Urban Harvest Recipe Book

Stopping Local Fruit going to Waste

Recipe Book

By Jackie GreenUrban Harvest at Northfield Ecocentre

Urban Harvest

Contents

Introduction

Equipment & Sterilising

Chutneys & Relishes

Hints & Tips

Pg 19 When Making Chutney

Recipes

Pg 20 Spiced Apple Chutney

Pgs 21 Spiced Courgette &pg 22 Chutney

Pg 23 Hot & Spicy Plum Chutney

Pg 24 Red Onion Relish

Pg 25 Green Tomato Chutney

Pg 26 Apple Cider

Pg 27 Apple & Damson Butter

CONTENTS

Jams, Jellies & Marmalade

Hints & Tips - pgs 6 -7

When Making Jam

When Making Jelly

How to Blet Medlars

Recipes

Pg 8 Blackberry & Apple Jam

Pg 9 Chilli Apple Jelly

Pg 10 Victorian Apple Jam

Pg 11 Damson Jam

Pg 12 Gooseberry Jam

Pg 13 Greengage Jam

Pg 14 Greengage, Fennel & Black Pepper Jam

Pg 15 Medlar & Crab Apple Jelly

Pg 16 Quince Jam

The History of Urban Harvest

Introduction

Welcometo our Urban Harvest Recipe book, the exciting culmination of a fruitharvesting project which has taken us far and wide collecting unwanted fruitin back gardens, parks, and businesses in and around Birmingham.

Urban Harvest works with the local community to make sure the fruit we grownear our homes is not wasted and left to rot, but instead it is redistributed toour fruit bowls, plates and store cupboards as fruit juices, chutneys & jams.

Every year tonnes of urban fruit goes to waste as people are either unable topick it, can't deal with the quantity or simply don’t know what to do with thefruit. Urban Harvest provides a positive solution to this problem, collectingunwanted fruit, tuning our food miles to food metres and helping us to reduceour joint environmental impact.

We hope this recipe book will give you the inspiration, tips a& ideas to startturning your own fruit, windfalls & foraged finds into tasty and free preservesfor your table. Thank you to everyone who supported us through Crowd-funding, without which Urban Harvest would have not been possible.

Enjoy trying out our recipes & creatingyour own fruity combinations!

Jackie GreenUrban Harvest Co-ordinator

INTRODUCTION

Hints & TipsEquipment and SterilisingYou don’t have to spend a fortune on buy-ing the right equipment for making chutney,jams and jelly. You can often use items thatyou already have in your kitchen. You canuse recycled jars for storing your preserves,but make sure that you don’t reuse lids thathave had any contact with vinegar, the vine-gar will damage the lid seal. If you aremaking preserves to sell then you must usenew jars and lids.

My basic equipment consists of a largeheavy based saucepan, a wide mouthed fun-nel, colander and tea towels. I only use newjars and lids because will sell our preserves.

Make sure everything is clean. All the jarsand lids are washed in warm soapy water andthen rinsed. The jars are placed on a tray inthe oven on a very low heat for at least 30minutes to sterilise them and keep them hotready for potting the preserves.The lids are placed in a saucepan of boilingwater and simmered for at least 15 minutes,then drained. Tea towels used for strainingjelly should be ironed first on a very highheat to sterilise them.

Northfield Ecocentre

Activities, workshops & eventsat Northfield Ecocentre:

� Energy Advice

� Food Growing

� Sustainable Travel

� Family Activities

� Schools Work

� Recycling & Waste

� Seasonal Events

� Courses

� Sewing & Craft group

� Gardening Groups

www.northfieldecocentre.org


Recipes

Hints & Tips

& Recipes

Jams, Jellies & Marmalade

Hints & TipsWhen Making Jam� Always cook the fruit before adding the

sugar. Simmer until all the sugar is dis-solved before bringing the jam mix to theboil.� Don’t make too much jam in one go, it

will be difficult to bring it to a boil &reach a good setting point.� Test the jam for a setting point after 10

