BEFORE YOU START

In the spirit of the harvest–preserve–harvest cycle (and because I think the fresh flavour of many jams and jellies deteriorates after a year or so), I have kept the quantities of each recipe in this book relatively low. I also think this better reflects the modern domestic fruit and vegetable garden, which favours variety over quantity.

My guiding principles in these recipes were that the garden produce had to shine, that the ingredients should be readily accessible and that they should taste amazing. The herbs, flowers and spices I have suggested as variations to some recipes are those that I think best enhance the flavour of the preserve and are most commonly available. However you should make the most of your plot. If you have a crop you think will work well, give it a go!

Likewise I have not included recipes for the more unusual (but increasingly obtainable) berries such as honeyberries, jostaberries, white strawberries, pineberries and fuchsia berries because I think these are more likely to be grown as curios and not in sufficient quantities for preserving. However if you do have a glut, find a recipe for the fruit that your plant most resembles and try substituting it in part or in whole.

I am not suggesting that you grow crops exclusively to preserve them. In fact I would be disappointed if you did, for you would be missing out on the pleasures of eating the fresh fruit or vegetables in season. I simply hope that both the Growing and Make pages in The Jam Maker’s Garden inspire you with some different, and delicious, plants for your garden and their harvest. If you do not have enough of a crop to preserve in any year, seek out your local pick-your-own farm to bulk out your produce.

Throughout this book, measurements are given in metric and imperial – please use just one or the other, do not mix the two. Guidance on general techniques such as seed sowing and testing for a set is given in Garden notes and Kitchen notes.