Pickle, ferment, brine and jam out to these recipes as we celebrate the magic of preserving. 

Fermentation 101 

Fermentation is a chemical process involving food that is placed in an environment without oxygen. When using salt brine for fermentation, the good bacteria (called lactic acid) is promoted while the bad bacteria is killed. This type of vegetable fermentation using salt brine is called lacto-fermentation, where the lactic acid feeds on the carbohydrates in the food, producing acid. The overall conversion process results in the food having more flavour and that classic tangy taste.  

Red light hot sauce 

Instead of Pepperitos, use a second red pepper or 3 red Palermo peppers. 

Makes about 1½  cups  

Ingredients

6 (about 80g) red
Pepperito peppers, halved
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
½  onion, sliced  

After fermentation  

3 Tbsp honey  

Orange light hot sauce 

Fiery and intense, this is for the true hot sauce lovers! 

Makes about 1 cup  

Ingredients

9 (about 65g) orange
Habanero chillies, stems removed, halved 
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, sliced 
20g ginger, peeled and sliced  

After fermentation  

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 

Green light hot sauce

A kick of heat with a freshness from the lime and mint.

Makes about 1 cup 

Ingredients

5 (about 115g) green jalapenos, sliced
½  green pepper, chopped 
1 lime, quartered  

After fermentation  

20g mint leaves 
2 Tbsp white spirit vinegar 
Natural salt, such as sea or Himalayan salt 

Filtered water  

Method

1. Prep the ingredients for your sauce of choice (or all three, if you like), adding each group to their own bowl. 
2. Place an empty jar on a scale and press tare to bring the weight to zero. 
3. Add your vegetables (leaving about 1-2cm space at the top), leaving the recorded weight on. 
4. Add clean, filtered water to cover the vegetables completely (also leaving 1-2cm space), noting the total weight. For example, 450g. 
5. Multiply this weight by 2.5%, or 0.025 to get the grams of salt needed. 450g x 0.025 = 11.25g of salt needs to be added to water to make brine. 
6. Holding the vegetables in place with your hand, tip the jar over to pour the water back out into a second jar or bowl. 
7. Add the specified weight of salt to the water, stir to completely dissolve, then pour this brine back into the jar with the vegetables.
8. Use a weight (such as a small jar or resealable bag filled with water) to make sure all of your vegetables are covered by the brine. (Keeping the veg under water avoids contact with the air, preventing mould).  
9. Secure the lid of the jar, leaving it open slightly to allow gasses to escape during fermenting. Set the jar on a plate in case any excess liquid overflows during this process, then place in a cool, dry place. 
10. Leave to ferment for 5-14 days. The brine should begin to turn cloudy. The longer you leave it, the sharper the taste. 
11. Once you’re happy with the fermentation time, open the jar, remove the weight and strain the liquid from the veggies, reserving it for later.  
12. Add strained vegetables from one jar into a blender along with½ cup of the brine and any of the added flavourings (see ingredients ‘after fermentation’ stage). Blend until smooth, adding more brine to loosen the mixture if needed. 
13. Decant into jars or bottles and refrigerate for up to 6 months. 

Garlic Confit 

From the French word confire meaning “to prepare”— to confit means to slowly cook food submerged in fat over a long period of time at a low temperature. The fat protects the food from oxygen, extending its shelf life. 

Makes about 2 cups 

Ingredients

2 bulbs garlic, cloves separated and peeled
3 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
1 tsp flaky salt
1 red chilli, halved (optional)
1 ½ cups olive oil blend 

Method

1. Place the garlic cloves in a pot over the stove.
2. Add the herbs, salt, and chilli, then pour in the oil.
3. Gently simmer over low heat for 30–40 minutes, or until the garlic turns a deep golden colour. To test if ready, smear a clove with a knife – if tender throughout, remove from the heat.
4. Cool for 30 minutes. Transfer the garlic, herbs, and spices, followed by the oil, into a sealable glass jar. Tap the jar lightly to release any air pockets.

Cook’s Tip 

Store confit garlic in its oil in the refrigerator. Use the flavoured oil in cooking, add cloves to stews or roasts, or spread onto bread. Mash a few cloves into half a block of soft butter with chopped herbs to make luscious garlic butter. 

Crunch time  

As seen with our fermented hot sauces, pickling follows the same method of creating an oxygen-free environment where good bacteria can thrive, but this time, with the essential addition of vinegar to boost the process. Quick pickling is faster than fermentation but creates delightfully tangy, crunchy snacks. 

Quick pickling liquid  

This recipe is for those new to pickling, creating less of a tangy taste compared to other ratios like the 3:2:1 method (3 parts vinegar, 2 parts water, 1 part sugar). In future you can adjust the ratio to your liking by testing quantities. 

Makes 3 cups  

 Ingredients

Vegetable of choice
1 ½  cups 
5% acidity white spirit vinegar 
1 ½  cups water
2 tsp salt
½  cup sugar  

Method

1. Prep your vegetable and add to a sealable jar big enough to submerge the produce. 
2. Add pickling ingredients and flavour add-ins like spices to a pot over high heat and bring to a boil for 1 minute. 
3. Remove from the heat and carefully pour into your jar, covering the vegetables completely. 
4. Seal jar and set aside until room temperature before moving to the fridge for up to a week. 

