My gran Daphne cooked, baked and preserved for most of her 94 years.

When she passed away last year, I inherited her go-to cook book.

Filled with handwritten and clipped recipes from friends, family and magazines as well as her own creations, it is a timely reminder to make use of our Hawke’s Bay autumnal bounty.

Renowned for her cooking, baking and preserving, my gran was most often found in the kitchen whipping up nourishing, delicious and economical fare.

Daphne

With a large, productive garden and five children to feed, my gran and poppa supplied the bulk of the family’s food needs on a shoestring budget.

In the autumn I would sit in a corner of her kitchen awash with the aromas of sugar, herbs and spices and vinegar and watch her wash jars, assemble lids, rings, cellophane, labels and ingredients.

It was hot, labour intensive work requiring care and precision, but the rewards were reaped by many all year long.

As I got older, I helped pick and prepare fruit and vegetables, washed jars, wrote labels and cut little cellophane circles for jam jars.

Preserving is a wonderful way to foster gratitude for our amazing produce while maintaining family traditions and teamwork.

It can be daunting for first time preservers so here are three of Gran’s easiest (and some of my favourite) recipes to try.

Peach Pickle

½ a litre of vinegar (preferably malt or white wine vinegar)

1.3kgs of sugar

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 tablespoon of grated ginger

2 teaspoons of salt

2.75 kgs of peaches (sliced or diced, peeled or unpeeled according to personal preference)

Bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil then add the peaches and boil until tender. Cool pickle then seal in sterilized jars. Excellent with hot or cold meats and cheese.

---

Plum Jam

1.3 kgs of plums, halved

5 cups sugar

3 cups of water

Boil the plums and water together until pulpy. Add the sugar and boil fast until it reaches setting point. Either use a cooking thermometer (setting point is 105C or 220F) or do it the old-fashioned way – dribble a little jam onto a saucer then tip on an angle, if it runs keep boiling, if it stays put you are good to go. Cool then bottle in sterilized jars.

---

Daphne’s Citrus Health Drink

6 lemons/oranges/grapefruit or a combination

500 - 750 grams of sugar to taste

8 cups of boiling water

50 grams tartaric acid

50 grams Epsom salts

25 grams citric acid

Grate the fruit peel and squeeze the juice into a large bowl (a few seconds in the microwave should yield more juice). Add sugar and boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add tartaric and citric acids and Epsom salts and stir well until dissolved. Leave to cool then bottle and keep in the fridge. The rind can be left in our strained according to personal preference. Refreshing as a summer cordial with still or sparkling water. Great in the cooler months, with or without honey, to boost health and immunity. Suitable to freeze.

---

If you are new to preserving, it is wise to read up on preserving hints and tips to ensure success!

Tags

• Lifestyle