By Liz Matthews

Dear reader, imagine this writer’s plight if you can. It’s the middle of winter, my veggie patch is weed‑infested, I have a date with an inimitable bunch of local cooks coming up, and I’ve only got two days to produce a jar full of “delicious and interesting”. Inspiration is as hard to find as sunshine.

Shoreham’s Pickles and Preserves group meets every month to share what members have made using seasonal produce. We taste each other’s fare and go through what is working on what is not. Mid‑winter is a tricky time for cooks, but it’s amazing what a deadline and the risk of public embarrassment can produce in a jar.

I know that others in the group will be deep into their grandmother’s recipes, cuttings from the old Women’s Weekly, and Margaret Fulton favourites. Me? I am scrounging around in Google. But even my searches are uninspiring. What to pickle in winter? What can you do with…? (Insert one of the many vegetables going manky in the crisper.)

My contribution ended up being a pickle of vegetables (yep, those ones in the bottom of the fridge) – a fairly standard pickle made funky by the inclusion of purple carrots. The purple colour leeched into the pickling liquid and transformed the rest of the vegetables into a purple pickle. They are a colourful addition to a cheese platter.

The group has met a couple of times across winter, and here are two of the highlights:

Old‑fashioned cooked mayonnaise

This is a recipe from Lee’s mother. It is a thick, custard‑like, oil‑free dressing made on the stovetop using pantry staples, originating from the days before olive oil was used in cooking and dressings.

Lee inherited her mum’s recipe book when she died in 2011 as Lee was the only foodie amongst her siblings. Lee remembers this mayonnaise being in the fridge and used by the family on a simple lettuce salad or in a sandwich. Lee thinks that the missing words from the torn corner of recipe are “of cream”.

*The jar that Lee made and brought for the group to taste*

Pickled pears

This is a standout recipe that is was based on a BBC Good Food recipe, but adapted by Lisa to use local Mornington Peninsula cider.

The pickled pears can be served with cheese and biscuits or with ice cream as a dessert.

Zest from one lemon or orange
10 cloves
2 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
1 tsp all spice
5cm piece of ginger, sliced
1 litre of any Mornington Peninsula Cider*
2 cinnamon sticks
1 kg caster sugar
2 kg small pears, peeled cored and halved

Put everything except the pears in a pan and heat gently and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the pears and simmer for 15 minutes until the pears are tender. Remove the pears and drain in a colander.

Boil the remaining syrup for 15 minutes until it has reduced by a third and is slightly thickened.

Pack the pears into warmed jars and pour over the hot syrup. Store for a month before using (if you are that organised and patient).

*For a more savoury version, use a local Apple Cider Vinegar such as that from Hart’s Farm.

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