Huh, You Want Me to Do What?

I'm certain some of my readers may have come across my post on 'putting up' and thought how on earth do you preserve fruits and vegetables? "I wouldn't have a clue where to begin. It frightens me!"

From now until posting date, Rosie and I will share some of our preserves and offer as much help as possible. Of course, we still plan to blog other recipes but we want to share with our readers the relevance of preserving and how it's really not too difficult, once you get started. Showing you step by step photos and links in the right direction. Keep in mind, that I FEEL YOUR NERVES. Remember, I am NEW to preserving and have just started learning myself.

In fact, it wasn't until this past weekend that I prepared a clementine curd to be jarred. It took less than an hour to make and curds are a wonderful first time preserving recipe to follow. TRUST ME on this one, because I also attempted a Clementine Marmalade which didn't firm up as much as I expected but thankfully, can still be used. For now, check out Rosie's Lemon and Lime Marmalade Recipe. She takes you through the process with step by step photos. Thanks Rosie.



Clementine Curd

To start off with, you need to familiarize yourself on how to sterilize jars. WikiHow has a great description and it is honestly, very easy to follow.

I decided to follow a recipe from the book that's going to be raffled off. It's originally a lemon curd recipe but the author notes you can use other citrus fruits or a combination. Since I had tons of clementines left from a box, I purchased at the market, for just £1.50 ($3) I naturally opted to make clementine curd.



Ingredients:
(makes about 1lb 8oz)

11 clementines (ooops, forgot to weight them for you! they were quite small)
1 lemon
1 lb of granulated sugar
4 eggs beaten
115g unsalted butter, diced
(the original recipe was made with 4 lemons)

1) Finely grate the rind with a zester or use a knife and chop fine. This is optional and you can use as much as you please. I chose to just use a small amount.
2) Squeeze out all the Juice (sounds so rude) from the clementines and lemon and place in a heat proof bowl.
3) Stir in the eggs, then add the butter and sugar. (Personally, I felt my curd was quite sweet and wished I used less sugar than the given amount.)
5) Place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, ensuring your bowl does NOT touch the water. You may need to add more water towards the end, as the water may evaporate while cooking.
6) Stir the mixture constantly, over low heat, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
7) Continue to stir occasionally. You do not need to stand over the stove (like I once thought you did). Come back to it every 5 minutes and stir until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.You will notice on the back of the spoon how it will cling and you should be able to use a finger to draw a clear line (refer to photo). Turn it off at this point.
8) Allow for it to sit for about 5 minutes.
8) While it is cooling, heat your jars in the oven. Remember, to clean the jars first in hot soapy water. Fill the curd into the warm sterilized jars and cover the tops with waxed discs. (I have to find out if this is necessary, will ask Rosie, or perhaps you know?)
9) Once completely cooled, cover with lids and store in the refrigerator.

*The books states that it can be stored for up to 3 months in a cool dark place and frigerated once opened. Rosie suggested to refrigerate it since it contains butter, and I happen to agree with her. Plus, I'm not ready for too much experimentation.

Extra:
Video help on Curds:
Preserving Lemon Curd
(I'd like to try this one at some point; doesn't seem too complicated!)

Recipes:
Lemon Curd Recipes
More Lemon Curd Recipes- Epicurious
Even MORE Lemon Curd Recipes--BBC Good Food

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On a different Note: My laptop needs to be repaired. Aaagh! Although, fortunately, I still have access to a computer, Bu needs it far more than myself (she says lightly). Anyhow, reason why I'm letting you know all this, is that if I don't call by your blog, it's not because I don't WUV U, it's simply because of the Damn Laptop.