minutes of rapid boiling. Put half a tea-spoonful of jam on a saucer that has beenchilled in the freezer. As it cools it shouldform a skin. If it hasn’t reached the set-ting point then continue to boil & testagain every 2 minutes.� Remove Scum. While the jam is boiling

some scum will rise to the surface. Whenthe jam reaches its setting point, remove itfrom the heat & scoop the scum off.� Use a ladle and a funnel to put the jam

into clean, dry, hot jars, filling them asnear to the top as possible. Seal with a lidstraightaway. Wipe the jars with a warm,damp cloth & leave to cool before label-ling.� Store in a cool, dry & preferably dark

place. Too much light will cause the col-our to fade.� If the jam hasn’t set af-

ter cooling, tip it into aclean pan & boil again.Add the juice of a smalllemon. Test for setting.



� Energy Advice

� Food Growing



� Schools Work


� Seasonal Events

� Courses




Support the Urban HarvestProject

Donate unwanted fruit& vegetables from yourback garden or business

Join our volunteer team andhelp pick fruit

GiveAll financial donations large

or small welcome.

***

Thank youto everyone who has

supported us in different waysso far without which Urban

Harvest would not have beenpossible.

***

Urban Harvestat Northfield Ecocentre

When Making JellyWith jelly the fruit is cooked first and thejuice is used to make the jelly. When cook-ing the fruit, add just enough water to thepan to lightly cover the fruit. When cooked,suspend the fruit over a bowl/bucket in ajelly bag & leave to drip for at least 2 hours,overnight is better. I use a sterilised teatowel & rest it in a colander over a bowl.Do not squeeze the fruit, this will make thejelly cloudy.Then follow the making jam instructions.The setting point is harder to find whenmaking jelly, sometimes it can be hit ormiss. Use the same test as you do for jam &if it doesn’t set in the jar you can boil it backup again. The scum will have to be removedwhen the jelly is ready to pot, if it isn’tremoved it will spoil the clarity of the jelly.

How to Blet MedlarsMedlars appear in farm shops & occasionallyfarmer’s markets & specialist food shops inlate autumn. They are usually bought rockhard & have to be softened. Pull off anyleaves & place the whole fruits on a shallowplate. Don’t pile them up.

Leave them at cool roomtemperature till they turndeep brown & are soft,almost squashy, to thetouch. They are then readyto cook.

Hints & Tips

RECIPES: Jams, Jellies & Marmalade

Put a plastic bag in your pocket when you go out walking and fill it withblackberries from hedgerows along the way. Blackberries go well withapple!

MethodPut the blackberries and apples into a preserving or large pan with the lemonjuice and 100ml water. Place over a medium heat and simmer gently for10-15 minutes, until tender and reduced.

Add the sugar to the pan and cook, stirring to dissolve. Bring to the boiland boil rapidly until it reaches the setting point. Remove from the heatand put in clean, sterilised jars.

Seal and label. Store unopened for 6 months. Refrigerate once opened.

Ingredients500g Blackberries500g Cooking apples,peeled, cored & choppedJuice 1 Small lemon1kg Jam sugar

Blackberry& Apple Jam


This jelly goes lovely with cheese - a nicesweet and spicy taste that brings out theflavour of the cheese. It can also be used asa dip with savoury biscuits.

MethodRoughly cut up the apples then place into a preserving pan, pips, core andall. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat andallow to simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the fruit is pulpy. Pour the fruitand liquid into a sterilised jelly bag and allow to drain through into a largecontainer until it stops dripping, about 3-4 hours. Do not be tempted tosqueeze.

Measure the juice and allow 450g preserving sugar and 5g of chilli flakesfor every 500ml of juice. Place the juice, sugar and chilli flakes in a cleanpan. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the

heat and carefully skim off any scum from the surface. Returnto the boil and boil vigorously for 15-20 minutes or untilsetting point is reached, skimming regularly. Using a sugarthermometer, the setting point will be reached at 105C/220F.

Ingredients2kg Cooking apples

Cold water to cover1.5kg Preserving sugar10-15g Chilli flakes

ChilliApple Jelly

Intro Para


This is a lovely recipe that I came across andhave adapted. The cloves and cinnamon givethe jam a warm Christmassy taste.

