The shop scoops GOLD!
]]>The judges commented:
Visiting this shop is a genuinely pleasant experience and will leave the visitor enthused about local marmalade.
https://www.tasteofthewest.co.uk/members/proper-marmalade-company-shop
So exciting! :D
]]>We scooped the top prize!
]]>
All serious artisan marmalade makers want the prestigious stickers awarded at the WMA held in Cumbria at Dalemain House in March. Judged by some of the leading lights of preserve making (Pam Corbin and Dan Lepard to name but 2) these awards aim to encourage improvement and award quality.
Victoria Cranfield of the Proper Marmalade Company has been entering these awards for several years and her stable of marmalades have an impressive tally of awards including the Double Gold (chosen from the gold winners) twice for her Pink Grapefruit marmalade and the Tawny Seville.
This year, not only did every marmalade she entered receive recognition , 3 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze and 1 highly commended but she was surprised with the Mackays Artisan Excellence Award being awarded here for the first time to the small producer who the judges felt demonstrated the highest quality of production, presentation and manufacturing.
Victoria said "I am absolutely delighted! I tend to live and breathe marmalade and so know the standard of the competition out there. It is just so nice to have our hard work recognised in this way. Without my two right hand marmalade preparers Shirley and Justine I couldn’t make the number of jars I do, they take the slog while I do the easier bit. We wouldn’t even have been in the running if my daughter Robin hadn’t insisted on the rebranding (which she designed )as the award came after scrutiny of the website and branding. I am so lucky that we have such a strong team.
We are just opening a marmalade shop and moving the business out of home. I’d been looking for premises and came across a little shop in Ilfracombe, and when it opens – hopefully just after Easter – we’ll be cooking at the back and selling at the front with everything available to taste. As I am an ice cream lover we are collaborating with Sam of Tennacott Farm who has a dairy on her parents farm to make 4 different marmalade ice creams, a truly local collaboration. We hope the shop will become a mini tourist destination in its own right in due course. Slowly but surely we’ll have “The Proper Marmalade Shop” established."
Martin Grant, MD of Mackays said: “Well done to all the winners of this year’s World Marmalade Awards 2017. It’s been another successful year of marmalade making which Mackays is so proud to be a part of yet again. I would like to take this opportunity to personally congratulate Victoria Cranfield of the Proper Marmalade Company, the first winner of the ‘Mackays Award for Artisan Excellence’. You really have set the bar high for future contestants.”
Notes
The World Marmalade Awards are held in Dalemain House Cumbria and run by Jane Hassel McCosh
The Proper Marmalade Shop will open Thursday to Saturday for Easter and the season from 11-4.00
At 9 Belgrave Promenade, Wilder Road, Ilfracombe, EX34 9AS
]]>We have bought a shop!
]]>You may have noticed we have been a little quiet of late, this is because we have BOUGHT A SHOP!
Yes, a shop! We are hoping to have it open by the summer, although as you can see, it is quite a work in progress at the moment!
It has been gutted and is being rebuilt from the ground up - very exciting times!
Our shop is in Ilfracombe, North Devon - once our shop front is sorted we will begin work on getting our commercial kitchen installed which in turn means we will eventually be holding classes, events and marmalade workshops... although that is still a little while off yet!
We have very big plans for our little shop ;)
Want to keep up to date and follow our shop's journey? Find us on Facebook!
We can accept all forms of credit and debit cards onsite, payment via BACS and cheque is still an option, however, we will no longer be accepting PayPal.
That being said, if you are super duper desperate to use PayPal, drop us a line and I'm sure we can make the odd exception! ;-)
We hope you like our new look site, if you discover any glitches just shout, the website is still in the "tinkering about at the back end" stages so bear with us!
All our chutneys, preserves, tea towels and The Proper Marmalade range is all still available to buy in one place so feel free to browse around and maybe you will discover something you haven't tried before? Dare I mention that Christmas is just around the corner...?!
