Courgette Chutney
Pickling spice (the recipe doesn’t say how much to use, I just put about half a Scwartz packet in.)
700g courgettes
250g raisins
250g dried apricots
¾ tablespoon salt
250g sugar
500ml white wine vinegar
Tie spices in a muslin bag.
Cut courgette into cubes. In a large preserving pan, combine with all other ingredients and tie muslin bag to handle so that it dangles into the mixture. Leave it for 24 hours.
Stir over a low heat to dissolve sugar gently.
Cover and simmer for at least an hour, pressing the bag of spices from time to time, until the pieces of courgette are translucent and the liquid is golden and syrupy.
Pour into warmed sterilised jars and cover.
I found that it took around an hour and a half to get the liquid syrupy.
Marrow and ginger jam.
1kg Marrow
Juice and grated zest of 2-3 unwaxed lemons
8cm piece of root ginger
750g granulated sugar
1pkt lemon jelly
1 sm tin pineapple, thinly cut and drained.
Peel the marrow, remove seeds and cut the flesh into cubes. This is long cooked so there’s no need to bleed and salt.
Bruise the piece of ginger and pie in a muslin bag.
In a large bowl, layer the marrow with the sugar, lemon juice and zest, and put the bag of ginger in so that it hangs over the side of the bowl. Leave the mixture steeping for 24 hours.
Place it all in a preserving pan with the ginger again ties to the handle and stir to dissolve the sugar gently over a low heat. Add the lemon jelly and pineapple, cover and simmer gently. Press the bag from time to time.
Simer until the pieces of marrow are translucent and the liquid is golden and syrupy. Pour into warmed sterilised jars, cover and seal. You can use this straight away, but it will store unopened for years.
I took a jar into work and wouldn’t tell my fellow dockers what was in it till they tried it. All enjoyed it and one keeps asking for more!
The jam sounds gorgeous. If you still have courgettes left over Sawfish left a link for the best choccy courgette muffins and there is also a recipe I posted for courgette teabread. ;D
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,28458.msg280893.html#msg280893
I love marrow and ginger jam and make it for all the family as it is a firm fave! Tims courgette bread is currently in the oven and the house smells amazing! Left over lasagne for my supper, with courgette bread me thinks.
The chutney sounds good. I'll try that for the village show.
I saw a lovely recipe a couple of weeks back in the Telegraph for courgettes with tagliatelle, but it got thrown away before I could copy it. Any offers?