Strawberry Preserve for the Daring Cooks September 2010

Ah! Food Preservation, what a perfect theme for late summer! Living in the northern hemisphere, there is the urge to squirrel away the bright flavours of summer for the icy cold winter, when sun-ripened vegetables and fruit rarely grace our tables.

Old Fashioned Summer Raspberry Jam

The early arrival of summer this year has been good for vegetables and fruits. After our annual ritual of strawberry picking in early June, we decided to join our local organic berry patch to pick summer raspberries!! Sadly some rather unseasonal rain led to the picking being canceled. The patch owner however had an excellent harvest. She contacted us and asked if we would like some pre-picked berries from the farm. We were delighted and got a pail of sweet-tart raspberries.

Cranberry Orange Relish

For Taste & Create V, I have been paired with Jill of Hey, That Tastes Good! Eagerly, I browsed through Jill's site for a recipe to create. Jill's site was an education for me - it was my first encounter with a blogger who blogs gluten free. Hmmmm, I thought, here's a challenge for me!! After reviewing several recipes that appeared delicious, I settled on the Cranberry-Orange Relish, for several reasons! Firstly, I love cranberries. Secondly, I adore oranges. Thirdly, I am fanatical about relishes. And last but not the least, I had never tried making anything with cranberries thus far.

Jill's original recipe can be found at: Cranberry Orange Relish. It calls for the pulp and zest of 1 orange, 3 cups cranberries, and 11/2 cups sugar to be whisked together in the food processor, refrigerated to blend well, and then enjoyed.


Much as I liked this recipe, I found that I could not follow it exactly. Firstly, my food processor had just given way. And secondly, an uncooked relish would not do too well in my home! I had tried a chutney with pineapples recently, and learnt a lot from the experience. Besides, the moment I saw Jill's recipe, my creative cap came on and I could not resist the cook's licence to create. Here's my version of this wonderful relish.

Ingredients:
11/2 cups cranberries
2 oranges
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1" stick cinnamon
1/2 star anise
2tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Peel the oranges, remove any seeds, and chop roughly.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, chopped oranges, water, and sugar. Cook until the sugar melts and the fruit is soft.
3. Add the star anise and the cinnamon stick, and cool the relish until it reduces in half. Now add the lemon juice. Stir well, and cook till all the liquid is gone and the relish acquires a jelly like mass.
4. Turn off the heat. Allow the relish to cool, bottle, and refrigerate. Leave for a few days before use.

Enjoy this relish with biscuits, cheese, and cold meats or on a sandwich! Thanks to Jill for an inspiring recipe.

Vegan Recipe




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