Smoked salt has so many uses in cooking and preserving that although it is not strictly a preserve I have to add it here on preserve and pickle. I have used smoked salt in a lot of my recipes simply because it adds a layer of complex flavours in a way that is not possible …
I’m sure everyone is familiar with fermented pickles like this. A familiar sight in every burger restaurant throughout the world, pickled gherkins or cucumbers are one of the most recognisable preserved foods anywhere. The process of making fermented pickles is simple to do at the same time as making some of the most complex flavours …
These oranges preserved in brandy something else. They look exactly the same as the day you peeled them but have been sat in brandy and syrup for months. The taste is deceptive, you expect to taste a fresh orange but what happens when you preserve these oranges are the segments fill with the sweetened brandy, …
If you have ever made beef jerky before you will know that it tastes great and is a pretty simple process. It takes a while to get used to the fact that once dehydrated the jerky doesn’t necessarily need to be kept in the fridge. One of the most common questions that come up after …
Beef jerky is something that is great to make yourself. It is a lot cheaper than buying it ready made and you can completely customise it to your own tastes. Living in the UK beef jerky is no way near as popular as it is in the US or Canada which makes making it at …
Lemons are a mainstay for any kitchen, helping to brighten any dish with acidity and heighten flavours. Preserved lemons add something on a whole new level, adding a small wedge to a dish injects a unique lemoniness that pervades through the whole thing. This really simple cured lemon recipe is something you have got to …
Salt has been used as a preservative since ancient times and was, in fact, so valuable in part due to its preservative powers that it became one of the first ever commodities traded and even wars have been fought over salt. Before the days of refrigeration and the modern heat treatments that are used to …
Working out how to tell when your Jam is set can be tricky. The problem is that when you are making jam or jelly you are boiling it so the consistency is completely different to what it is like when the jam cools. When the jam is hot it is less viscous and runnier than …
Preserving fruit in alcohol has a transformative effect both on the fruit and on the alcohol. It is this type of preserving that I enjoy so much, taking an ingredient and seeing the result of preserving alter the taste, in most cases enhancing the flavour, the texture and colour. The great thing about preserving fruit …
Pickled shallots are a staple in my house. Ever since I was young I can remember always remember the joy of biting into a tart, sometime face puckering pickled onion. I now make pickled shallots, after a few years of experimentation, so I have a plentiful supply in the house for whenever the mood takes …