MethodWash the apples and chop or slice coarsely without peeling or coring. Putinto a preserving pan with the lemon juice and lemon rind, cloves andcinnamon stick and water, (and the loganberries if desired, these improvethe colour and taste) and cook until the apples are very tender and reducedto a pulp. Rub through a sieve.

Put the sieved pulp back into the cleaned preserving pan and add the sugar.Bring to the boil slowly, then simmer rapidly for 10 minutes.

Test for setting on a cold plate. When the apple jam sets,pot immediately into hot sterilised jars and seal.

Ingredients2.7 kg Cooking apples2.2 kg Sugar1.1 ltrs Water3 Lemons (juice & rind only)5 Cloves1 Cinnamon stickHandful Loganberries

VictorianApple Jam


MethodAdd the damsons and water to a pan on a medium heat and simmer foraround half an hour. Every five minutes or so break up the damsons witha spoon as they cook. This will also release the stones from the fruit.Remove the stones with the use of a sieve.Add the sugar and stir continuously for five minutes until completelydissolved.Turn the heat up to high and allow the jam mixture to boil for about 10minutes. Test to see if the jam has set / reached setting point. If the jam has

not set boil for a further two minutes.Pot up the jam into the hot sterilised jars. Seal and label.Allow the jam to cool at room temperature before using.

Ingredients1kg Damsons1kg Sugar400ml Water

Damson Jam

Damson jam is not always easy to find in your regular shops.I have found that it is always a very popular jam that disappears from ourshelves very quickly.So make it yourself!


Often found growing wild in public parks but infrequently sold in shops,gooseberries are best eaten when cooked as they can be quite tart.And they make a perfect jam.

MethodPut the gooseberries, lemon juice and 400ml water in a large wide pan (usea preserving pan if you have one). Bring to the boil then simmer for 15minutes until the fruit is very soft and pulpy.

Add the sugar and stir over a gentle heat for another 10 minutes until thesugar is completely dissolved then bring to the boil and boil hard for 10minutes, skimming the surface as you go and stirring now and again to stopit catching. The jam will start to turn a pinky red hue as it cooks.

Test for the setting point. When reached do a final skim onthe finished jam then pour into the sterilised jars and seal. Storein a cool dark place – the jam will be good for at least 6months. Keep in the fridge once opened.

Ingredients

1kg Gooseberries, topped & tailed400ml WaterJuice of ½ Lemon1kg Granulated sugar

GooseberryJam


A firm setter, with a more intense flavourthan plum.

MethodWash and halve the greengages and remove the stones. Put them in asaucepan and just cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer until softbut not pulpy. Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved, bring to a boil,and them testing for the setting point after 10 minutes.

Once it has reached its setting point transfer into warm sterilised jars andseal.

Ingredients1.8kg Greengages1.8kg Sugar300ml Water

GreengageJam


This jam has a superb flavour that is equally good with cheese or meat.Try experimenting by adding other spices.

MethodWash the greengages and remove the stones. Place the greengages in a saucepan andjust cover with water. Cook until pulpy and put to one side.

Heat the oil in a thick bottom saucepan and add the fennel seeds and cracked pepper,fry for one minute then add the fruit pulp with the sugar. Mix well and bring to a boil.Reduce heat and let it simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until it has thickened.

Turn the heat off, add lemon juice and mix it well.Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal.

Ingredients2.5kg Greengages4 cups Sugar1 tbls Fennel seeds1.5 tbls Crushed blackpepper1.5 tbls Cooking oil1/2 cup Lemon juice

Greengage, Fennel & Black Pepper Jam


This has got to be my favourite jelly. It was great to come across such awonderful medlar tree in a garden in Handsworth Wood and combineit with crab apples from Harborne.

MethodMake sure the medlars are well bletted (see page 7) and remove any leaves.Cut each fruit in half and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Pour over thewater. Cut the lemon into six pieces and add it to the fruit. Bring to the boilthen turn the temperature down so that the liquid simmers gently. Partiallycover with a lid and leave to cook for an hour, taking care that the liquiddoesn’t evaporate, and giving the fruit an occasional squash with a woodenspoon. Avoid the temptation to stir or mash the fruit which will send thefinished jelly cloudy.

