Thread: Warning: Food talk inside. Kitchen Supply shops for Jam/Jelly/Canning supplies?

Shrooms!:

235 ml red wine
120 ml red wine vinegar
80 ml olive oil
25 g brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 g crushed red pepper flakes
35 g red bell pepper, diced
455 g small fresh mushrooms, washed and trimmed
25 g chopped green onions
0.4 g dried oregano
3 g salt
0.5 g ground black pepper


Strawberry jam did not set very firm - I have heard that about Strawberry - but the taste is gorgeous and when I give it out I will give people the option of putting it on Ice cream as a thick sauce if they find to too runny for jam. But its beautifuL!

Further to the jam......

Ya know when you get to the part about hard boiling for 3 or 4 minutes, or whatever - I find when I get it really boiling it climbs right up and I have to turn the heat down or the whole lot will boil over. Even in my new huge pot, I had to immediately scoop out a portion into a second pan as I could only keep it on med low heat to stop it spilling over? Should I be using medium heat and taking a longer time to get to a boil? I was hoping the huge pot would solve this.

I wondered if having to turn it down for it to back off, then back up again is messing up the stting factor?

Any ideas.

Morning you little early bird!!!

Not sure why I am awake quite so early, but I have to pop in to work this morning so might aswell get it out of the way.

The shrooms sound amazing. Are you bottling them too or just keeping in the fridge as a little snack?

Re the strawberry jam, mine also never set very hard, but It does have loads of fruit and I quite like the sort of gloopy consistency it has with the berries. My mom's seems the same too, so probably that is just the way it is.

Re the pot. I have exactly the same scenario, just seems to boil over if I turn the heat up and I am using a big pot. The only pot tha would prob work is an industrial one which would never fit on my stove! However I found once I got it up to the boil, then turned it down to med, it continues to boil quite nicely. When it is turned off , before I jar the jam, if it give it a stir, it still brings it back to the boil, so the heat is still there. I am guessing this means all is fine. I think it is like when boiling cream, unless it is very low heat it will always boil over. Something to do with how sugar reacts to heat?? I doubt it is having an effect on the setting point. The other suggestion for soft fruit jam is to use 1 grated apple in it for the pectin or a few goosberries (the uk type) as they are really high in it and it should not affect taste at ll.

Jez
xx

Jezz!!! I need help!!!

I just was getting started with the cake - and I think something is wrong with this recipe - look at the ingredients - or lack of - certainly does not seem like it iwll make much of a cake with the tiny amount of flour, 1 egg, etc....

Coul d this be right??

SOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I ask you knowledgable ladies, if I'm making blackberry jam, can I substitute the sugar for candarel? Would it still set ok and still preserve ok?

Yes, it can be fine. If it's a rich fruit cake the high proportion of fruit will hold it all together. You don't need much egg, you don't want ths type of cake to be light and rise.
Just follow the recipe, you'll be fine.
The brandy will be okay too. It doesn't really matter what alcohol you use.
The recipe I usually use soaks the fruit in a bottle of sherry for 2 days! hic.
Happy cooking. See ya tomorrow. xx

Oh thanks SB!!! I thought you were awy today - I am so glad you saw this!! OK - I will trust your expertise and give it a go!!

Thanks honey!! See you tomorrow!!

xxx

My pleasure, remember driied fruit has a very high sugar content which burns easily so it's important to believe your recipe - long slow cooking at a low temperature. I usually cut a circle of bakng parchment to cover the top while it's in the oven to stop it over browning.
Cut a hole in the centre of the paper about the size of a 50p piece to let the steam escape. Give me a ring if you get stuck.
Hey - it's a piece of cake !!
I await the photos...............xxx

LOL Thanks hon.

I realise now - I forgot how small the pan is. Its only 6 inches in diameter after all!

Being a yank, I am used to the big round flat pans.

So - feeling better and just about to throw it all together!

Thanks lovey!!

XXX

Welllll, the cake is in the oven - and the batter tasted - oh my god - SO GOOD!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It almost made it into my porridge bowl rather then the oven! Perhaps I can suggest that as a brekkie poption for Morticia!!!

Seriously - it tasted wonderful. I admit it - I liked the batters. And the bowl. LOL Well, didn;t lick the bowl as such....but it was pretty clean before it got washed!!

Can't wait for Christmas now!! Think I may make another one to send with some jam to my mom for Christmas. I hate not being with her - in this way, I kind of would.

Thanks foryour help lovely ladies!

xx

Oh - shrooms are nice too - but next time I might hald the number of chili flakes. And this from someone who LOVES chili - but man - phew!! FIRE!!!! But nice! Will be nice on salads.


Might have a go later at some Apple Butter? Or Apple Jelly? Any opinions on either? I won;t eat all those beautys before they go off, so want to do something to at least half of them - even if just freezing.

Oh - tragedy yesterday - while shuffling about in the freezer I accidentily knocked off a big container of wild blackberries - about 2 pounds I reckon - it burst open and they scattered all over the floor. I know, having had 8 cats in this house - there is not enough boiling to make me use them, so they had to get binned. Nearly made me cry. At least I still have 2 pounds left.

As I am collecting quite a few photos, and running out of room here I have made an album.,....so here are some pics. Will be adding to them as we go!

Picasa Web Albums - J - Culinary Expl...#

Hello experts.

I notice many of the recipes for apple jelly call for cooking apples. What would happen if I used only eating apples?

Would it still work?

Ta

x

Cake was a success - looks wonderful! ALl tucked away till XMAS now.

Been a busy bee today....got Apple Chutney going on in my cauldron at the moment.

SMells lovely and is to age three months before eating so will be ready for XMAS.

Where IS everyone??

Hey Hun

Was at excel getting security check and briefing for tomorrrow, then got stuck in the worlds worst traffic for 3 hours. You have been soooooo busy. Sorry I didn't catch your query on the cake but SB gave you the perfect answer. I have a few bits and bobs to put on tonight so will update later and once they are on, will settle down with coffee to look at your pics. Let me know how you set the album up so I can set one up too. Cooking apples are Bramley apples in this country big, misshapen and sour as hell. But you can substitute granny smith as they are very sharp and firm fleshed too. Have you tried lemon curd yet?? If not hun you so gotta it is amazing, but very high in calories because of the butter. Still you could have a lick then send the rest to mom.

Jez
xx

Hiya!

I use Picasa 3, which is a photo thingy-ma-bob provided by Google - its free and you can down load it - then when you uplosd your photos you can edit them, etc., and from there you can create albums. I am still trying to work out the whole album thing - I tried to put a pic of my chutney into my album and I couldn't - so I need to learn more about it.

Well, feet up for a bit, and then its time to cook dinner.

The chutney looks great, smells great, and tastes great if not a little pungent - I suppose that is why it ages 3 months, for the vinegar to mellow. But, its very grainy?? As if the spices did not fully incorporate? I am hoping that blend over time as well. But other then that it tastes lovely. Its Apple, cranberry, raisins, onions, paprika, mixed spice, coriander and Malt Vinegar. I ran out of paprika so topped up with cinnamon. Shoudl be nice with roast pork and such. I juthope the graininess goes.

I got some hard cider, and will make some apple butter with the remaining apples - and then I think that is me done for awhile.

I say. We'll see.

But its been an expensive venture, what with buying all the equipment and ingredients - I think I will cool my heels for a bit and maybe do some more next month. But its lovely to see all the preserved things in my cupboard. Need to make some labels next. THen they are all pretty.

Catch ya later Mrs!

SB - hope you hav had a lovely SUnday! Thanks again for the tip - the cake turned out beautifully.

xx