Beetroot as well.

Have also done some Beetroot chutney now.  The only change I made to the recipe below was to add some marrow as I had some spare.  Apart from that as below.  Made around 5 medium size jars.

 

The only trouble I find with Chutney is that the house smells!  Might need to make some bread t ocover that up!  

2lb raw beetroot shredded
1lb onions chopped
1 1/2lb cooking apples, peeled cored and chopped
1lb raisins
3 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
2lb granulated suger
2 pints malt vinegar
1 1/2 oz salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Just chuck it all in a large pan, heat slowly to disolve sugar and then bring to boil and simmer for about 2 hours until thick.  It will thicken as it cools too.

Apple Chutney...

Going to buy my shed today - looking forward to that.

Made some Apple Chutney today - here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz onions, chopped
• 900g/2lb apples, cored and chopped
• 110g/4oz sultanas, raisins or chopped dates
• 15g/½oz ground coriander
• 15g/½oz paprika
• 15g/½oz mixed spice
• 15g/½oz salt
• 340g/12oz granulated sugar
• 425ml/¾ pints malt vinegar

Preparation method

1. Put all the ingredients into a preserving pan. Slowly bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Simmer for 1½-2 hours, stirring from time to time to stop the chutney sticking to the pan.
3. When it is very thick and you can draw a wooden spoon across the base of the pan so that it leaves a channel behind it that does not immediately fill with liquid, the chutney is ready.
4. Turn into sterilised jars, seal and cool.
5. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for two to three months before eating

Smelling good at the moment!

Starting the winter tidy

Was down at the allotment yesterday - the 5 of us were there which was nice.  Jobs done:

• Dug up the last of the potatos - now need to bag them up and store them.
• Cut the grass around the greenhouse / shed area and added to compost.
• Picked all the runner beans from the first crop and dug up the plants for the compost
• Cleared the broad beans

I also made my first lot of Marrow and Ginger Jam (recipe here) which I think I missed it's setting point - tastes good but a little hard!  Today I used some of my blackberries to make the first blackberry and apple jam as well.

I will write an overview of the year later this month, but hopefully will get down a few times more this week.  It is beginning to become an obsession I think ;)

First Jam

Well, I have now stored my potato's (well some of them - more need digging up) and also blanched and frozen bags of runner beans.  I have also made my first jam of teh season. 

Plum and Apple Jam

About 3lb Plums
About 1lb Apples
About 4lb Sugar
A splash of water

Cooked plums and apples together in water for around 30/35 mins until soft.  Then added sugar.  Brought to boil for 5 mins and then into hot Jars.

It has set almost perfectly!  My best Jam yet.

Hopefully this weekend will be  finishing the main crop and planting some spinach for the winter.

Woops - been a while

Oh, I kinda forgot I had this blog.  Now it is September and I have missed June,July and August.  Oh dear.  Well, I can tell you which things have gone well this year, and also what hasn't worked.

Our Brassicas are great - Cabbage, Purple Sprouting and Sprouts all look good and the cabbage tastes excellent.  Had 2 so far and many more to come.

New potato's came and went, and now have almost harvested all the main crop for winter.  Need to dry them and clean them and store them now.  They all have done well, some are a little slug eaten but most are good.  Looking forward to eating those. 

The beans have also done well - the broad beans now finished and have got a fair tonne of runner beans.  Freezing them for the winter again.  Peas were not good, need to look at why.  Gt a few pods but really only enough for one meal.  Ummm...  More work.

Will try and get some photos up soon, am getting a shed ;) and putting that up and this autumn is mainly about tidying I think as there is a fair bit too do. 

Will post more next week, along with the jams and chutney recipes I am using.