Happy Shopping!
]]>
Made the Cranfields way, in the Cranfields kitchen using the same award winning Cranfields recipes, all that is changing is our name and imagery.
We have launched with our traditional "Proper" marmalade range and our more quirky off the wall "Improper" marmalade range.
We will slowly be making the switch over during the next few weeks & months so keep your eyes peeled for our new look both in stores and here on our site!
]]>Our Seville Marmalade has most recently won a Great Taste GOLD Award for 2013, alongside winning a Silver Artisan Marmalade Award in both 2009 and 2010 at The Original Marmalade Festival Cumbria, a Great Taste Award GOLD Award in 2006 and also winning Reserve Specialty Product from the South West 2006
Why not team one of our tea towels with a jar of Seville Marmalade for a fantastic gift!
Our tea towel is 100% premium unbleached cotton, approximate size 48cm x 76cm
]]>It may be a little later than I anticipated but I have attempted to replicate panyan pickle based on the ingredients listed on the original jar. A couple of ingredients have changed, I used cornflour rather than potato starch to thicken the pickle and I suspect I am using a better quality vinegar than the original but, it is done and will soon be for sale in the online shop. This week!
I have based the spicing on all your memories using tamarind, ginger, curry spices etc I need to know if I have got it right.
I do need more feedback, a jar was sent to a panyan pickle lover who says she has tried all panyan pickles on the market. She responded by buying 6 jars and emailed how much she loved it but said her memory wasn't sharp enough to give true analysis.
To this end the first 10 people who order the pickle online will have the cost of the jar refunded if they are prepared to give me feedback, good or bad, just put the word 'feedback' in the' instructions to seller' and I will refund the purchase. Unfortunately the postage will still need to be paid and this is £6.00. Only one free jar per purchaser but of course you can buy anything you want to dilute the postage costs.
Alternatively email me and I can invoice you I am useless at technology.
]]>
How to set up in business
This is a low cost entry business which should be started in a local market, school fete or through selling to friends.
Initially you can even use recycled jars and wax discs to reduce your outlay although investigate the cost of new jars and lids to factor this into your pricing.
Only make something you want to eat yourself, if you aren't crazy about it why would anyone else be. Be prepared to back up your belief in the product by offering samples.
When working out the cost of your product factor in your time at £6.10/hour (min wage) ie how long it takes you to prep, make, bottle and label it. Add in the cost of the ingredients, jars, lids and a few pence towards heat and light. Give yourself a profit margin, usually 40% Work out the cost of a batch then divide between the number of jars produced. This should be your wholesale price if you ever supply shops.
If you are selling on a stall you have to pay the stall rent and cover your time behind the stall. In the first place you can team up with a friend, hopefully selling something else, to cut both these costs. Once the stall has started you could do alternative days/weeks, remember that by being on a stall you can't be cooking. The costs of your time and rent must be covered in your retail price usually a 40% increase over your wholesale price. This also means that as you become successful the stall price will be the same as the shop price.
Find your USP unique selling point and shout about it. Mine is the use of local fruit, small batch size, hand cutting of marmalade from fresh fruit...so few do this now and for economic reasons for example
A tin of pre-processed shredded oranges for marmalade costs the same, sometimes less, than a box of seville oranges which takes 8 hours to prepare by hand BUT it tastes soooooo much better let your customers know why yours cost more, let them taste the difference. A recipe is on my website if you want to try.
Don't be disheartened if at first you don't sell well, it takes time to build a customer base. If no one likes a product find one they do BUT trust your own instincts and taste buds this is a crowded market and you can always eat unsold stock or give it as presents.
Register your business with your Local Authority if you begin to trade, you will need to be checked by Environmental Health.
Get insurance, the Market Traders Federation has the most cost effective insurance covering anything sold from a market stall BUT it will not cover you for selling to shops or over the internet. Check out the costs and make sure you are covered, you are selling food albeit a fairly safe one with chutneys etc but eggs , meat etc have health implications if not handled correctly.....same goes for jam.
