Pickles and Preserves in June
Shoreham’s Picklers and Preservers come together on the second Tuesday of every month to sample and discuss what the group members have done with seasonal produce. There’s always a glass or two of wine. And a lot of laughter.
June’s theme was winter vegetables and the testing menu was wide-ranging. To kick off it was pickled root vegetables ahead of preserved lemons with rind.
Then came preserved olives, pickled red cabbage and apple with cloves to accompany meat the recipe for which was handed down to one of the members by her Central European grandmother, a black olive tapenade served on toast, and muhammara— a Syrian dip made of walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses and breadcrumbs. Dessert was a preserve of pears poached in cider. All got the thumbs up.
But the showstopper was a carrot and lime jam which goes just as well served with fish, or on a cheese platter as it does for breakfast. The recipe below comes from The Cornersmith, which was a well-known Sydney cafe and continues to be a source of great pickle recipes through its cookbooks and its collaboration with the National Farmers’ Federation AustralianFarmers website, that showcases Australian grown produce.
The group welcomes newcomers. Email shorehamcommunity@gmail.com to find out more.
Carrot and lime jam
Ingredients
450g peeled and grated carrot
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1½ cups caster sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Generous pinch of salt and pepper
Method
1. Put grated carrots in a saucepan and add 2½ cups of water and the apple cider vinegar. Simmer gently for 20–25 minutes until the carrot is beginning to look a little transparent and is tender.
2. Add lime juice and zest sugar, salt and pepper. We sometimes add a generous pinch of chilli flakes or some bay leaves in too.
3.Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and simmer again, stirring often, for 30 minutes or until the jam is thick, glossy.
4. Pour into a clean jar or container and store in the fridge for up to 6 months or pour into a hot sterilised jar and store in the pantry for up to 1 year. Makes a 375 ml jar.