Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News / Lifestyle

Fruits of summer forever (+recipes)

By Jan Bilton
Hamilton News·
23 Feb, 2012 05:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Preserving summer's goodness in small jars always brings pleasure - either when you open a jar in a few months to serve with cheese or a grill. Or as a present for a friend who will appreciate the fruits of your labour.

For best flavours and colour, make chutneys, pickles and jams in small quantities. Smaller amounts are also easier to handle.

Remove any blemishes from your fruit or vegetables before use. Choose a heavy-based stainless steel saucepan for cooking. Most jams set at 104C. A jam thermometer is useful, however, if one is not available then try the plate test.

Place two saucers or small plates in the freezer. When you think the jam has reached setting point, spoon a little on to one of the cold saucers. Allow it to cool for a few seconds then push it with your finger. If a wrinkly skin has formed then the jam will set. If not, return it to the boil for a few more minutes and test again on the second saucer.

Always pour preserves into hot sterilised jars. Wash the jars and lids thoroughly in hot soapy water, dry with a clean tea towel then keep warm in a 160C oven until ready to fill. With chutneys, I often place a small circle of waxed paper on top before sealing with a lid. This helps prevent the lid from being corroded by the vinegar in the chutney.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Jam-setting sugar is becoming very popular. It means you can make successful jam in a very short time using fruit with little pectin, for example, over-ripe apricots, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and cherries. The sugar contains added pectin and citric acid, which provide setting and flavour enhancers.



For more preserving hints, visit my website www.janbilton.co.nz

Recipes

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE PLUM CHUTNEY

 

1.5kg red plums

500g Granny Smith apples

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp grated root ginger

1 litre white vinegar

1 tbsp each: five-spice powder, salt

1 tsp ground chilli

750g white sugar

Halve and stone the plums. Place in a large, heavy-based stainless-steel saucepan. Quarter the apples and core. Place in a food processor and coarsely chop. Add to the plums. Quarter the onion and place with the garlic in the food processor. Coarsely chop. Add to the plums, together with the remaining ingredients.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 1 hours or until thickened. Stir often to prevent the mixture burning on the base.

Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal. Leave for about two months before use. Makes about 8 cups.

TRADITIONAL APRICOT JAM

This is my mother's recipe - it has no water. She believed adding water encouraged mould to grow.

 

1kg ripe but firm apricots

1kg sugar

Juice 1 large lemon

2 tsp butter

Halve and stone the apricots. Layer them in a ceramic or glass bowl together with the sugar and lemon juice. Cover and stand overnight. This keeps the apricots in good shape during cooking.

Next day, place the apricot mixture in a large, heavy-based stainless-steel saucepan. Bring to the boil on low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat slightly and boil for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Scoop off some of the foam that forms on top into a bowl (this is excellent spooned over icecream or yoghurt).



Test for setting. If necessary, boil for an extra five minutes. Watch the jam care fully at this stage as, if it is not stirred, it will burn on the base. When setting point is reached, stir in the butter. This will remove any remaining foam. Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal.

Makes about 5 cups.

CHUNKY COURGETTE CHUTNEY

 

500g each: courgettes, tomatoes, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 tbsp each: grated root ginger, yellow mustard seeds

2 tsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp salt

250g brown sugar

350ml white wine vinegar

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.



Place all the ingredients in a large, heavy-based stainless-steel saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring often. Simmer for about 45 minutes or until thick. Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal.

Makes about 5 cups.

CHILLI & RED PEPPER JAM

This colourful savoury jam is excellent with cheese and grills. Leave the seeds in the chillies if you want a really hot jam.

 

2 large red capsicums, seeded and diced

1 large tomato, diced

1-2 large red chillies, seeded and diced

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 cups jam-setting sugar



Place the capsicums, tomato, chillies, apple, vinegar and water in a heavy, stainless-steel saucepan.

Simmer for 10 minutes. If you want a finer mix, blitz quickly with a hand blender.

Stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Boil rapidly for four minutes. Remove from the heat and test for setting.

Spoon into hot, sterilised jars and seal.

Makes about 3 cups.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

Waikato Herald

NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her

Lifestyle

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest
Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

Regional finals from Auckland, Canterbury, Far North, Northland, Nelson and Wairarapa.

14 Jul 10:25 PM
NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her
Waikato Herald

NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her

06 Jul 12:48 AM
Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu
Lifestyle

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP