JFullerWellness

Jams & Preserves

Mandarin Jelly

A excess of organic, home-grown mandarins prompted the production of this saporous jelly. Make it with any excess fruit.

Ingredients:

1 cup mandarin juice

1 cup mandarin pulp (keep the pulp from the juicer or mince a cup of mandarins)

1 cup jam-setting sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon alcohol (vodka used and brandy, whiskey or rum works well too)

In a medium saucepan, on a medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the juice.

Add the water, cinnamon stick and pulp and bring to the boil.

Turn the heat down to a low heat and simmer until the mixture thickens and reduces to 2/3 it's quantity.

Let it cool to a warm temperature.

Sterilise clean jars by placing them in a heated oven for 5-10 minutes.

Pour the warm jelly into jars and top with a layer of alcohol to preserve the mixture.

It should keep for a month if clean spoons are used each time a jar is opened and used.

Top with a thin layer of alcohol after each use to preserve the remaining jelly.

Serve on toast, sandwiches, scones, pancakes and cakes.

Should make about 400grams jelly.

Stewed Feijoa

Ingredients:

250 millilitres of Shiraz or alcohol of your choice

1 cup of sugar (raw sugar used)

500 millilitres of water

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 flat teaspoon of cinnamon

1 kilo feijoas

In a saucepan bring the alcohol, sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon to the boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid thickens slightly.

Add the fruit and cook for 3-5 minutes until the fruit softens.

Pour into a 750 millilitre sterilised jar and place the lid on firmly.

There will be about 300-400 millilitres of liquid left which you can use for the jelly (recipe below) or divide the fruit into 2 x 750 millilitre jars and top with the liquid.

Serve as a dessert alone or with some pouring creme. It is also tasty for breakfast served with cereal or fresh fruit.

When opened the fruit should keep for about 2 weeks if you use clean teaspoons every time and you store it in the fridge.

When unopened it should keep for about 3-4 weeks in a cool, dry pantry cupboard.

Feijoa Jelly

Ingredients:

1 kilo of feijoas

2 cups sugar(raw sugar used)

100 millilitres of shiraz or alcohol of your choice

300 millilitres of water

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Alternatively you can use 300-400 millilitres of the stewing liquid from the recipe above and 1 cup of sugar instead of 2.

Bring all the ingredients to the boil except the fruit in a saucepan. Turn down the heat to a simmer and add the fruit cooking until the fruit is soft.

Blend the mixture until smooth and allow to thicken further for about 5 minutes on a simmer.

You can add about 8 drops of red food colouring if you want a red colour. The natural colour is brown.

Remove the mandarin peel and pour the jelly into 3 x 350 millilitre jars. Top each jar with a little alcohol until the top of the jelly is covered with the alcohol. This will preserve the jelly.

Serve on toast, scones or buns.

Jelly sandwiches are also delicious.

When opened the jelly should keep for about 2 weeks if you use clean teaspoons every time and you store it in the fridge.

When unopened it should keep for about 3-4 weeks in a cool, dry pantry cupboard.

Citrus Curd

Ingredients:

50 grams butter

Juice of 2 large limes or lemons or equivalent juice of any citrus fruit of your choice

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Add 1 sprig of rosemary or 2 bay leaves (optional)

Cream all ingredients in a saucepan on a very low stove until combined.

Keep stirring until the mixture thickens slightly.

(Remove the rosemary. If using bay leaves, leave a bay leaf in the jar to intensify the flavour)

Pour into sterilised jars and seal with the lids.

When cool place in the fridge.

The curd will keep for about 7-10 days if you use clean spoons each time you eat it.

Makes approximately 300ml

Finger Lime Curd for an Australian Indigenous Experience!

Ingredients:

50 gms butter

Juice of 1 small lime

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

Pearls from 5 finger limes

Cream the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan on a very low stove until combined. Watch this liquid carefully.

Keep stirring until the mixture thickens slightly.

Add the finger lime pearls and stir for about 1 more minute.

Pour into sterilised jars and seal with the lids.

When cool place in the fridge.

The curd will keep for about 7-10 days if you use clean spoons each time you eat it.

Makes approximately 300ml

Sugar-free Marmalade

Ingredients

2 cup of mixed citrus fruit finely sliced into 2cm strips

1 cup of water

1 cup of birch xylitol sweetener (natural sweetener check health food stores)

1 cinnamon stick

Bring the fruit and water to the boil in a saucepan with the cinnamon.

Turn the stove down to a medium heat and add the sweetener.

Stir the mixture regularly until it thickens. Turn off and let it cool to a warm temperature, then transfer it to a clean jar and place the lids on firmly. Jars can be sterilised if cleaned and rinsed in boiling water. Then dry them and place them for 3 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius. If the lids are metal, the clean, dry lids can be placed in the oven too. Transferring the marmalade to a hot jar and covering it immediately will create a seal.

The marmalade will keep for about 10 days if you use clean spoons each time you eat it.

Makes approximately 400ml

Sugar-free Berry Jam

Ingredients

2 cups of mixed berries

1 cup of water

1 cup of birch xylitol sweetener (natural sweetener check health food stores)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 large lemon or lime sliced.

Bring the citrus and water to the boil in a saucepan. Remove the peel and keep the pulp in the pan. This will provide the pectin or natural jam setting agent.

Add the berries and turn the stove down to a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract and sugar and continue cooking.

Stir the mixture regularly until it thickens.

Turn off and let it cool to a warm temperature, then transfer it to a clean jar and place the lids on firmly. Jars can be sterilised if cleaned and rinsed in boiling water. Then dry them and place them for 3 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius. If the lids are metal, the clean lids can be placed in the oven too. Transferring the jam to a hot jar and covering it immediately will create a seal.

The jam will keep for about 10 days if you use clean spoons each time you eat it.

Makes approximately 400ml

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