harvest | oranges

By MEREDITH KIRTON

Storage:

Refrigerate for up to 1 month once picked. If storing at room temperature oranges will pass their optimum much sooner, so use within 1 week.

What to do with glut

• To freeze
  Cut oranges into quarters and place in a re- sealable bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Remove wedges as required.

• To preserve

Orange marmalade

1kg large oranges
Juice of 1 lemon
600g caster sugar

1. Place oranges in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Decrease heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hr, until oranges are soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove oranges from water. Increase heat to high, add lemon juice  and boil for about 40 mins, until liquid reduces to 1/3 cup.
2. Meanwhile, peel oranges and set aside peel. Place orange flesh into a blender and blend until smooth. Strain puree into reduced liquid, discard solids.
3. Remove white pith from peel and cut peel into thin strips. Add to orange mixture with sugar. Simmer on low, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil for about 45 mins, stirring regularly.
4. Test for setting, drop a teaspoon of marmalade onto a chilled plate. Tip plate, if marmalade runs, simmer for another 5 mins before checking again. Fill sterilized jars and seal.

Makes about 2 cups

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

harvest | strawberries

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Storage:

Strawberries are delicate and should be handles with care. As they do not ripen after picking, harvest your strawberries when they are bright red and plump. Store in a bowl in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

What to do with glut

• Freeze

Wash and hull strawberries. Pat dry with kitchen paper, lay on a tray and freeze. Transfer to clip-lock bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

• Preserve

Strawberry jam

750g strawberries, hulled, halved
750g caster sugar
¼ tsp tartaric acid
Jamsetta, see tip

1. Place strawberries in a saucepan and heat on low, stirring occasionally, for 15 mins, until slightly softened. Add sugar and tartaric acid. Stir until sugar dissolves.
2.  Increase heat to medium. Boil for 20mins, the test for setting point. To test, place a teaspoon of jam on a cold saucer. Sit for 2 mins, until cool. Run finger through the centre, if jam is ready it will stay in two halves.
3.  If not, remove from heat and stir through 16g jamsetta. Return to the heat and boil for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Divide jam between hot sterilized jars and seal.

tip ….
Jamsetta is powdered pectin and assists in setting the jam. It is available at supermarkets.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

harvest | quince

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Storage:
As quince age the fuzz on the skin decreases. Store at room temperature for up to 10 days or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

What to do with glut

• Preserve

Heat 1 litre of water, 1 cup caster sugar and the juice of 2 lemons in a large saucepan on low, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Cut 3 quince in quarters and remove core. Add to syrup. Cover and simmer for 4 hours, until fruit is deep red and tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool in syrup. Remove quince from syrup and use in Quince cake recipe below.

Quince Paste

Once quince have been removed from syrup, add ½ cup caster sugar and heat on high until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 mins. Place a saucer in the freezer until cold. Drop 1 tsp of syrup onto saucer and wait for 1 min. If quince paste is ready, the syrup should be firm with a wrinkled surface. If not, simmer for another 5 mins and check again. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal. Refrigerate for up to 1 month. Serve with cheese or in marinades for meat

Quince Jam

Scrub 1kg of quince and place whole and unpeeled, in a large saucepan with 6 cups of water and ¾ cup caster sugar. Simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours, until quince are tender and pink. Remove quince, chop and discard core. Return quince flesh to syrup and boil for 30 minutes, until jam sets when tested.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

harvest | passionfruit

By MANDY SINCLAIR

What to do with glut

Whilst passionfruit don’t ripen once picked, fruit that has fallen to the ground and become a little wrinkly are usually fine to eat.
Store passionfruit, refrigerated for 2-3 weeks, but only 1 week if kept at room temperature

Freeze:
Freeze juice in ice cube trays – if you have an abundance of fruit, simply remove pulp and freeze in portions, an ice cube tray is perfect for this.

Passionfruit sorbet

Combine 2 cups of water, ¼ cups caster sugar and finely grated rind of 1 lemon in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil for 10 mins. Set aside to cool. Stir through ½ cup lemon juice and ½ cup of passionfruit pulp. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.

Preserve:

Passionfruit curd

In a large microwave-proof bowl, whisk together 4 eggs and 3/4 cup of caster sugar, until well combined. Add ½ cup of passionfruit pulp and 100 grams of chopped butter. Microwave, uncovered, on medium (50%) power for 6-10 mins, whisking every minute, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into sterilized jars, seal and refrigerate.
You will need approx 4 passionfruit for ½ cup pulp.

