Giardiniera and Messy Cabbage!

Still on a mission to build my stock pile for The Fat Cat's first Sugar and Spice event I purchased some 8oz jars - twice the size of the chutney jars I've been filling. I was going to try and fill them with sauces, Puttanesca for example which is easy to throw together and never fails to impress. However, I am unsure as to how well puttanesca sauce will keep with no natural preservatives in the jar. The pickles and chutneys are obviously preserved using vinegar and copious amounts of sugar in some cases and I can rely on them to be good for 6 months to a year...plenty of time to get them nice and 'brewed' and also sold!!

So, what to put in the jars? Pickled asparagus was an idea - 'natures swizzle stick' perfect for cocktails. Do I know many cocktail drinkers? Well, yes, but none who would make them at home...cocktails are for special occasions or when we happen upon a nice cocktail bar! (Not an easy feat in Hull I can tell you!)



It was then I remembered an old favourite of mine from when I lived at home; pickled red cabbage. Ideal with potato ash or meat pies, great with steak and chunky chips - real comfort food! Plus I had nearly 3 litres of spiced vinegar left from the pickled onions so off I went to the grocers to pick up some red cabbages. I bought two because I had no idea how far they'd go and following a recipe guideline I'd found online I cut them into strips and layered them in a large dish with coarse salt. I guessed that this was to remove any excess moisture and low and behold, once left in the fridge overnight, there was some very purple water at the bottom of the dish! I'm hoping the salt also keeps the strips of cabbage crunchy once immersed in pickle. I prepare pickled onions in pretty much the same way - in a brine - and that is so that they remain crunchy!



The strips of cabbage were then drained and popped in the lovely 8oz hexagonal jars I had heated in the oven to sterilise and then covered in the vinegar! (I made sure I removed the chili seeds and peppers before covering the cabbage). Isn't it a delicious colour?? (you can also see a few of the honey chutney jars in the back ground.)





My next job was the Giardiniera - Italian Mixed Pickled Vegetables. Ideal for anti-pasti. I bought some cauliflower, carrot batons, green beans and mushrooms. These were cut into pieces which would fit into the 8oz jars (except the mushrooms which I left whole). All the vegetables were brought to the boil in the spiced vinegar I had left over from the pickled onions AND the pickled cabbage! I only boiled for 5 minutes, I wanted to keep the veg slightly crunchy. I then drained the veg to make it easier for me to divide it between the jars and for additional flavour I popped a peeled garlic clove in the bottom of each jar. The vegetables were crammed as tightly as I could into jars and covered in vinegar. Voila! Pickled vegetables!!! I shall be testing those out on my Polish friends as they are the experts apparently on pickled vegetables and they have already given me rave reviews of the Fiery Tomato Chutney!!!

Both of these jars will be fiery as well which is an interesting slant I think? The vinegar has been sat for a month already full of chilies and mustard seeds...I'll make sure that they are well labelled otherwise someone may get a very hot shock!!!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Honey….

I was very short of time last night however I simply have to get some more chutney and pickles done before the Sugar and Spice event in a months time…My stock pile is looking quite healthy now but when placed on a 6ft table I'm guessing it's still going to look a little lost! I have however, got some larger 8oz jars now for the pickled vegetables and they will make the spread look a bit fuller! I actually prepared some red cabbage before starting on the chutney last night by slicing and layering with salt…it's been left overnight in the fridge. That made a mess of my hands and chopping board! Purple fingers and a lot of scrubbing later I started on the Honey Chutney…

I found a recipe for Uncooked Honey Chutney which sounded a little unusual and fresh. A quick whizz round the grocers later and I'd got all of the necessary ingredients and within an hour was at home chopping and peeling and mixing. Possibly the easiest chutney I've put together and very pretty once in the jars! No boiling (and very probable re-boiling) no overpowering smell of pickle and vinegar in the house (a smell I've become very accustomed to over the past few months!) AND only one pan to clean afterwards!!!! I made sure the jars were piping hot when I potted it all up so that a good vacuum was created. With the contents going in cold I was a little worried that the usual vacuum seal created by putting hot chutney into hot jars and the resulting cooling process would obviously not be created! I don't have any actual burns from the hot jars but I heard my fingers sizzle when I picked the first one up!!!

The chutney is a gorgeous golden colour! The chunkiness of it is really appealing to me too…plus because the fruit is raw I'll bet it'll be really fruity and fresh when ready!

Sugar 'n' Spice...

Chutney world domination is one step closer!

We have scheduled our first pamper party / ladies shopping day at a local village hall! Three of us have got together to organise these events under the name 'Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice' with lots of lovely stalls and niceties for the locals so that we can sell our wares. We'll also be donating some of the proceeds to a local recipient - in this instance it will be the village school who will be our beneficiary. We have 13 stalls already confirmed ranging from homemade chocolates to personalised pottery to handbags and scarves all the way to THE FAT CAT Chutneys! There's going to be a raffle and teas and cakes...I'm really excited about the whole prospect and hope that the local community gets behind us! We'll obviously be doing the marketing and organisational side of things - so far we've got flyers to produce, leaflets, a facebook group (look out for that one!) and I'm going to try and contact a few local businesses. My background is not in marketing however - if anyone has any other promotional ideas I'd really be happy to hear them!

I had best get on, my stock pile is growing but if I'm to be ready for the event mid May then I am going to need to get the remainder of the stock done this week and next. I've found a few more exciting recipes - one for a Honey Chutney which requires no cooking! Perfect if I haven't got much time for all of the boiling and re-boiling! I think I'll be preparing that one this evening, it looks lovely! It will also give me a nice balance between the sweet and savoury chutneys that I have now in stock...although I think I'm going to need another tomato based one without as much (or any) chili in it as the Fiery Tomato Chutney has...it's mind blowing now it's had some time to settle in! I've also got some pickled vegetable ideas which I think will go down a storm with the local foodies...now all I need to do is source some freshly laid eggs for the pickled eggs.

It's all systems go!!