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In the words of Paul Young & Band Aid...
At this time of year all of the vegetables and berries seem to ripen at the same time. Try as we might, we can never eat all of those tomatoes, blackberries, beetroots and courgettes before they go off.
So what is the solution? Preserving!
We used to think that preserving, chutneys, pickles and jams were a bit difficult and best left to chefs or those with a bunker to fill. That is until we realised it's actually pretty easy!
Have a glut of tomatoes? This was my first year of poly-tunneling and in the excitement I grew 20 x tomato plants! To avoid turning my family into tomatoes, I went all Italian and made jars of passata. So simple and easy, making sauce for a full winters worth of spag bol and lasagne.
A million beetroots? Make some gorgeous chutney and dish the jars out to friends and family at Christmas for a personal touch. It's amazing with cheese...
Blackberries seem to be back this year after last years drought - meaning jam is on the menu (some of you may have already tried Arianne's lovely Blackcurrant & Lavendar jam with recent orders). Try creating a personalised label to make the jam extra special. It makes a lovely and thoughtful gift.
Quick & Easy Recipes
Here are some of our favourite recipes to use up excess veg & berries from the hedgerow:
We love these recipes - and they remind us of dear departed Patrick Swayze and the immortal words of Johnny Castle:
Ryan's Honey Farm Chutneys & Pickles
Have you tried the beetroot chutney and pickled cucumber from Ryan's Honey Farm? They are truly fantastic, but try as we might to nab them, the recipes are a closely guarded secret! Next time you're in Tipperary, take a look in (you can find all of our products there too) and grab a jar or three. You won't be disappointed!
Do you have a 'go to' recipe for sauce's, chutneys, pickles or jams?
Is there anything you preserve that works well?
We would love to try your ideas!
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Hoping everyone is safe, health & happy,
Keelly & Arianne xxx