Speak to Trading Standards, our local branch is very helpful, they will pre- check your labelling and provide free guidance on legal labelling requirements, percentages of fruit for example and how to calculate them.
Some markets have a WI stall who will sell your cakes or chutneys for you for a percentage, this route may ease you in if you don't have the initial confidence for direct selling. Contact them directly, they are always a nice bunch when on an adjacent stall.
This is a crowded market as anyone can make preserves by following a recipe so you will have to work hard to rise above the rest BUT the entry costs are low, you can try without losing the day job which maybe looking after the children and if you enjoy cooking at the very least you will be filling your friends and family with proper tasty preserves.
Investigate the local competition there is only so much a jar of preserves can cost, if your cost is too expensive, look to smarter ways to cook to cut the labour costs ie more batches on rotation. Your time is the most expensive ingredient.
Good Luck, the above covers my initial thoughts, if anyone wants a bit more I will try to help, cooking permitting. Others will have a different slant, investigate your possibilities, compare costs of ingredients and the local competition before jumping.
Have a Happy and entrepreneurial New Year!
]]>Of course this is the inaugural event so less competition than next time and it will get bigger and bigger. So much energy has gone into organisation and ringing round (which is how I heard of it) with profits going to such a good cause.... The Gurkha Welfare Trust...I would really urge you to check out their website for an imaginative festival menu One World One Chutney it shrieks of hundreds of hours of work and it's a real shame it's so far from North Devon or I would have leapt in the car.
Anyway, Gardeners Relish WON. Totally and utterly amazing, I love the judges and am so grateful Lulu rang in the first place.
]]>I take my hat off to Kirstie, she is a damn hard worker with a punishing schedule, a young family and a gift of being nice when tired. Lets face it, she could be a lady that lunches but isn't. In case there are any questions, she definitely made the jam hence she had to get the stones out on the day in the time allocated to filming.
If you want to have a crack at the jam with damsons you may have in the freezer; then count them in, cook them down and leave to go cold. When you are ready go in with clean hands (they will stain) or thin plastic gloves and count the stones back out. When they are all out, warm the fruit and add the sugar before cooking to a set........it's the way I do it!
This jam recipe will work with other dark plums, if they are large and the stone can be removed first do it that way, the problem with damsons is that the flesh of the fruit sticks to the stone until cooked. If using yellow plums substitute lemon zest and use the juice of 3 lemons made up to 290ml with water. The flavour of a yellow plum is quite different and needs a different boost.
The damson jam recipe is on my brand new website ....exciting! Hopefully it will all be up and running this evening. I (substitute Sam, the IT son-in-law who knows what he's doing) has rejigged the shopping cart so you can buy as many or as few items as you want and included cookery equipment I use to make what I make. I really believe there is a resurgence of interest in food that is translating into people having a go. Brilliant! What better for Christmas than a homemade hamper or, in default, some of our preserves.
I will be putting up a seasonal recipe every month (in the recipe section) in the hope you may be inspired to have a go; I have also posted a couple of boozy recipes on facebook and particularly recommend the bramble brandy (still possible) and utterly delicious. Shamefully my brambles have mainly been diverted from jelly to brandy and worse, they are all gone!
]]>This recipe is quick and ready to drink almost immediately (good after 5mins) but should improve
Equal parts bramble juice and 40% brandy
Soft dark brown sugar.
I used 1 pint bramble juice to a pint of brandy and 4 tablespoons of sugar Put blackberries on a very low heat to release the juice, keep an eye on them as you don't want them to boil, once the juice is liberated take off the heat(could be done in a low oven).
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, the berries could go in a pie and measure the juice, add the same of brandy, sweeten to taste. Really warming and fruity and antidote to any wet day!
