Save
One of the most appealing summer sights is that of a jam pan simmering for hours and hours. This is an ideal way to save fruit that is over ripe and to bottle up a bit of summer sun to take us through the winter months.
Plums, figs or peaches: we are all familiar with jam. Or marmalade, as it is correctly called, when made from citrus fruits.
Here are 4 ideas for an equal number of recipes for making some original preserves. Unusual flavours and common pairings, for spreading on bread or offering to relatives and friends as welcome gifts.
IT'S TEA TIME!
A cup of Earl Grey and a slice of cake – or buttered bread – spread with bergamot marmalade: an ideal match. The real connoisseurs can use it to fill scones. Strange but true: not everyone is aware of the fact that bergamot is a citrus fruit and, consequently, the term marmalade is correct in this case.
NO MORE WASTE
An over ripe banana, ready for the compostable garbage bin? Let’s save it by making a banana jam. All you need are bananas, sugar (brown sugar is fine too) and lemon juice to stop the fruit from turning too black. Excellent with your Sunday brunch pancakes.
THERE’S MUCH MORE TO TOMATOES THAN JUST SAUCE!
Green tomato chutney is an excellent idea for those who are tired of turning their tomatoes into sauce, or fancy making a delicious accompaniment to cheese. The right quantities? Approximately 400 g of sugar for each kilo of tomatoes, with the addition of lemon juice. Try the spicy version too, delicious with soft and semi mature cheeses.
NOT JUST FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
The secret ingredient here is lavender, which turns an apple or pear jam into something really special. Watch the quantity, though: if you exaggerate with the lavender, your jar of jam will recall a bar of soap!