Pour the fruit and its liquid into a jelly bag suspended over a large jug orbowl. (I hang mine from the taps over the sink) Let the juice drip into thejug, giving it the occasional squeeze till all the juice has dribbled through.Put the juice back into a clean saucepan and boil for fourminutes, then add an equal amount of sugar (this is likely tobe about 500g). When the sugar has dissolved pour into clean,warm jars and seal. I use Kilner jars with rubber seals. Leaveto cool.

IngredientsSugar (depends on the amount ofjuice produced from the fruit)Bletted medlarsCrab applesWaterLemons

Medlar &Crab Apple Jelly


Quince has a beautiful aroma, with a very firm flesh which is best cookedbefore eating. Often quince is used to make jelly but it also makes awonderful jam, and when used this way you will have more jars filled.

MethodWash and grate the washed quince with the skins left on, avoiding the pips.Boil the water and drop all the grated quince in the boiling water and let itcook until soft. Mix in the sugar until it all dissolves and let it boil untilthe jam reaches consistency. Mix in the lemon juice and let it boil oncemore.

Skim off any scum and carefullyladle into sterilized jars.

Ingredients1kg Quince1kg Sugar2 cups water1 tbls Lemon juice

QuinceJam

Urban Harvest


offers practical advice &inspiring ideas on how to greenup your lifestyle, home orbusiness.

Launched in 2009 in SouthBirmingham, the Ecocentreruns a wide range of activities,workshops & events across avariety of themes. Theseinclude energy saving, homeenergy makeovers, organicgardening, sustainabletransport, tree planting,recycling, real nappies andmore.

The Ecocentre building ispacked full of energy savingfeatures (solar panels, greenroof, air source heat pump) andlots of thought provokingdisplays.


The History of Urban Harvest

Urban Harvest was set up as a business in2011 by Eleanor Hoad and Nigel Baker,picking five tonnes of fruit in on the firstharvest season.

The following year Northfield Ecocentretook over the management of the project,harvesting fruit from households in andaround Northfield and south Birminghamwho were unable to pick the fruit in theirown garden for reasons including ill-health,busy lives or difficult to reach branches.

Working with volunteers to pick, the fruitwas redistributed to children’s centres,individuals, a food cooperative, volunteersand some of the households.

In September 2013 Northfield Ecocentrelaunched a Crowdfunding appeal tosuccessfully raise £10,000 to expand theproject, employing a dedicated project co-ordinator. By January 2014 3 ½ tonnes offruit had been picked, juiced, made intochutney and sold and redistributed back tothe local community.


Recipes

Hints & Tips

& Recipes

Chutneys & Relishes

Hints & Tips



� Energy Advice

� Food Growing



� Schools Work


� Seasonal Events

� Courses




When Chutney Making

Chutneys come in all shapes and sizes andare a fantastic accompaniment to salads,cheese, meat and curries.

When it comes to making chutney the mainthing is to get the right consistency, thereforethe ingredients have to be cooked until youcan run the back of a wooden spoon throughthe chutney in the pan and it leaves an indentfor a short while. This will often mean thatyou will have to cook the chutney for around2 to 2 ½ hours unless otherwise stated in arecipe.

Anything else??

RECIPES: Chutneys & Relishes

Intro Para

MethodPut all the ingredients into a preserving pan. Slowly bring to the boil untilthe sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 1½-2 hours, stirring from time to timeto stop the chutney sticking to the pan.

When it is very thick and you can draw a wooden spoon across the base ofthe pan so that it leaves a channel behind it that does not immediately fillwith liquid, the chutney is ready.

Turn into sterilised jars, seal and cool. Store in a cool, dark cupboard fortwo to three months before eating. Will keep for 12 monthsin an unopened jar.

Ingredients225g Onions, chopped900g Apples, cored & chopped110g Sultanas, raisins

or chopped dates15g Ground coriander15g Paprika15g Mixed spice15g Salt340g Granulated sugar425ml malt vinegar

Spiced AppleChutney

This chutney has all the flavours of Christmasand goes well with pork and left-over turkey.


