My glorious odd one out
My jar of preserved artichokes, made 19 February 2019.
In all its label-free glory (other labels turned away), I am proud to say that my Kilner jar of preserved artichokes is the odd one out on the shelf!
If I get it right this year, shop-bought preserves will be the odd ones out on that shelf, or at least the balance will be different. I’m not by any means anti-supermarket. I live in London and couldn’t do without them. They serve a good purpose. I will always buy preserves, but if you are able to grow your own produce, it’s nice and prudent to be able to preserve any surplus. In Mediterranean cuisines, preservation techniques are part of the normal cooking process for fruits and vegetables such as olives and artichokes. So, never fear, supermarkets! I can guarantee that I won’t be extending my range to cuttlefish and sun-dried tomatoes any time soon.
My sister makes wonderful jams. I’m afraid my jam making exploits have been nothing short of disastrous so far. I haven’t given up though. My single jar of artichokes has given me hope!
The jar is label-free because it was my first go at preserving vegetables, I wasn’t terribly organised, AND the ingredients only stretched to one bottle - that one, so there was no confusing it with anything else! I ‘kind of’ followed a recipe I found online but unfortunately I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA which one.
The making of my first artichoke preserve on 19 February 2019.
As providence would have it, guess what I harvested on my allotment plot last week? Artichokes! Three in fact. Enough for one tiny jar. Enough to take proper note of a recipe this time around, ahead of the full harvest later this year. Brilliant!
Here are my three artichokes on the plant this February 2020:
Three beauties, ready for preservation, 04 February 2020. They withstood the (mild) winter!
I’ll let you know how my 2019 preserve tastes soon.
