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Mincemeat Biscuits are a great alternative to mince pies. Sweet, fruity, and with a subtle spicy flavour, even people who don’t like mince pies can enjoy these moreish biscuits! As well as quality mincemeat, I include chopped walnuts or pecans for a nutty bite. Finished …Read more
Rhubarb & Vanilla Jam, with a flavour reminiscent of rhubarb and custard, is simple and delicious. Perfect on scones, bread and butter, with yogurt or porridge, and in desserts and cakes. Make a strikingly coloured jam with early bright red rhubarb or later, greener rhubarb for …Read more
Piccalilli is a traditional British pickle of mixed vegetables in a thick, tangy sauce flavoured with mustard and turmeric. So easy to make at home, Piccalilli is a great addition to a ploughman’s lunch, eaten alongside pork pie, ham, cheeses, salads, or in a sandwich. …Read more
Potted Chicken is an easy and delicious way to use up leftover roast chicken. In this recipe I’ve flavoured the chicken with some classic partners. Fresh tarragon, garlic, and lemon zest. But you can swap in your own favourites like chives, thyme, or parsley. Simply …Read more
Orange Curd is a sweet, rich, and creamy preserve with the tang of citrus. A variation on the more common lemon curd, it’s quick and easy to make at home. All you need are oranges, a dash of lemon juice, eggs, butter, and sugar. Eat …Read more
Christmas baking recipes are some of the most enjoyable treats to cook over the festive season. Whether it’s sweet and spicy bread, cakes, or mince pies, savoury sausage rolls with melt-in-the-mouth pastry, homemade crackers for your cheeseboard, or party nibbles, you’ll find my favourites here. …Read more
Homemade Strawberry Jam is one of my favourite seasonal treats. In this post I’ll show you how to make a beautiful, soft-set strawberry jam filled with luscious pieces of whole fruit. It’s easy to make even for beginners, with no special equipment needed. If you …Read more
Jam making needn’t be difficult or involve lots of fancy equipment. In this beginner’s guide I’ll tell you everything you need to know as well as taking you through the process step-by-step. Although all the jam recipes on my blog give full instructions, here I’ve …Read more
Blackberry Brandy is a satisfying, easy project made with seasonal, foraged fruit. The spirit is flavoured with blackberries and sweetened with sugar to make a delicious, liqueur-like drink. Swap the brandy for gin, vodka, whisky, or dark rum if you prefer. Made using fresh or frozen …Read more
Homemade Potted Beef is a traditional British food that’s so simple you won’t believe how delicious it is. All you need to make it are diced beef, butter, salt, pepper, and a little beef stock. The seasoned, diced beef is slowly cooked with butter and …Read more
Potted Game is an easy but delicious spread using wild meat. In this recipe I use ready-prepared diced venison, partridge, and pheasant. This gives a meaty but mild game taste, plus a little smokiness from bacon, that everyone will love. The game is slowly cooked in …Read more
Wild Garlic Butter is a wonderful, seasonal condiment. You need just two ingredients to make it, and one of those is absolutely FREE! Wild garlic is found in most of Britain from March to June. And with its distinctive aroma, it’s easy for foraging beginners to …Read more
Grapefruit Jam is an easy, tangy homemade preserve that’s perfect for your morning toast. Great for beginners, the only ingredients you need are three or four grapefruits plus jam sugar. After discarding the peel and pith from the grapefruits, the flesh and juice are quickly …Read more
Mincemeat Christmas Tree is a stunning looking but deceptively simple tear and share bread. With fruity mincemeat between layers of lightly sweet, buttery dough, it’s a great alternative to mince pies. Made using my overnight, no-knead bread method it’s really simple too. Bake in just …Read more
Quick Pickled Cucumber is an easy pickle that’s ready to eat in a few hours. You can flavour the light pickling liquor however you please. Here I’ve used fresh dill and mustard seeds for one jar and warmly spicy Aleppo pepper in the other. Without …Read more
Potted Cheese is an easy, no-cook, traditional British cheese spread that’s perfect on crackers, biscuits, crusty bread or toast. Cheese and butter are simply combined with your choice of herbs and spices plus a touch of booze. You can make it with a single cheese such …Read more
Nasturtium Capers, with their piquant flavour, are an easy homemade alternative to capers. In fact, they’re not related to capers at all. They’re simply the pickled seeds of a colourful and common garden plant. Look among the leaves when your nasturtium plants have flowered, and you’ll …Read more
Do you have a glut of homegrown tomatoes to use up? Or maybe you’re looking for recipes for those market, veg box, and shop-bought tomatoes? In this post you’ll find a dozen of my favourite ways to use tomatoes. I only have a few pots …Read more
Apple Butter is a traditional and concentrated fruity preserve which doesn’t actually contain butter. Apples, along with water, sugar and spices, are cooked into a thick puree until they become caramelised and jam-like. For a bittersweet flavour, I include cider, but you could just use water …Read more
Potted Ham is a delicious, easy way to use up cooked ham. But I think it’s so good I often buy a ham hock specially to make it. Whichever ham you include, spread on toast or crusty bread with a few pickles on the side, …Read more
Semi-Dried Tomatoes in Oil are a lovely way to preserve and enjoy either homegrown or bought tomatoes. Dried in the oven for around one and a half hours, they have the intense flavour of sun-dried tomatoes but retain much of their juiciness. Stored in the …Read more
Hot & Spicy Courgette Chutney is a great way to use up homegrown courgettes or marrow. Inspired by Indian flavours, the hot, sweet and sour preserve pairs wonderfully with curries, pakora, yogurt and poppadoms as well as cheese and biscuits. Even if you don’t have …Read more
Overnight Oats with Gooseberry Compote makes a great summer breakfast or even dessert. Ripe, seasonal gooseberries are cooked with sugar until thick and soft. Layered between cool, creamy oats with optional chia seeds and yogurt, you’ll be racing out of bed to eat this! To …Read more
Mint Pesto is a lively condiment that takes little more than ten minutes to make. Without the cheese included in the classic Italian basil version, vibrant Mint Pesto is hugely versatile. All you need are: almonds (or substitute your favourite nuts), garlic, a lemon, salt, …Read more
Rhubarb Orange Compote, sweet with a tangy edge, makes a delicious breakfast served over porridge, yogurt or pancakes. So good, you can even use it in desserts. Try it over ice cream, cheesecakes, or whipped with double cream into a traditional fruit fool. Easily made in …Read more