Kitchen therapy: Making preserves

I just love leftovers from the night before and always find myself digging in the fridge for a jar of chutney or pickle to spice up my plate of food. These three recipes are among those I make every year. During the summer and autumn months, my preference is to preserve in small batches and often. I can fit it in with other things I’m doing in the kitchen and make good use of produce as it ripens at different times. Winter preserving is another matter, and I’m very happy to spend all day chopping and simmering preserves among comforting aromas.

Piccalilli

This piccalilli is perfect to serve with cold meat cuts and cheese. Salting the vegetables helps them maintain their crunch once they have been cooked. Other spices that work well in piccalilli are fennel seed, dill seed and celery seed. Get the recipe

Butternut, quince and apple chutney

A gorgeous butternut, quince and apple chutney with the colours of autumn. Definitely one of my favourites eaten with bread and aged cheddar. The chutney recipe here is based onUK chef and food writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe. Prepare the butternut, quince and apple then weigh for this recipe. It's a very thick chutney with the vegetables and fruit holding their shape after cooking has been completed. Keep the chutney covered with a lid during cooking as there is very little liquid. Get the recipe.

Roasted tomato sauce

This roasted tomato sauce will not be bright red as I'm using a good quality red wine vinegar rather than glacial acetic acid. The finished sauce has a pleasant sharpness rather than a sweet finish. Get the recipe