]]>The mayflies were out in April, there are thousands of toad tadpoles in the river.......never seen that before but the level is so low, even with the wet weather of the last few days the levels are still poor but the ground a little less hard. The rowan has blossomed and the fruit will probably be ready in about a month, 6 years ago the fruit was an August job, then July for the last 3 years but June......how are the birds to fatten for winter? The rhubarb is nearly over, usually beginning of July.
We are however very luck in comparison to the rest of the South, our trees are green, the lawns not parched and I think the fruit crops will do well. We have deliberately kept all the grass long as it seems to hold what little rain there is for longer. The volume of bird song is tremendous even if it is loudest at 5.20am and the carpets of wild flowers in the field just about to break forth is better year on year. Small blue and holly blue (I think) are on the wing, no marsh frittiliaries this year but loads of orange tip. Damselle flies are out but no dragon flies yet...
I have received my first batch of Apricots from Arlington Court in May before the gooseberries, totally daft even if they are under cover with many more to come over the next few weeks apparently.
My strawberries are close to ripening but looking out of the window, a squirrel is sizing them up.......he gets up before me and makes deft work of the netting, unlikely to see many of them then....some things never change!
]]>They are looking for enthusiastic amateur jam makers in the North Devon area who would like to grow their preserving knowledge and maybe grow a new career with Kirsties help. They want genuine local talent, humour........it helps when things go wrong and a willingness to try new things.
If this sounds like you email the team at craft@raisetheroofproductions.com
Good Luck!
]]>The frogs and toads have of course been active, the annual toad run once again coincided with the half term holiday and increased traffic but most got to the pond with a little help from a bucket. The spawn was hit by frosts but there is so much of it, what died was eaten by the frog tadpoles that had already hatched.
The only active butterflies are the hibernating ones, peacock and tortoiseshell although some of the tortoiseshell ones look quite pristine. Lots of huge bumble bees but their nests are been dug out by badgers who are seemingly more active than in previous years. It will be interesting to see if they attack the beehive I am hoping to have colonised this spring.
While inspecting the rhubarb I disturbed a pair of lizards, then once you get your eye in there are loads, I hope they are hungry the flies are becoming a menace warming themselves on every shrub then rising like a swarm of bees........well at least sounding like one.
On a cooking front, I have been joined by Kate to help with the veg prep, after a month she is already fed up with limes although only afflicted one morning a week. We are making it for Fortnum and Mason under their own label and hopefully it should be in the store by May. All chutney needs at least a month of resting to let the flavours meld but the lime pickle justs gets better the longer it is kept. I found a jar, best before 2005 (one of the first I made and given a 2 year shelf life) it is fabulous and mellow always worth smelling and tasting a chutney before throwing it away!
We are also making a range of seasonal chutneys for Fortnums, the first two are gooseberry and elderflower and rhubarb and orange for Spring. The idea is to use locally grown seasonal fruit and vegetables.......summer is a little more problematic as everyone does Summer and I have to think of something different that works. Carrot and coriander is a work in progress!
Just seen a carder bee, the first of the season, I have to go outside, the potatoes need to be planted and the final dead cane cut from the loganberries, long may the warmer weather last!
]]>Time spent sweeping snow before it is walked on is well worth while.....learnt the hard way last winter with many a slip and painful fall. Good exercise too as we are in a valley and all paths go up hill ........to the wood store which is depleting rapidly.
Last summer we had a skip of waste wood from the local yard destined for landfill, full of charred, nail ridden wood, brilliant for a wood burner, the resultant ash riddled through a blue plastic mushroom box to remove nails before dumping on the compost even some of the nails are reusable..........I may be getting a little too evangelical, but free (discounting chopping etc) heat.
I would like to thank all of you who have taken the trouble to comment on your successes with the boxing day chutney, my loyal customers who buy from me regularly and those who buy occasionally and hope you have a very happy and successful Christmas and New Year.
