegar
750ml white vinegar
1kg white sugar
2 whole star anise
Put the plums, onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and vinegars into a large saucepan.
Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until the plums are very soft.
Remove and push the plum mixture through a sieve.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir in the sugar and star anise.
Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened and creamy in appearance.
Remove the star anise and discard. Bottle in sterilised bottles and seal. - Saturday Star