perky pickles and preserves!!

[merciasounds]

Anybody got any imaginative pickles/relishes/preserves I can make? Looking through my store cupboard, i have a few jars of quince jelly left, (try a spoonful in a venison casserole along with a slosh of port) some green tomato and apple chutney, (lovely with a bit of strong cheddar) two jars of spicy red onion marmalade and a jar of caramelised onion chutney (ditto with the cheese or cold cuts) - some spicy red cabbage with sultanas in sherry vinegar, and a rather nice crab-apple and redcurrant relish that goes lovely with my homemade wild boar pate with brandy and pink peppercorns or a slice of my game pie. I've just made a roasted red pepper and tomato relish, it looks like it will marry with a burger or on a cold chicken bap just fine. I've pickled some chilis, but they aren't ready yet, and I've got preserved lemons....oh and half a jar of apricot, pear and ginger chutney which is yummy as a dip before a curry with poppadums.

[Androcles]

How about pickled mussels:

3 or 4 qt. mussels
Sliced onion and Garlic
Mixed pickling spices
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

Wash and scrub mussels carefully. Steam them open in large kettle with 1 cup
water. Lift out mussels and shell,removing the beard. Reserve the mussel broth.
In a crock or glass jar, arrange layers of shelled mussels, onion slices, garlic, spices, salt and pepper. Add strained mussel broth to 1/3 the depth of mussels, then pour on vinegar to cover. Let stand open, at least 3 days before using, stirring once or twice. Serve as a relish or appetizer.

[Androcles]

or how about Banana chutney? (Can be made with those bananas that are on their way out......

12 bananas
8 oz. (225g) stoned raisins
4 oz. (125g) currants
8 oz. (225g) sugar
2 oz. (50g) salt
half an ounce (12g) powdered cinnamon
1 oz. (25g) mild curry powder
1 pint (570ml) vinegar

Peel and slice the bananas, add them to the vinegar and boil until the consistency of porridge. Add the other fruit and spices and simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Spoon into clean, warmed jars then seal and label

[theonlyone]

homemade mustard piccaliilli

[merciasounds]

I just KNEW somebody would put piccalili, and I'm allergic to mussels I'm afraid. I went off picalili when I was in Dubai - we were guests of one of the princes and he'd got a taste for the stuff while at university in London, and the one night, he served us sheeps eyes....anyway, there was a jar of picalili on the table ....i must have eaten half a jar with one sheeps eye - so i've never been over-fond of it since!!

Redhelen, do you mean coriander leaf or powder?
And androcles, i shall definitely try the banana chutney, i tried a banana relish whilst in either Trinidad or Barbados and that was yummy...it had brown sugar and rum in it too!

[Androcles]

Rum in it! That must be the cause of the "stoned" raisins!

Incidentally one of my neighbours owns our village Tandoori (In the Good Curry Guide) and served up an intriguing pickled dip to go with poppadoms.

I asked him where he got and he said they made it and asked what I thought was in it. I said "well completely off the wall it tastes to me like it has strawberry jam in it". "Correct" he said and gave me the recipe:

1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small green or red chili, finely chopped
2 dsp mango chutney
3dsp strawberry jam

Mix ingredients together well and serve with Pappadums.

Do try it!

[merciasounds]

All I shall say is, it's not the first time i've tried strawberry jam and onions together!!!