For those that tell me off/encourage me to get on with it I WILL get on with the book in the New Year.
]]>Before all the spring flowers disappear please try to crystallise some. I meant to blog about this before but have been suprisingly busy. The Victorians used the technique for many edible flowers but from trying for the first time I would recommend flowers that aren't too tiddly and are relatively simple in shape.
Pick a few primrose heads, these look the most beautiful and/or violets (a little blobby looking when done). Paint both sides with ordinary egg white and dust all over with caster sugar.
I sat the flowers in a bowl of sugar once I had painted both sides with a childs paintbrush (unused by child) and then gently heaped the sugar over the top. Shake off excess sugar and check the flower is as evenly coated as possible. Place face down on grease proof paper that has a thin layer of caster sugar on it and put in a warm place to dry. I sat mine on the top of the aga for a couple of hours.
If you want to keep them, store in a small air tight container out of direct light.
I used the primroses to decorate a fruit fool pudding for a dinner party and they truely looked fabulous. I was suprised how simple they were to make, the caveat being they taste only of sugar. This was not the case when I tried the same method using fresh lemon verbena leaves, these were literally good enough to eat.
I am pretty sure, and will try, that this would work really well with herbs such as mint and basil. If you grow your own please try the flowers of the herbs as they are less strong versions of the leaves but look much better to dress salads.
]]>It lead me to consider offering this as a service which I am due to launch at the Exeter Festival of Food and Drink. I can provide a selection of small jars of preserves, chutneys and jellies as wedding favours with:
. Personalised labels
. Award winning seasonal flavours
. A wide palette of natural colours
. Local sourcing
An opportunity to provide a memorable, tasteful and inexpensive keepsake for your guests, perfect for:
Wedding breakfasts……..damson, raspberry or loganberry, apricot, greengage, marmalade
Lunch or Dinner…….chilli jam, spiced apple chutney or a cool lime pickle
For any time…..flower jellies, spice or herb jellies
. Minimum order 30
. Priced between £2.50 and £3.00 each .
Contribution to delivery £10
If anyone is interested please contact me with your telephone number so I can ring you to discuss what you might want!
]]>We have the remnants of a 17th Century fishing pond complete with towers of frogspawn and a resident moorhen, the stream which feeds it runs parallel to it. Nowadays when it rains the stream becomes a torrent and rips away at the bank between the pond and the stream ......not helped by the fact the stream is about 5 ft lower than the pond, the damage has been horrendous!
Enter a cook who can do anything, sort of, has a go, it may not be pretty but it will work; maybe. I have been dry stone walling, using stone dug from a bank on site, with a spade, transporting it in a complaining wheel barrow and standing in the stream (it is low at the moment........that is my excuse to skive) and re assembling and back filling. Knackering and one of the most satisfying thing I have done in ages....only another 50 feet to go!
AND I have one of my marmalades in Fortnum and Mason, London, as part of their celebration of Artisan Marmalades!
There is a fabulous marmalade festival in Cumbria which I would recommend all marmalade makers consider entering their marmalade into. All proceeds go to the hospice and this year they had over 800 entries. www.marmaladefestival.co.uk will give you all the details.
The seville marmalade recipe detailed in a previous blog gained me a silver for the second year running as did my grapefruit and ginger marmalade........the one chosen by Fortnums as one of 7 marmalades to be featured in their store this month. To have a further puff....the pink grapefruit and a new marmalade (in fact it was the first batch that went) lemon and rose petal also got recommended. Not bad, though I say it myself!
As I am now guilty of distracting myself with this blog update, I must return to some sort of work .......one of the advantages of the sun is that the solar panels have given me a full tank of hot water .......so no excuses, I will have to do the washing up!
]]>Our local paper (The Western Morning News) has today run a double page spread on our marmalade and included our recipe for what I consider to be our best (personal taste...I like it bitter) marmalade. It only seemed fair to share it with other makers or potential makers and I give it to you here!
