At this time of the year, Shoreham’s Pickles and Preserves group happily turns its attention to Christmas – especially the kind you can eat or give away in a jar or pretty box.

Susie hosted our last formal gathering for the year, and treated everyone to a tasting of the cumquat brandy she made back in 2024 from Liz’s cumquats. It has mellowed into something rich and delicious, and there was unanimous agreement that it will be a very welcome guest at the Christmas table this year.

The tastings didn’t stop there. Christmas Crack (recipe below) made its much-anticipated annual appearance: crunchy, chocolatey and dangerously easy to nibble on. Gina’s first batch of mince tarts for the season arrived warm and fragrant; there was general consensus that it will definitely not be her last tray of them before Christmas.

Julie turned up with a tin of walnut and blue cheese biscuits, the perfect little nibble to have with a pre-dinner drink. Ever the perfectionist, she thought the blue vein was a bit too bold, but the rest of the table happily crunched away and assured her they were just right.

Lee brought along a jar of Cumberland sauce, the sharp, fruity, spice kissed classic that her family apparently refuses to let her skip at Christmas. Served alongside cold meats or left-over turkey, it is one of those sauces that quietly steals the show and earns its place on the table year after year.

Jenelle treated everyone to elegant cucumber and smoked salmon mousse canapés, made from a recipe on Recipetin Eats – the website that is a favourite go to for the group. Cool cucumber, creamy salmon and a sprinkle of dill made them disappear from the plate in no time.

Lisa’s contribution was a very modern twist on a Christmas staple: rocky road made with dark chocolate and raspberries: rich, chewy and just the right amount of festive. It was one of those decadent treats that has you reaching for just one bit more.

Sue rounded out the night with her fabulous Nutty Melba Sauce starring pecans and raspberries. Served warm or cold over ice cream – or even drizzled over the Christmas pudding with a cloud of cream – it is exactly the sort of “why we don’t we make this every year” discovery that the group loves.

With all this taste-testing, everyone is now counting down to the Pickles and Preserves Christmas party, where there is sure to be an abundance of great food, flanked by plenty of home-made pickles and preserves. Thoughts are already turning to the summer preserving season ahead with visions of jars filled with berry jam and glorious bottled stone fruit lined up on the pantry shelves.

Please do join our group when we resume gatherings next year. Details are on the Events page of the SCA website.

Christmas Crack

The crack
250g pack of Salada biscuits (you remember, man size, bite size, snack size…);
200g butter;
185g brown sugar;
1 teaspoon of vanilla;
Generous pinch of salt.

The topping
200g dark chocolate, chopped;
Any festive topping of your choice from red and green M&Ms to slivered pistachios and dried raspberries.

Method
1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees.

2. Find a baking tray that will fit 3 full or ‘man size’ Salada crackers in one direction and 4 in the other – can be broken down to fit. Line the tray with foil and baking paper. Lay out your Saladas in one layer.

3. Melt the butter and sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat – cook stirring every now and again for about 5 minutes. You should end up with a thick and gloopy caramel. Stir in the vanilla and salt.

4.Take the caramel quickly off the heat and spread over the Saladas – smooth it out and pop in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the caramel is a deep golden brown.

5.Take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes and the sprinkle over the chopped chocolate. As it melts, spread it out evenly. Top with something Christmassy.

6. Break into small pieces – bag up and give as gifts – or share amongst the family.

When village pantries start filling with festive treats

Living rough at the southern end of the peninsula