Jam and Chutney Week.

After the jam making last week, this week it is all about the chutneys and pickles.
I had some tomatoes to use up from the garden so decided to use them on a chilli and tomato chutney and ended up with 5 bottles, tasted really nice too.

A mixture of garden tomatoes

The following 3 days later after a visit to the community garden more tomatoes, this time I decided to use up leftovers with them, dried apricots, raisins, some apples and a couple of onions. Another 5 bottles later have a wonderful fruit chutney, even had a little bit left for dinner that night with crumbed fish. Worked really well.

Cooking away

Like the colour it turned out.

Little bit at a time adds up.

So if that wasn't enough preserving for the week today ended up picking all the beetroot. It had been there a little bit too long so a lot of waste but managed to scrape up 2 pint bottles of beetroot in spiced vinegar. Once it has seeped a month or so it will be just right.

Garden Beetroot

It is good to get back to the preserving with all that has been going on this year, with my  medical trauma, mum, 3 lots of travel, and  the community garden, my life feels like it has gone a bit haywire, hopefully 2018 will be a bit more settled into a routine.

What tomato is this?

 This tomato was from the Community Garden. We were given a few heirlooms but don't know the name should anyone recognise it. Some sort of Paste tomato. Kept the seeds and the rest went into the 2nd. chutney, as it had ripened nicely by the time I started cooking.


The heat is really starting to settle in now, so I am letting the garden work drop, gathering seeds and watering where needed. Next year will be a big change as going to change the whole front garden and add raised beds,  while we can and to make life a little easier for the future.  As I am writing this on Sat. 16th today is our 45th wedding anniversary.

Till Next Time