Though I will rue saying it, this is probably the easiest recipe you will find to ensure a good result...........if you have problems please contact me to discuss!
Timings: initial cooking approx 40-50 mins once brought to the boil
preparing the fruit 40mins
final cooking time 30mins from coming to a rolling boil
You will need enough jars and lids for 6kg/13lbs of marmalade. This recipe can be halved (shorten final cooking time by 5 mins before testing ) but it is only making 26 half pound jars, so think of it as one for every fortnight of the year.
Seville Marmalade
This recipe won me a Great Taste Gold Award in 200
6 6lbs/2.7kg Seville oranges
3 large lemons
6 ½ pints/3.75 litres water
Granulated sugar (Have at least three packets to hand, the exact quantity will depend on the juice content of the fruit, see recipe)
Wash the fruit to remove all dust and dirt. Seville orange skins are not treated but lemons often are. If you can’t get unwaxed lemons, scrub them in hot soapy water and rinse.
Cooking the fruit whole makes the skins easier to cut. Put the whole fruit in a saucepan, lemons on the bottom, cover with the water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover.
After about 20 – 30 minutes turn the fruit over so the lemons are at the top and the top fruit submerged. Simmer for a further 20mins. They are done when a knife pierces the orange skin with little resistance.
Take off the heat, keep lid on and allow to go cold, preferably overnight.
Keep all the cooking water. Cut the fruit in half and squeeze. You can use an electric squeezer or scoop out the flesh with a spoon and fork. Add the pulp and juice to the cooking water but discard all pips.
Slice each half-orange skin in half again, then cut width-ways into strips as thick or thin as you like. Add the shredded skin to the reserved juice, cooking water and measure. For each pint of this mixture, you will need one 1lb/454g sugar.
Return the prepared fruit mix to the saucepan and add the sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 30 minutes only.
Test for a set: with a metal spoon take a small sample of the liquid, dribble a little onto a saucer placing the spoon and the saucer in the fridge for a few mins. One or other of the samples should wrinkle when nudged with your finger .
Stir, then let the marmalade stand for 15 minutes before potting for even distribution of peel. A skin may start to form which can be stirred in before potting. If the wrinkle test didn’t work and no skin starts to form, re boil for no more than 5 mins.
Pour into sterilised jars and seal immediately.
Good luck and happy marmalade making
]]>
Happy New Year, at present it's a very pretty one although I would like the snow to go fairly soon.
I was contacted by quite a few people last year when a jar of pan yan pickle was shown in the background during Kirsties Homemade Christmas. I was initiated into the story of the lost recipe and the 'to date' failure of Premier Foods to reproduce the product once so familiar to so many. I promised to investigate and eventually blog.
The jar behind me was made by Rose who sells in the local market. She says her recipe is one passed down to her from her mother, its main constituents are: spiced vinegar, apples, sugar and saltanas. I searched online and discovered there are variations on this recipe type using curry powder etc
The original recipe taken from ageneric jar of Pan Yan Pickle shown 19.03.08 on mailonline. is as follows
Rutabagar (swede), sugar, apples, carrots, vinegar, thickener (modified starch) gerkins, acetic acid, peppers, onions, spices, colour (caramel), flavourings.
As I am told the pickle was a fine dice one, I suspect the swede/carrots etc were bought in pre-diced to provide the texture, there would be a background of apple (hence its preponderance in the other recipes ) within an spiced emulsion/sauce. The recipe would be fairly easy to unpick if I had tasted it.
I like a challenge and if you can tell me your memories of its flavour as precisely as possible I would be happy to have a go at reconstituting it. This comes with the caviat that I don't buy in pre-prepared vegetables so the texture won't be accurate.
Once I have sufficient feedback to try and work out the 'spices' and 'flavourings' I will make a batch and put it on the website so it can be sampled. If it manages to replicate the pickle then I will put the recipe in the book and/or offer it to Premier Foods as it is essentially a pickle for mass production.