Makes 1¾ cups

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

harvest | cherries

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Storage:
Choose firm, glossy fruit with the stalk intact. Generally speaking, the darker the skin colour the riper the fruit. Keep refrigerated in a plastic bag for 3-4 days.

What to do with glut

Freeze, make into jam or pickle in a vinegar syrup.

• Freeze:

Using a cherry pitter, remove seeds and place cherries in a clip-lock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

• Preserve:

Cherry syrup topping

Combine 300g pitted cherries, 1 cup caster sugar, ½ cup of water or ¼ cup of kirsch in a saucepan. Simmer on low until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and cook for 20 mins, until syrupy. Cool slightly. Place in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain and fill sterilized jars. Seal. Refrigerate once opened.
Use as a topping on ice cream.

Makes 1 cup

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

harvest | pumpkin

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Storage:
Pumpkin or squash come in all shapes, sizes and colours. They can be large or small, smooth skinned or ridged, round or long. Generally speaking they all have a similar flavour. Depending on the variety, some will be a little sweeter than others and water content will also vary.
Whole pumpkin will store well for up to 2 months after being picked. Store in a cool well ventilated place with the stalk attached. This will help protect the inside from damp.
Once cut, pumpkin needs to be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 3-5 days.

What to do with glut

• Freeze:

Peel and chop pumpkin. Blanch in a large saucepan of boiling water for 3 mins. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again. Pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. Pack into freezer bags or plastic containers and freeze. Store frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw and use as you would normally for baking, mash, in casseroles, soups or curries.
Alternatively, cook pumpkin until soft, drain and mash until smooth. Freeze in ice cube trays to use as baby food or in plastic containers. Use for pumpkin tarts, as a topping for pies or in vegetable lasagne.

• Preserve:

Pumpkin Jam

Boil 1.5kg peeled and chopped pumpkin with ½ cup of water, until very soft. Drain and mash until smooth. Return to pan with 1.5kg caster sugar and rind and juice of 2 lemons. Simmer, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil for 20 mins, until thick. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

• Dry:

Pumpkin seeds

Remove seeds from 1 whole pumpkin and place in a bowl of cold water. Rub seeds between hands to remove any sinew. Drain well. Bring 2 cups of water and 2 tbsp sea salt to boil in a saucepan, until salt dissolves. Add pumpkin seeds, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 mins. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan. Lay seeds in a single layer on a baking tray. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and bake for 30-35mins, tossing every 10 mins, until seeds are crisp and golden.

When completely cool, store in an airtight container.

Note – Different varieties of pumpkin seeds have different textures and flavours. Seeds in the image are from the Jap and Queensland blue pumpkin. Experiment to see which is your favourite!

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

harvest | persimmon

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Storage:
Persimmon are undoubtedly at their best when left to ripen on the tree. Generally speaking the variety available at the market are the non-astringent type and can be eaten firm or soft – although I much prefer soft. If the persimmon are soft and completely ripe, store refrigerated for 1-2 days, if firm store at room temperature, they will ripen within 2 days.

What to do with glut

• Freeze:

Freeze persimmon whole. Remove from freezer 1 hr before eating. Cut in half and scoop flesh out with a spoon. The texture is like a velvety sorbet. Delicious!

• Preserve:

persimmon jam

4 ripe persimmons
3 cups caster sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp Jamsetta

1. Wash persimmon, remove stalk ends, peel and press fruit through a food mill or coarse strainer. Measure 2 cups of pulp and place in a large saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice and jamsetta. Mix well.

2. Bring to boil, stirring. Boil without stirring for 10-15 mins, performing a jam set test every 5 mins.

3. Remove from heat and remove any foam from top. Cool slightly and pour into sterilized jars.

Jam set test – Place a saucer in the freezer. Spoon 1 tsp of jam onto cold saucer and leave for 1 min. Run a round bladed knife through the centre, if the jams holds and the surface is firm, the jam is ready, if not continue cooking for another 5 mins.

• Dry:

‘Harold McGee’, The Curious Cook, talks about drying persimmon very successfully. Un-ripe persimmon tend to dry without any bitter aftertaste. Peel firm fruit and thickly slice. Lay on racks above trays and dry in a 60C oven for up to 36 hours, until outside flesh develops a dry leathery skin. Reduce oven to 40C and dry for another 3days, until tender all the way through. Alternatively use a drying machine according to manufacturers instructions.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS