Preserves on the Go

The air is hot and vinegary and thick from the haw sin sauce that is bubbling away in my pressure cooker base, the haws are slowly becoming mushy and their colour changing from a vibrant red to a yuccky brown; once thoroughly mushy they will be passed through a sieve to release the fruit and flavour from the skins and pips.  Like this

This part is hard work as I use a sieve and a wooden spoon.  This creates this

This is how much I produced altogether

I am however very pleasantly surprised that the sauce produced is thick fruity and not unpleasant.  I have dibbed my finger in and this is before the sugar has been added.  I have always been taught to test as you go along.  I was also taught to let the food talk to you and it will give signs as to whether or not it is ready.   That's why I tend to be all over the place when it comes to timings.  Time is a man made thing, but if you let things evolve ... then there is usually good food and alchemy/food magic in there somewhere.   I think once the sugar has been added this will not be an unpleasant sauce.  I will preserve my sauces through the baby steriliser (pasteuriser)to make sure that they keep that little bit longer (takes all the air out and forms a vacuum).  So ladies if you have a baby steriliser then don't throw it out as it is good for sterlising bottles for sauces and also pasteurising the sauces that you produce and make them longer keeping.

I haven't tried this preserve before - I am not sure that I will even like the finished preserve but so far it seems promising, but that's part of the hit and miss beauty of preserving your own.  Some you will like, some you will not be keen on and some will grow on you.

NB  From what I have tasted this is quite different but I personally like it, it is a nice thick ketchup - I did double the quantity recipe but not with double the quantity of sugar as that would have been far too sweet.  

And here are the two bottles of the Haw Sin Ketchup

Equally the purpley black elderberries are macerating in the vinegar and spices and releasing their precious juices into the vinegar for the Pontack Sauce.  Yet again I have never tried this before.  I have read reviews from other people who have made the same who reckon that both sauces are pretty good.  We shall wait and see and see whether they will make it on to the must make list for 2012. 

The Rosehips are part dried and will finish off in the oven with the Pontack Sauce. I am not going to waste the heat source either as both require long low heat cooking so are ideal to run together.

I will then get the elderberry and apple jellies on the start and hopefully some Elderberry and apple Cheese from the remnants and then the Elderberry and Apple Jam and the preserved Elderberries in syrup,  the Elderberry Rob for colds and sore throats and Elderberry cordial.

Here are two of the bottles of Elderflower Syrup/Cordial I have kept the part bottle out to use it up

So I have a busy schedule.  I am content when I have things to do like this happiest in my own little world as I get to dream and be productive at the same time.

The Elderberry and Apple Jam is bubbling as we speak and I think that this will make quite a nice jam once the sugar is in.

I also have the Ginger Beer to make a different recipe for me - will have to see how I get on.  The dressers are slowly getting loaded with the produce for this year and it gives added security in uncertain times that there is food there in them there cupboards and at least you can feed yourself by one means or another.  There is always a meal to be had even if it is something you don't particularly fancy at the time.  It is still a meal.

There is no visit to the veg shop people today again they are on holiday and will not be back until Tuesday, but I think I have enough to be going on with for the time being. But then I like to be busy.

Pattypan

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