If this is too much bother you may like to try Fortnum's pickle (I was given a jar at Christmas......you have to check out the opposition) Ingredients (not in full): sugar, vinegar, swede, parsnip, carrot, turnip, apple etc a similar texture (pre prep veg etc) to that described.
I'll be fascinated to see what the response is.........over to you, this is definitely something I can't do alone!
******************** *UPDATE* May 2013 ..... http://cranfieldsfoods.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/panyan-pickle-reconstructed/ Better late than never! ********************
]]>Please try to find naturally dried apricots, they may be less pretty but they taste much better and because they haven't been treated they act as little sponges soaking up both the orange juice and any excess liquid from the pan.
If you have made the chutney with the wrong type of apricots and find the chutney too runny you can recover your chutney as follows.
Gently cook more apples in a little orange juice until they are just soft but still in shape. Drain (you don't want any extra liquid) add to pan, bring to boiling point and pot.
For those in Australia, any white granulated sugar will do, I use beet sugar simply because we grow it in the UK, there is no difference in taste.
]]>A: You can just leave out the cranberries and drop the sugar by 227g/8oz (this is an educated guess, before potting let a little cool and taste it, if not sweet enough for you return the sugar and bring back to the boil as the sugar will create a little more liquid) You won't get pockets of pink in the jar so it won't be as pretty but the strongest flavoured component is the apricot. If you wanted the occasional tarter pop in the jar then I suspect gooseberries could be substituted but they are out of season and I haven't tried it!
Q: Do I use dried cranberries or fresh – if fresh can you suggest where to buy them? do major supermarkets carry such a product?
A: Fresh cranberries are in season now, you can buy them from most green grocers and supermarkets in the run up to Christmas. A packet usually weighs 340g.
Q: I have had problems with it being too thick - or at least it is in comparison to the Kirsty's which looks almost liquid. Mine is chunky and you can clearly identify the apricots and other fruit. I couldn't get the naturally dried apricots so had to get the 'orange' ones instead. Any advice?
A: The initial photo shot was of the cooking ingredients before the soaked dried fruit was added. Once all ingredients were added and brought to the boil (stirring to avoid sticking) it thickened quite quickly. If it is too thick for you return to the saucepan with more orange juice and bring back to the boil before re-potting.
Q: I have had some problems with this recipe. There seems to be far too much liquid and it took a long time for the mixture to anything like resemble chutney – as I would have expected.
A: The orange juice should be totally absorbed by the dried fruit before being added to the cooked mixture of onions, apples etc. The cider vinegar should be somewhat thickened by the breakdown of the apples and reduced by the cooking of the onions. when the sugar is added it will create some additional liquid which should quite rapidly thicken to the consistancy of a pouring custard while you constantly stir (otherwise liquid comes to the top as the solids drop and catch on the bottom). Stir as you fill the jars so that the liquid is well distributed (continuing the analogy custard packed with bananas). As you are using quite dry fruit it will continue to absorb liquid and thicken as it cools.
]]>I have been asked
and have replied as follows:
"You will need to sterilise your jars and lids first.
Easiest way is to wash the jars in hot soapy water, rinse and put in a cool oven until all the water has evaporated and the jars are dry/hot. Let them cool before filling! Alternatively use something like Milton Sterilisation tablets and follow the advice.
The lids (especially if reusing) must be clean, unscratched and sterilised either by boiling or milton sterilisation. Scrupulously clean jars and lids will minimise the chance of the chutney going mouldy over time.
Use clean kitchen towel to remove any trace of chutney from the rim before lidding.
When filled, let cool and give the jars a good wash in case any residue has stuck to the outside.
If re-using lids use the jam paper circles to put on the surface of the chutney before putting on the lid.
You can dip the wax papers in brandy before popping them on the top…….great smell when opening, helps the chutney keep and doesn’t hurt the flavour one little bit.
