Preserving with Aunt Daisy

Good Morning Everyone!

Aunt Daisy, beginning every broadcast with the above cry, was one of New Zealand’s best-loved radio personalities. Forty years later, her cookery books have become a national phenomenon with her tried and true recipes used in every household through the years.

Perfect for March with the last of the summer fruits rolling off the trees, Preserving with Aunt Daisy is a collection of over 200 of her best-loved recipes for jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys. It includes well-known everyday preserves such as Strawberry Jam and Tomato Relish, as well as more unusual ones such as Pumpkin Jam and Pickled Pears, and recipes that are uniquely New Zealand — Guava Jelly, Feijoa Jam, and Choko Chutney. 

This is, of course, a great time of year to preserve your left-over produce from the garden and who better to learn from than Aunt Daisy herself.

This handy cookbook also includes 24 beautiful colour photographs (by Simon Young) as well as a step-by-step guide to preserving, an equipment list, and a seasonal guide. Aunt Daisy’s recipes are simple, economical and as useful today as when they were first published. Home cooks can once again be encouraged by Aunt Daisy’s know-how and unwavering optimism.

Here is a recipe for you to try. I haven't made it myself but I was given a jar made by  Relish the Thought -  http://relishthethought.blog.co.nz/ - and it was delicious on sandwiches with various fillings I had for lunch last week.

BEETROOT CHUTNEY

1.4kg beetroot

680g apples

2 onions

2 cups vinegar

½ teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon salt

juice of 1 lemon

340g sugar

Boil beetroot until tender.

Cut into cubes when cold.

Cut apples and onions small and boil for 20 minutes with vinegar and remaining ingredients. 

Below - a selection of pics from the book - Marmalade, Plum Jam, Mint Sauce.