MethodTraditional Asian spices turn courgettes into a superb chutney to enjoy withjust about everything; cheese, cold meats, curries etc. You can use up yourovergrown courgettes, but tender courgettes when they are no more than15 cm long are preferred to make this delightful spiced chutney.

Start by wiping the courgettes over and cutting off the stalks. Chop into5-6mm pieces and place in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Stand the

colander over a bowl and leave for a couple of hours. Thesalt will draw out excess water from the courgettes and willprevent the courgettes going mushy when they are cooked.

Continued Overleaf.

Spiced CourgetteChutney

This is my all-time favouritechutney. I serve this withpopadoms, it has all thetraditional curry spices andmakes a lovely dip. It alsotastes good with a strongflavoured mature cheddar.

Ingredients1kg Courgettes, green or yellow2 tblsp Salt2 Medium onions4-5 Large cloves garlic1 Red chilli25g Root ginger100ml Sunflower oil2 tblsp Mustard seed, black or yellow1 tblsp Coriander seed1 tbsp Ground cumin1 tblsp Turmeric300 ml Cider vinegar225g Demerara sugar


Continued from previouspage.

Intro Para

MethodMeanwhile, peel the onion, garlic cloves, ginger and de-seed the chilli.Place these four ingredients in a blender and blitz well to form a paste.Rinse the courgettes with plenty of cold water and dry well.

Heat the oil a large roomy saucepan. Sprinkle in the mustard and corianderseeds and fry for a 3-4 minutes. Add the ground cumin and turmeric.Keep shaking the pan to prevent the spices burning. Add the onion pasteand cook with the spices for 4-5 minutes. Add the courgettes, vinegar andthe sugar. Stir well and bring to simmering point over a medium heat.Reduce the heat and let the mixture cook slowly until the courgettes havesoftened and the liquid has reduced. This will take approximately 45minutes.

Pot the chutney whilst still hot in sterilised jars, packing down with aspoon to remove any air pockets. Seal with vinegar proof lids.

Store in a cool, dark place. Best left to mature for 4 to 6weeks before eating. Will keep for 12 months if unopened.

Spiced CourgetteChutney


Goes lovely with pork and whitemeats either on a sandwich or withyour roast dinner.

MethodHalve the plums and remove the stones. Peel and coarsely chop the onions.Put the fruit and onions into a large stainless steel pan with the raisins,sugar, chilli, salt, mustard seeds, vinegar, and cinnamon stick.

Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and leave to simmer for at least an houruntil thickened, giving the occasional stir to reduce the risk of the chutneysticking.

Spoon into sterilized jars and seal.

Ingredients750g Plums400g Onions3/4 cup Raisins1 cup Light muscovado sugar1/2 tsp Crushed dried chilli1 tsp Salt2 tsp Yellow mustard seeds2/3 cup Cider vinegar2/3 cup Malt vinegar1 Cinnamon stick

Hot & Spicy PlumChutney


MethodHeat the oil in a preserving pan or a large heavy, stainless steel saucepan.Add the onions, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook over low to mediumheat for about 30 minutes until the onions soften and turn translucent,stirring occasionally so they don’t catch and burn. Slow cooking is essentialat this point as this is where the delicious caramel taste is developed.

Raise the heat a little, add the wine and vinegars and stir to combine. Bringto a boil then reduce the heat, stir in the sugar and cook on low heat, stirringoccasionally, for another 30–40 minutes until most of the liquid hasevaporated.

Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary,although the flavours will mature with time. Spoon into warm sterilisedjars with non-metallic or vinegar-proof lids, making sure there are no air

gaps. Cover with waxed paper discs, seal and label. Store ina cool, dark place for at least 1 month to allow the flavours todevelop. Perfect served with cold meats and cheese. Keepsfor 3 months. Refrigerate after opening.

Ingredients2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil1kg Red onions (approx. 6) peeled, halved & sliced150ml Red wine or port3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar3 tbsp White wine vinegar6 tbsp Light soft brown sugar

Freshly ground black pepperand sea salt to taste

Red OnionRelish

A sweet onion flavour that isperfect added to your cheesesandwich. The red oniongives the relish a wonderfulcolour too.

