Jams & Pickles

We all know the nostalgia that comes from homemade pickles and jams, but given the increased range available in the shops and farm markets, these methods had all but died out. In recent years however, there has been an increase in people dusting off their jam pans! We wanted to see whether we could get people pickling and preserving at home with some simple recipes!

In March & April 2021, as part of our 'Foodie Focus', we explored it all... jams, preserves, chutneys, pickles & relishes.

As well as tasting wonderful, these homemade delights are a brilliant way of using the excess produce we grow at home, making the most of the seasonal fruit and vegetables available to us at the supermarkets and whole stores or perhaps a way to use seasonal foraged items - something that's increased in popularity recently.

Whilst preserving and fermenting may be 'trendy' right now, they are actually ancient processes used for various reasons: to preserve food (before refrigeration), to produce alcohol, or simply to add flavour. Mostly it grew out of the necessity to keep seasonal produce throughout the year - so it's great to see a resurgence of interest in this wonderful activity.

Homemade jams and pickles etc. can also make wonderful gifts, it's not uncommon to see them as favours at weddings too!

Often, family recipes are used - a wonderful way to think of how our relatives would have relied on this in years gone by, and also creating a wonderful connection with the past in keeping these recipes alive.

As part of this feature, we want to celebrate these wholesome, tasty jars of loveliness and we asked members on our social pages to share some of their favourite recipes and ideas for preserving and pickling which you can find below.

Apple & Elderflower Jam

Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

Pineapple Jam

Red Onion Chutney

Rhubarb & Ginger Chutney

Rosehip & Apple Jelly

Rhubarb & Strawberry Jam

Sweet Chilli Jam