Crunch time

As seen with our fermented hot sauces, pickling follows the same method of creating an oxygen-free environment where good bacteria can thrive, but this time, with the essential addition of vinegar to boost the process. Quick pickling is faster than fermentation but creates delightfully tangy, crunchy snacks.

Red onion  

Thinly slice 2 red onions and add to a jar. For the pickling liquid, substitute ½  cup white vinegar for ½  cup red wine vinegar. Add the sugar, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds. Bring mixture to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Remove, pour over onions and seal.  

Cucumber 

Slice 1 large cucumber into batons (thick matchsticks) and add to a jar. Add 4cm and thinly sliced ginger. 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds and 1 halved red chilli. Combine quick pickling ingredients, bring to a boil then pour over cucumbers and seal.  

Snacking peppers  

Add 300g snacking peppers to a jar along with 3 garlic cloves and 1 sliced brown onion. Add the pickling ingredients to a pot along with 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Pour simmering liquid over contents of the jar and seal.  

Rainbow carrots  

Add 2 punnets (200g each) rainbow carrots, unpeeled, to a jar. For the pickling liquid, substitute 1/2 cup white vinegar for 1/2 cup rice vinegar. Add vinegar along with 1 tsp coriander seeds and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds to a pot and bring to a boil. Pour simmering liquid over carrots and seal.  

Radish 

Thinly slice 150g of radishes and add to a jar. Add quick pickling liquid along with 2 tsp black peppercorns and 1 tsp chilli flakes to a pot and bring to a boil. Pour simmering liquid over radishes and seal.  

Marinated feta  

Cube 1 punnet (400g) feta and add to a jar. Place 1 cup of olive oil in a pan and heat until hot, then add 3 halved garlic cloves, the zest from 1 lemon and 2 sprigs of thyme. Remove from the heat and cool for 20 minutes. Pour into the jar of feta and seal to infuse.  

Strawberry top vinegar  

Slice the tops from 2 punnets (250g each) strawberries, leaving a little fruity flesh attached to the green tops. Use strawberries as needed. Place tops in a jar and stir 2 tsp sugar through 2 cups of white wine vinegar, then pour into the jar.  

Making jam  

Jamming or making marmalades is a method of preservation used for thousands of years. The process, if using high quantities of sugar, creates an environment devoid of oxygen, submerging the fruit (or contents) of the product in a sweet home. Paired with proper sterilised jars or canning, the food is protected from bacteria and spoilage.  

Citrus & vanilla bean  

In the interest of time, start this recipe the day before. Unopened, the marmalade can last for up to a year or more. Once opened, keep refrigerated and consume within 2-3 months. 

Makes about 3 (375ml) bottles  

Ingredients

4 oranges 
2 grapefruit 
1 lemon 
1 vanilla pod, halved 
1L water 
5 cups white sugar  

Method

1. Use a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the colourful zest from the oranges and grapefruit, trying to remove as little of the white pith as possible. (If some pieces contain a bit of white pith, then don’t worry too much, as we will be soaking it overnight to soften).  
2. Slice pieces of zest into thin strips and place in a large pot.
3. Cut the remaining white pith off the zested citrus and place in a bowl, reserve about half of this for cooking. 
4. Using your hands, squeeze as much juice from the fruit pulp into the pot with the zest, if some of the pulp falls into the pot that’s okay, but make sure to keep the fibrous membranes out.  
5. Coarsely chop the lemon, remove seeds and add these to the bowl of pith.  
6. Add lemon chunks to the pot, scrape and add seeds form vanilla bean, as well as the bean casing. 
7. Add water and bring to a boil. Once bubbling, immediately turn off and cover. Leave overnight to soften.  
8. The next day, remove lemon chunks and vanilla casing. 
9. Add sugar and stir through. 
10. Heat mixture, stirring, to completely dissolve the sugar.
11. Add a handful of the white pith, all of the soaked lemon and seeds to a square of double lined muslin cloth or a thin kitchen towel.  
12. Tie up ends and secure closed with string.
13. Pop bag into the pot and bring mixture to a boil. Add two small plates to the freezer. 
14. Boil marmalade for about 40 minutes until reduced and thick, (a sugar thermometer should read 104°C for a minimum of 5 minutes. 
15. If you don’t own a sugar thermometer, add a small spoonful of marmalade (zest and syrup) to your cold plate, place in the freezer and wait for 3 minutes. If the mixture is jelly-like and wrinkly when pushed, then it is ready. If not, boil for another 5 minutes before trying again.  
16. Spoon marmalade into sterilised jars, seal and cool completely. 

Recipes & styling: Liezl Vermeulen 

Photography by: Austin Taylor, Supplied 

Also read: Kota with spicy pickles

The post 4 ways with preserves appeared first on MyKitchen.

Spoonfuls of flavour await in our saucy segment that’s all about coulis and compotes.  

