Pickles, jams and chutneys have made a comeback. Although the trend is to eat fresh and in season, many cooks are enjoying the creative process of preserving summer's bounty to enjoy throughout the year.
Vinegar and sugar are the preservatives in pickles and chutneys. Jam is reliant on sugar to assist the setting process together with acid from the fruit and pectin, a substance found in the cell walls of plants. When heated in the presence of an acid, pectin forms a gel.
The pectin test: To see if there is sufficient pectin for the jam to set, cook some fruit in a little water. When soft, put one teaspoon of the juice in a cup with one tablespoon of methylated spirits. Swirl together and leave for a minute. If there is plenty of pectin in the juice, a transparent clot forms. If the pectin content is average, the clot will be less firm and may break in several places. A very broken clot indicates very little pectin in the fruit. Solve the problem by adding a fruit rich in pectin, using jam-setting sugar containing pectin or by adding commercially prepared pectin.
Freezing is another excellent method of preserving and vine leaves are my favourite.
Preserving vine leaves: Select young leaves about the size of your palm. Cut the stems from the leaves. Wash the leaves well in cold water. Place in a bowl and cover with boiling water until they are limp, about 3-4 minutes. Drain, refresh in cold water then pat dry. Pack about 20 leaves (or as many as you think you will need for a recipe) in a plastic bag and remove the air. Store several bags of leaves in a rigid container - to prevent them crumbling - in the deep freeze. Use within about nine months.
