The Pickling Chronicles

The season for preserving is well underway here on the croft. One day I’m going to get my big girl pants on and try the scary-to-me proper pressure canning/water bath method, but for now I rely on the preserving properties of vinegar and sugar to keep my preserves shelf safe.

I started off a month or so ago with tomato kasundi, an Indian spiced tomato chutney which has become our favourite with a cheeseboard. Sadly only a few jars remain as I gave some away to fellow addicts and we’ve eaten a few already. I need to make more before Christmas to ensure that we don’t run out for Boxing Day.

Next I made green tomato and apple chutney using the unripened tomatoes from the polycrub. I haven’t tried one from this batch yet.

Then I made red pepper relish. I’m haunted by memories of a red pepper relish that I used to make in France many years ago which was absolutely delicious. But I can’t find or remember the recipe. This years attempt is a Delia recipe which looks good, so I have high hopes.

Then I decided I needed more pickle as we still had lots of tomatoes, so I roasted up the remaining cherry tomatoes with garlic and rosemary and made a different tomato chutney using a River cottage recipe.

But simmer it as I may the damned thing just wouldn’t thicken. After three hours I gave up and retired for the evening, coming back to it for a second boiling the next day. Eventually it reduced down sufficiently to put into jars, but by this time it was a very dark, gloopy brown so lord only knows whether it will taste any good when I eventually get brave enough to open a jar..

It may have eaten its way out of the jars on its own by Christmas ..