Jam & Chutney making

I have been busy making rhubarb jam and chutney as we have a glut of rhubarb on the plot and it seems a shame to just leave it unused.
I made chutney with a recipe from Nic at Nip it in the bud blog. I am not a lover of chutney, I made beetroot chutney last year and gave it away!I have to say this tasted lovely even just after making so I am looking forward to using it in a few weeks when it has matured.
My sister Kathleen's late mother in law used to make rhubarb and fig jam which we always looked forward to getting a sample of.It is not available commercially and I think I now know why....the price of dried figs in this country!I shopped around various supermarkets and health food shops and the figs were working out nearly 14e per Kilo! I eventually bought them in the English market, the 4 lbs needed for this particular recipe cost 23e. This jam is more fig and rhubarb than rhubarb and fig but tastes delicious.There are lots of recipes online, the one I used is on the Times website credited to V.Giles.I may make it again but use a different recipe using less figs as this one uses 4 lb of rhubarb, 4 lbs of figs and 4 lbs of sugar, but I made 14 jars from it.It is not a sweet jam but definitely tastes morish!
Some of it has already gone to eager tasters who have declared it a winner!
One recipe did mention that both of the main ingredients are mild laxatives so maybe it should be used with caution!

We have been in and out to the plot, mainly bringing home produce at a very satisfying rate.Lettuce, carrots,tomatoes, onions and fruit.
There are 10lbs of blackcurrants in the freezer, all from our one bush!I did make some jam but will look forward to the smell of fresh jam making in the kitchen during the winter.
Bluberries are ripening at last.Strawberries are putting up lots of new green growth after their cleaning up last week.
Brussel sprouts are forming on the plants but aphids(blackfly?) are becoming a problem on these and the turnips tops.I have been blasting them with the hose which seems to be working so far but the affected leaves remain marked and curled.
Pumpkins and courgettes are producing daily!
We have 2 cucumber plants in the greenhouse which are another disaster!The leaves are yellowing and small despite feeding and watering regularly?!I must remember to take some pics the next day I am out.
I bought the above plants in Aldi this morning. There is a Tayberry, a Goji berry and a red goosberry. They are all healthy looking and for 2.67e each I could not pass them up.

Comments

Sorry to hear about the cucumbers, but the rest of your plants are doing extremely well... Pumpkins daily?.. huh.
~bangchik
Jo said…
Hi Peggy;) I was so pleased to see you over at my blog that I had to come and visit you. Wow, Rhubarb jam and chutneys. And rhubarb and fig jam! My hubby dislikes (too soft a word) rhubarb and enjoys fig jam. Perhaps when I'm in South Africa again, I could mix the two and he'd not know the difference. LOL. Your produce is stunning! Enjoy your week. Jo
Peggy said…
Bangchik, you win some and lose some is what happens in gardening!We don't allow the pumpkins to grow too big justover tennis ball size so they are sweet and tender.I don't think I could cope with Halloween sized ones!

Thanks Jo, I do pop in to your blog regularly even though I may not comment always but I do enjoy reading about your travels and adventures!One of my daughters hates figs, will not even bite a fig roll and is slathering the jam on slices of bread since I gave it to her!
Ann said…
Good grief, those figs are expensive! Good idea with the rhubarb chutney, think I'll make some too.

My cucumbers sound about the same as yours, mine are outside, this unpredictable weather probably hasn't helped.
Anonymous said…
Hi again Peggy,

Have mislaid your phone number but wanted to get in touch about taking photographs etc. for book. Could you email me at finnfallon@yahoo.co.uk and we could try to organise a time that would suit?

All the best,

Fionnuala
Kathleen said…
I thought I had left a comment long ago on this post just saying put my name on one of those jars of jam!
Linda said…
I recognise some of the same jam lids from my jam-making. Lidl marmelade, for example! Their jars are a nice shape.
Anonymous said…
Hi Peggy
we have just completed your tomato and apple chutney but with pears instead of apples
its fantastic
thanks for the recipie
Ray & Mo

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