It’s time to get cosy in the kitchen and start preserving the fruits of the season. Kate Whiting gets her fingers sticky

WHEN the nights start drawing in and the leaves slowly begin to turn golden, homes around the country become filled with the smells of spicy chutneys and fruity jams bubbling away on stoves.

After all the excitement of the summer, autumn is also a welcome opportunity to hunker down and learn new skills, so when a colourful copy of the late Oded Schwarz’s Preserving Through The Year landed on my lap, I couldn’t resist.

Israeli Schwartz grew up with ‘‘pickling in the blood’’. But when he moved to England in the 1970s, he was disappointed by the lack of variety and availability of preserves he’d grown up to believe were everywhere.

‘‘The raw ingredients were all there: wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables and different types of meat and fish. So, armed with an extensive knowledge gleaned from my youth, I set out to develop and modify ancient recipes that would appeal to a Western palate.’’ The result is a book stuffed with delicioussounding ways to preserve all kinds of food throughout the year, with tempting titles from candied apricots and vanilla-flavoured peach marmalade to guava jelly and mango chutney.

A trip to my trusty local hardware store, equipped me with the basics: little waxed sealants, rubber bands, a jam funnel and the all-important sugar thermometer.

Jam is only ready to pot when it reaches setting point, or when the sugar thermometer shows 105 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can do the wrinkle test by pouring the jam onto a saucer, and leaving it to cool for a few minutes.

Then gently push it with your finger and if it wrinkles, it has reached setting point.

PLUM JAM (Makes 1.75kg)

  • Special equipment: Preserving pan, sugar thermometer, sterilised jars and sealants
  • Shelf life: 2 years

INGREDIENTS

1.25kg plums, stoned and halved or quartered if large
350ml water
1kg preserving or granulated sugar

METHOD

Put the plums and water in the preserving pan.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the plums are soft.

Add the sugar, stirring until it has dissolved. Return to the boil and boil for 25-30 minutes or until the setting point is reached.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to settle for a few minutes. Ladle the jam into the hot sterilised jars, then seal.

FIG CHUTNEY (Makes about 2kg)

  • Special equipment: Non-corrosive preserving pan; sterilised jars with vinegar-proof sealants
  • Shelf life: 1 year

INGREDIENTS

1.25 litres red wine vinegar
500g light soft brown sugar
2 tbsp salt
1kg firm, slightly under-ripe black figs, sliced into rounds
1cm thick 500g onions, sliced into thin rings
250g pitted dates, coarsely chopped
150g fresh ginger root, finely shredded~
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp white mustard seeds
3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tbsp dried tarragon

METHOD

Put the vinegar, sugar, and salt in the preserving pan, stirring until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the figs, onions, dates, and spices. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick.

Remove from the heat, add the tarragon, and mix well. Ladle into the hot sterilised jars, then seal. The chutney will be ready to eat in a month.

ONION MARMALADE (Makes about 1.5kg)

  • Special equipment: Non-corrosive preserving pan; sterilised jars and vinegar-proof sealants
  • Shelf life: 2 years

INGREDIENTS

1.25kg onions, sliced into thin rings
3 tbsp salt
1kg preserving or granulated sugar
500ml vinegar
1½ tsp cloves tied in a piece of muslin
2 tsp caraway seeds

METHOD

Sprinkle the onions with the salt. Mix well and leave to stand for 1 hour. Rinse and dry. Put the sugar, vinegar, and muslin bag in the preserving pan.

Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the onions and caraway seeds. Return to the boil, skim, reduce the heat to minimum, and cook for 2- 2½ hours, or until the syrup is thick and the onions are translucent and golden brown.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave the onions to settle for a few minutes. Ladle the mixture into the hot sterilised jars, then seal.

The marmalade is ready to eat immediately but improves with keeping.

  • Preserving Through The Year by Oded Schwartz (Dorling Kindersley, £16.99)