Our first home had a long rear garden with apple trees over a lawn on one side, and a sizeable area on the other which looked promising for growing vegetables. After spending time that autumn and winter digging and preparing the soil, the question was, “Now we've got it, what shall we plant in it?”
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“Let's grow some beetroot for pickling!” That was certainly one of the first things that came to mind.
As fairly novice gardeners, the vegetable beds were our oysters and plump purple baby beetroot, perfect for pickling, were just a few of the pearls we were able to harvest that year.
Pickled beetroot... It had been a staple with cheese sandwiches for the not so well off, part of a Sunday afternoon tea for the better off and found in the picnic hampers of posh folks.
We have great childhood memories of the Christmas-time gatherings of families, friends and neighbours when the kitchen table would quickly become strewn with cut loaves, cold meats and cheeses. The flavours of piccalilli, home-made chutneys, pickled onions, beetroot, cabbage, (even eggs) and jam sandwiches for the youngsters would lighten even the greyest days of December.
It was as if the sunshine of summer had been caught in a glass jar to be served alongside the Aunties' and Grandmas' favourite - a cheer-me-up glass of winter-warming sherry!
Having had a number of good growing seasons, we experimented not only with the apples and vegetables from our own garden, but with fruits gathered from hedgerows, other produce grown by friends and neighbours, as well as seeking out herbs, spices and more exotic things from far and wide.
Their uses as flavourings and condiments go on and on. And as you discover them, and look for ways in which they “marry” with other foods and drinks, you find yourself saying, “You know what, that would go really well with...”
And then it all becomes something of a challenge, the combinations and permutations are endless. The quest goes ever on to rediscover some of those long forgotten flavours, and yes, even create some new ones - or, you never know, to even be the inventor of a new world-wide classic.
How it all started...
A little bit about us ...
Located in Stourbridge between The Black Country and the rolling hills of Worcestershire, we are lucky enough to be near both town and countryside, having the best of both worlds.
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Recently, we have been making more of the preserves that people have so kindly complimented us on, and we thought we would find a place where we could let folks know a little more about them. And here it is...
CraftedPreserves.co.uk
We are also on
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Our "One Pot" Kitchen...
From the garden...
We like to use the things that we grow in our own small garden, and supplies from friends and neighbours, of course, as well as locally grown produce from nearby farmers' markets.
Chutneys, Jams, Relishes...
...and all sorts of things.
And then it all goes into...