Home-made Vanilla Extract

Because I like things as close to natural as possible, I was keen to try this method of making vanilla extract.  I like to know exactly what is in mine.

I have heard the concern that it is alcohol based.  We very rarely use vanilla extract in food preparation that doesn't require cooking, but a tablespoon in one recipe is a small amount in my opinion.  If we are cooking the recipe the alcohol is evaporated out leaving the flavour behind.

Vodka 37% alcohol
Vanilla beans

1. Take 5 vanilla beans and cut them in half lengthwise.  I also cut those lengths in half so they fit in my jar. 
2. Pour 250 mls of vodka over the beans and seal with a lid. Vodka, because it is flavourless and wont change the taste of the extract.
3. Give it a shake and store it in a cool, dark cupboard.
4. Shake every few days for 4 weeks. By now the vanilla extract will be ready to use.
5. At this point you can pour the vanilla extract into a separate bottle using a sieve to catch the little seeds.
6. The remaining vanilla extract in the jar with the beans will continue to get stronger as it sits.

You can use the seeds in baking and ice cream making.  

This is a website I have used for my information: The Vanilla Company

~Lorna

Blackberry Jam

2.25 kg blackberries
2.25 kg sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Since we picked WILD blackberries we had to soak them to eliminate the wildlife.

1. Cover the berries with water in a large bowl.  
2. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of salt.  This will kill the caterpillars and other bugs hiding in the berries.
3. After allowing the berries to soak for a few hours, carefully scoop out the bugs floating on the top.  Gently stir and scoop out the bugs as they surface.
4. Rinse the berries to wash off the salt water.
5. Drain.

Now we are ready to make the jam.

1. Mix the sugar into the washed berries and allow it to sit for a few hours or over night.  This helps to draw the juices out of the berries.
2. Heat the mixture gently until the berries are soft enough to squash.  
3. I tried to mash them with a potato masher, but gave up and blended them quickly with a stick blender.  Blackberry seeds are very hard and I wanted to remove them before making the jam.
4. Push the blended mixture through a sieve to separate the seeds from the pulp.  Discard the seeds.
5. Put the pulp back in the pot and add the lemon juice.
6. Bring to the boil and test the jam after 15 minutes. 
7. Continue to heat the jam until it reaches the setting point.
8. Pour into sterilized jars and seal the lids.  Makes 5 300 ml jars. 
9. Label and store.

**To test for the setting point of jam take a tsp of jam and drop it onto a cold plate and put the plate into the fridge or freezer.  Wait a few minutes and then draw your finger through the jam.  If it tracks back together it is not ready.  If the track remains open it is ready to bottle.**

~Lorna

Peach And Mango Chutney

1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 small onions chopped
1 capsicum chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 lemon with skin thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 kg peaches chopped
1/2 kg mangoes chopped

1. Combine everything in a large pot except the mangoes and peaches.  Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.  
2. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for about an hour until the mixture thickens.
3. Add the fruit and cook until tender.
4. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Improves with keeping - up to 1 year.

I used the recipe found *here* and tweaked it a bit.