preserving my sanity

In my early twenties i was working on a sub tropical orchard just north of Auckland (these were the days when i thought i could work outside all day in little more than a bikini) and I lived in a shared house opposite an abandoned orchard. (it almost feels like a previous life if i think of where i am at know.) Across the road there were acres of fruit trees laden with fruit and i couldn't bear to see them go to waste so i'd sneak in and pick a few buckets of peaches and nectarines after hours. This wasn't the first nor the last time i was to glean but for memory it would have been the first time i bottled some preserves.
It's funny to think of your life in terms of decades but some twenty years on i have found a renewed interest in preserving. My interest has been spurred by the renaissance of urban gleaning, produce swap meets and food co-ops (very inspiring to see people organising around food supply).
It requires a bit of energy which i have now that my kids are out of their baby phase (they can almost wield a peeler between them but progress would be slow if i were to rely on them for supply). I have a friend who has an annual get together with her sister to bottle tomatoes and last year I produced my first batch of bottled tomatoes with a lovely local friend. For the time poor it might sound like an act of drudgery, peeling cutting and stuffing into bottles but I find its possible to do it while overseeing kids and catching up with a friend or neighbor, talk about good value (who knows things might change and I might want to spend my free time hanging out in cafes again).
Recently i was given boxes and boxes of bottles by a friend who was cleaning out her parents house. When she offered them to me i said i would take them all, not knowing that her mother was a hoarder and that there would be the best part of fifty boxes going free. There were so many shapes and sizes of bottles i didn't even know existed. My friend was able to recall some of what her mother used to do with them; puddings, jams sauces but for the most i think her mother just liked hanging on to stuff. Lucky for me though, they are such beautiful forms i am going to have to be brutal and sort out what i am realistically going to use, or I might turn out like my friends mother. If you are in the neighborhood feel free to come and check them out i am happy to give away what i don't need.

Whose for Fig and Ginger Jam

This has to be one of my all time favorite jam recipes i make it almost every year, then promptly give as many jars away to friends because i easily tempted by it. The recipe was given to me some years back from the lovely Andrea McNamara during her PrinTinTin days. Its very easy and the flavors are oh so good- the sweetness is balanced by a bit of gingery zing with a touch of caramel is the closest i can get to describing it. You can use the brown or green skinned figs not to over ripe is good.
The recipe is as follows:
3 kg Figs (chop into quarters)
2kg sugar
650 mls of water
3 lemons finely cut
100 gms Glaze Ginger (chop according to taste)

Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10mins.
Place figs and lemon in with the sugar and boil gently for 2hrs. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add the ginger prior to placing in sterilised jars.

Kick Off!!

The whistle has blown, the referee's decision is in, its time for me to get moving - I can tell the season is right and the turf is ready, but before you get excited its not footy I'm going to blog about. I couldn't tell you the first thing about sports but i can share with you how the seasons influence my kitchen and garden. My mother Dorothy enjoys if not excels in these these homely pursuits, so I assume thats where my interests originates from. In the 1980's her Pavlovas and Meringues with their pert tips and crusty white edges (smothered in cream and kiwi fruit of course) were skillfully made, presented well and appreciated by those who came into contact with them. She also likes to potter in the garden and occasionally shares some of her wisdom with me. The other day she told me to 'plant leaks on the longest day and garlic on the shortest'. I don't know where these little gems of knowledge come from nor if they are relevant to Australia. Having moved from New Zealand over 20yrs ago i was interested to realise on my last trip home that my gardening knowledge has developed a specificity to Melbourne conditions - because of the drought over recent years and long hot summer days i no longer plant strictly to the north. I know have a variety of vegie beds, some which i consider more suitable for summer - plenty of morning eastern sun and shaded from hot afternoon western sun, and those that are more suited to winter. This weekend V built another vegie bed so I look forward to seeing how it goes in winter conditions.
I quite enjoy Autumn, i love the fruit (persimmons and quinces especially) and have been spending what ever time i can bargain making jam and a few preserves. I often get a bit stuck on making something and i will make it several times, either to perfect it or to adapt it more to my tastes. Last year i couldn't stop making quince tarts I am not sure what my calling will be this year.
One of the reasons for setting up this blog is to prompt myself to record what I am doing and any observations i want to pass on. They may on occasion be a bit weird (can't wait till i get a chance to talk about making liquid manures for the garden), i will include failures as well as successes because thats how i seem to learn. Happy reading and feel free to comment.