Compote 

This is the term used to describe a delicious chunky sauce made using chopped or whole pieces of fruit. The fruit is added to a pot along with sugar and simmered gently until it breaks down into a pulpy, luscious sauce. Fruit makes for a perfect main component as the flavourful juices released cook down into a syrup, and the knobs of fruit soften into pearls of tang. The sugar acts as a sweetener as well as a preservative, giving this sauce a shelf life of a few weeks. 

Coulis 

Coulis refers to a sauce made up of fruits or vegetables that have been puréed and strained through a fine mesh sieve, sometimes multiple times, as a way to remove any unwanted bits or residue. Different to a compote, coulis doesn’t necessarily need to be cooked prior to blending and straining. It still contains a vibrant colour with pops of flavour, but is silky smooth in texture as a result of the straining process. 

Jam 

A pantry staple, the fruits in jams are cooked down for longer than compotes to release the pectin within the fruit. This pectin acts as a stabiliser, setting the mixture slightly as it cools, making it slightly springy. Jam can easily be spread over breads or desserts, whereas compotes are too thin to evenly layer without seeping into the vessel like cakes or scones.  

Storing cooked fruit preserves 

Lengthen the shelf life of your preserved fruit by storing them in sterilised jars until needed. This also works well if you’re planning on gifting compote to friends or family. 

How to sterilise old glass jars: 

– Soak lids and jars in hot, soapy water for 5 minutes, then wash and rinse.
– Place on a baking tray in a preheated oven (140°C) until dry, about 5 minutes, then carefully remove jars and place on a wooden board. 
– Note that if your lids have rubber seals, you cannot place them in the oven as they will tarnish. Instead, add lids to a separate pot of simmering water for 5 minutes, then air dry.
– Pour warm compote into the jars, pressing down with your spoon to remove any air bubbles.
– Seal and set aside to cool completely before refrigerating.
– The heat will create a vacuum and seal the lid tightly. Left unopened, your compote can last up to 1 month in the fridge. 

Words by: Sjaan van der Ploeg 

Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

The post Compotes vs coulis: What’s the difference?  appeared first on MyKitchen.

People have been making jams, jellies and preserves for hundreds of years – and for good reason. Preserving not only locks in flavour, but enhances it too. This month: sticky onion marmalades are in season. Try this age-old, yet modern, recipe to make your own. 

Sticky onion marmalade  

Makes 500ml Jar • Total Time 45–50 Min 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp canola oil 
8–10 white onions, thinly sliced 
1 Tbsp butter 
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme 
2 bay leaves 
1 cup dark brown sugar (muscovado or demerara sugar works well) 
1 cup balsamic vinegar 
Salt and milled black pepper  

Method

1. Heat oil in a large pot and add onions.
2. Fry onions over a medium-low heat for about 15–20 minutes, stirring often until golden brown.
3. Reduce heat and add butter, thyme and bay leaves. Cook for another 3–5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle sugar over the onions and allow to melt for about 5 minutes. Do not stir in the sugar.
5. Increase the heat and allow the sugar to caramelise and the onions to develop a deep golden colour. This should take about 5 minutes.
6. Add the balsamic vinegar and give it a stir.
7. Reduce heat and simmer for 5–6 minutes or until mixture becomes sticky.
8. Remove the herbs and discard. Season onion marmalade to taste.

Tips To Serve It Up  

This savoury marmalade is slightly sweet and pairs well with almost anything!  

• Lay it on thick with sliced ham and blue cheese on toast.  
• Complements any and every cheese platter. 
  
• Dollop onto roasted beetroot and goat’s cheese tarts.  
• Spoon into lettuce cups filled with shredded chicken, tomato and mozzarella.  
• Swirl through tomato-based pasta sauces for a hint of sweetness.  
• Dollop onto your favourite pizza.  

Make It Your Own And: 

Add some heat with chilli flakes, or whole red or green chillies. 
Use shallots for a sweeter marmalade, or red onions for extra bite and a bit of colour. Roasted garlic or whole spices like star anise, cloves or mustard seeds will add texture and deepen the flavour. 
Fresh herbs add colour and fragrance. 

Words by Chad January
Photography: Fresh Living Magazine

The post Cook A Classic: Lady Marmalade appeared first on MyKitchen.

Top of your winter bowls of comfort with our irresistible candied jalapeño chillies preserve. It’s perfect on burgers, nachos, or just by themselves!

MAKES 3 cups // COOK TIME 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
6 tsp mustard seeds
30 jalapeño peppers, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced

METHOD
1. Place the sugar, vinegar and mustard seeds in a pot over medium heat.
2. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the jalapeños and garlic.
3. Boil for a further 5 minutes, then remove the jalapeños and garlic with a slotted spoon and divide evenly between sterilised jars.
4. Continue boiling the syrup for another 5–7 minutes then pour over the jalapeños and seal the jars.

Tip: Wash your hands with hot soapy water immediately after chopping the chillis to avoid rubbing your eyes, nose or skin with spicy fingers.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Samantha Pinto

Try our candied jalapeño chillies preserve on our wholewheat tortilla pizzas with ham and mushroom.

The post Candied jalapeño chillies appeared first on MyKitchen.