Sugar Crafty - Part 2

A couple of evenings well spent I think!  Now on the third round of petals on the small roses - they are about 2.5 inches across - and one round to go.

I started a couple of the large roses, which will be around 4 inches across when complete. These are at the second round of petals 

Once they are done they will be dusted with pastel blossom tints in shades of pink and peach.

Sugar Crafty

Today I began the mammoth task of making over 100 sugar roses for a very special wedding. Special because it's my first big commission (I normally bake for friends and family). Also more than special because I am putting my heart and soul into this project. Meetings, tasting sessions and constant correspondence and updates with planning, design and preps with the lovely bride-to-be have helped me enormously in this venture. Here is a tiny taster of my cake of the year -  a rose by any other name...... couldn't possibly smell as sweet, these are the sweetest of all roses, made of sugar.

This is just the centre of the rose, around 1 inch at the moment. I need to let it dry and put the next layer on tomorrow.

We're Jammin' again!

Blackcurrants this time!  and some yummy Blackcurrant & Rosewater Jam

These were actually from my freezer (and I hate to admit, last year's stock) so I was a bit dubious as to the quality of the jam these lovely little things would produce - but fear not, success!

1kg Blackcurrants (mine were frozen and defrosted in the pan with no water)
150ml water (if your fruit is fresh and dry)
4 tablespoons rosewater (this is entirely optional and won't affect the jam if you leave it out)
Juice of a lemon
800g preserving/jam sugar

Place the blackcurrants in a large pan/maslin with the water (if using) over a gentle heat and add the rosewater and lemon juice

Bring the pan up to a simmer and cook until the blackcurrants start to break up and you have lots of lovely juice (about 20 minutes). This took a bit longer for me as I wanted to defrost the fruit gently

At this stage, if you're a pip hater, you can push the fruit through a fine sieve so you are left with just the juice and some of the pulp. Discard the pulp if you are using this method. You will probably get a couple of jars less. I left the pips and whole fruit in and got 7 x 7oz jars.

Then add the sugar and slowly bring to a boil

Once again, the jam is ready to jar when it wrinkles when placed on a chilled plate. Mine set very easily after about 10 minutes on a gentle boil.

Place in warmed jars and seal immediately

What could be easier? 

PS All my lovely jams and jellies will be on sale at the Ansell's Yard Table Top Sale held every Saturday 10am to 2pm, so come along and buy mine or come along and sell your own!

Zingy Quince & Lime Marmalade

Yes, I'm still wading through a hundred weight of lovely quince. I've had BigT peeling them for me. I also had a big bag of juicy limes, so this is an ad hoc recipe.

Zingy Quince & Lime Marmalade

800g peeled and chopped quince
Zest of 3 and juice of 2 large limes
1kg jam/preserving sugar
800ml water

Place the water and quince in a large pan/maslin
Add the water and lime juice and bring to the boil, then simmer gently until the fruit is very soft (mashable)
Either blend or mash until there are very small lumps of fruit
Add the lime zest and simmer for a further 10 minutes
Add the sugar and bring the temperature up slowly.

Before mashing

I find with quince you don't really need to bring it to a rolling boil before you reach setting point as they have a huge amount of pectin which greatly enhances setting, plus any citrus fruit is also very high in pectin.

Test on chilled plates (the marmalade is ready when a skin forms quickly once cool and when you push the surface with a finger it will wrinkle up).

Pot up in warm sterilised jars and put the lids on immediately.

Not a bad morning's work

Toast a large loaf and nom - this marmalade is VERY zingy and totally mouthwatering

We're Jammin'

A rainy Sunday, bleurgh! So I'm bringing Summer into my kitchen with the scents of fresh apples, berries and rose petals.......we're jammin'!

Yesterday my friend Alison and I spent the whole afternoon foraging the village bridleways and footpaths for blackberries and elderberries - my hands are a bit shreddy. We spent a few relaxing hours in her kitchen making apple and elderberry jam and a very fragrant plum and chilli sauce (the plums and apples were also picked locally (scrumped!) a few days before).

Our jam jar order didn't arrive, so I'm winging it with whatever random receptacles I can find in the kitchen.  If you get your pot of Summer in an old coffee jar don't be surprised.

Seedless Blackberry, Vanilla & Rosewater Jelly
Makes approx 4 medium jars

This is a bit of  faff, but well worth it I think

1kg Blackberries
1/2 vanilla pod
500 grams preserving/jam sugar
3 tablespoons rosewater (entirely optional, or just add a bit extra water instead)
100ml water
Juice of 1 lemon

Wash and drain the berries and place in a large pan or maslin
Add the lemon juice, water, vanilla pod and rosewater
Heat slowly and simmer until the fruit is soft
Either mash or blend the fruit (I use a handheld blender) until you have a thick porridgey consistency
Now push the fruit through a sieve with a big spoon to get all the lovely juices
You should now have approximately half the amount in weight of fruit puree
Discard the sieved pulp (but wash and dry your vanilla pod and put it in a jar of caster sugar  - vanilla sugar is lovely for cakes)

Place back in the pan/maslin and add the sugar. Bring slowly to the boil and check for setting point on chilled saucers. Once the jam wrinkles on the cold plate it is ready to jar. Make sure your jars are hot before adding the very hot jam! or they will crack. Put lids on straight away and leave to cool.