Makes approx. 700g or 2medium jars


the flavour until you get it just right for your palate.

You need to experiment with makinggreen tomato chutney to get the flavourjust right. Don’t be afraid to try the chutney while cooking and adjust

MethodFinely slice the onions and washed green tomatoes, discarding any bad bits.Add to a large bowl and stir. Add the salt, stir again and then cover withfood wrap or a large plate and leave overnight. This will draw out lots ofthe tomato juices and reduce the time you need to cook the chutney for.Much of the cooking time is just reducing the liquid down so it's a thickenough consistency for chutney.

Place the Balsamic and malt vinegar into a large pan. Add the sugar andstir over a medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil.Roughly chop the sultanas then add to the simmering vinegar and sugar.Bring the whole lot to a gentle boil. Drain the tomatoes and onions but donot rinse. Add to the chutney with the white pepper and stir in well. Bringto a gentle boil and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirringoccasionally until thick and golden. Put the chutney into warmsterilised jars and fit a vinegar proof lid. When full give thema quick tap on the bottom against the work surface to knockout any air bubbles.

Ingredients2.5kg Green tomatoes,

roughly chopped2 Cooking apples0.5kg Red onions,

chopped4 tsp Salt750ml Malt vinegar250ml Balsamic vinegar0.5kg Soft light brown sugar250g Sultanas, roughly

chopped3 tsp Ground black pepper

Green TomatoChutney


This is a great way to use up any fallen apples that you are unable to store.Adding different amounts of sugar and using different apples will producea new flavour ciderevery time.

MethodTake all the fallen apples; cut up and place into a fermentation bucket.Cover with cold water, protect with muslin or loosely put the lid on and letstand for 10 days, giving an occasional stir daily. When fermentation hasceased, strain. Add 1kg of sugar to every 5 litres of liquid. Bottle and letstand, uncorked for 14 days or put in demi-johns with air-locks. Once ithas ceased working, cork securely if using bottles. Do not use screw tops.Or leave in the demi-johns with the air-locks. Leave to stand between 2and 3 months.

This is a wonderful way to enjoy the pleasures of windfallapples. What could be better than to celebrate Christmas witha glass of crystal clear, sparkling cider? Scrumptious!

IngredientsWindfall Apples (thesmaller the better)SugarWater

Apple Cider


MethodPeel, core and cut the apples, and then cook in a little water until soft. Cookthe damsons until soft and remove the stones and add to the apples.

Push pulp mixture through a nylon sieve and measure. For every 500ml ofpulp add 500g sugar, return pulp and sugar to preserving pan and bring tothe boil. Boil until setting occurs and pour into small jars or potsimmediately. Serve apple and plum butter with biscuits or on homemadecrusty bread.

A few spices can be added when cooking the fruit. Cinnamonfor example gives a lovely flavour, especially for a Christmastime treat.

Ingredients1.5kg Apples500g Damsons500g Sugar to each 500ml pulp

Apple & DamsonButter

A butter is a smoother kind of jam, thisrecipe brings out the wonderful flavourof both the apple and damson.



Urban Harvest is a project of Northfield EcocentreRegistered Charity No. 224571

Photographs copyrightJackie Green and stock.xchng

The Urban Harvest Recipe book is an exciting culmination of a fruitharvesting project which has taken us far and wide collecting unwantedfruit from back gardens, parks and businesses in and around Birmingham.

Urban Harvest works with the local community to make sure the fruit wegrow near our homes is not wasted and left to rot, but instead it isredistributed to our fruit bowls, plates as store cupboards as fruit juices,chutneys & jams.

We hope this recipe book will give you the inspiration, tips a& ideas tostart turning your own fruit, windfalls & foraged finds into tasty and freepreserves for your table.

Featured on the BBC’s Great British Garden Revival, MidlandsToday , and BBC WM radio, as well as in the Birmingham Mail.

Thank you toeveryone whosupported us

through Crowd-funding, without

which UrbanHarvest wouldnot have been

possible.

Documents

Urban Harvest Recipe Book