Once sealed should keep for a year, once opened 3-4 weeks if it lasts that long!"
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
Warmest Regards,
Victoria
]]>2lb/900g onions sliced
2lb cooking apples chopped
1 pkt/340g cranberries
2pints cider vinegar
2oz/50g fresh root ginger(before pealing) finely diced
1tbsp coarse sea salt
tsp mixed spice
zest of 2 oranges
**************
2lb naturally dried apricots chopped
1 pkt dates (175g/60z)pitted and chopped
1lb raisins
Juice of 8 oranges/1 pint orange juice
*****************
2lb white sugar.
************
Place all the first ingredients in a saucepan gently bring to the boil.
The object is to let the onions go transparent, the cranberries start to pop and the apple break down. You don't want to lose all texture so a 5min simmer once at boiling point should do. Remember to stir.
In a seperate bowl mix the dried fruit and pour over the orange juice. Stir well. The mixture should absorb all the orange juice in approx 20mins
The dried fruit can be done before the ingredients for cooking to save time.
Add the marinated fruit to the saucepan with the sugar.
Stir well and bring back to boiling point, stirring all the time. Don't leave the saucepan at this time or the contents will catch and taint the chutney. The free liquid will start to thicken quite quickly and the chutney can then be bottled. Lid immediately.
For the sizes of fruit/technique see Kirsties video .
Please add comments it you need further info and I will post with the response.
]]>Cranfields' Foods will feature on Kirstie's Homemade Christmas during episodes 2 & 3 airing on the 9th & 10th December 2009
Crafty Kirstie Allsopp is back for a spectacular 3-part special that will see her create the perfect homemade Christmas.
Earlier this year, Kirstie turned her dilapidated Devon cottage from a shell to a chic vision of country living.
Now, with the festive season just round the corner, Kirstie’s Homemade Christmas will see her use Meadowgate as a base to take viewers on a yuletide journey of decorating, wonderful gifts and perfect entertaining.
Kirstie will be embracing crafts from around the country and her own love of doing up and making do to create the perfect Homemade Christmas.
Among the craftspeople taking part in this festival of craft is Victoria Cranfield of Cranfields Foods in North Devon who shows Kirstie how to make Cranfields’s Boxing Day Chutney and Cranberry and Mulled Wine Relish for Kirsties hamper and the Christmas table.
Victoria said: ‘It was fascinating to meet Kirstie and be involved in the filming both at Meadowgate and at home, the enthusiasm and warmth shown by her in previous series is genuine, which made the whole experience very enjoyable. Luckily Kirstie had bought some of my preserves at a Charity craft fair and enjoyed them, you never know where sales can lead!’
Packed with brilliant tips and information, the series will be a goldmine of great and creative ideas that the viewers can replicate at home.
Each day, Kirstie will take on a theme and offer viewers the perfect guide to transforming any home into a Christmas spectacle – from Christmas decorations and hand- and homemade presents, to perfect Christmas entertaining with plenty of food, drink and general merriment.
If you would like to buy either of the preserves featured they are available through our website or for a full list of stockists visit www.cranfieldsfoods.com or telephone Victoria on 01271 850842
Merry Christmas!
]]>So, just what is Cranfields' Foods?
We are a small company ~ makers of homemade jam, marmalade, chutney, condiments and jelly. Complying with Slow Food principles, we source fruit and vegetables in season and as locally as possible.
This approach has produced 30 Great Taste and Taste of the West Awards in our 6 years of cooking.
We believe in TASTE. Our preserves are high fruit giving a concentrated flavour. We have a minimum fruit content between 60 and 80%, this really means a little can go a long way.
Our Seville Marmalade was named Reserve Speciality Product from the South West in the Great Taste Awards 2006.
Handcut by Louisa and made in batches of 22 jars, this has the kick to wake you up in the morning.
Why make it yourself ?
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