Preserving is, without a doubt, my favourite thing to do in the kitchen. There’s something deeply satisfying about capturing the flavours of the season in a jar, ready to be enjoyed long after the harvest has passed.
From bubbling pots of jam to spiced chutneys, pickles, relishes to dehydrated delights, it’s a slow, thoughtful process that brings me so much joy. Not everything gets eaten right away. What we don’t manage to get through during the year often finds its way into homemade Christmas hampers for friends and family, always with the understanding that they return the empty jars so the cycle can begin again the following year.
Preserving is a beautiful way to reduce waste, make the most of garden gluts, and stretch the flavours of the season just a little further. Whether you’re new to it or already hooked, I hope these recipes and ideas inspire you to give it a go.
Preserve recipes are listed in A to Z order. If you’re searching for something specific, such as a way to use up plums or excess tomatoes, use the TAG menu on the right to filter by ingredient.
So grab your jars, wash your lids and let’s get preserving.
5 Ways to Preserve Fresh Chillies
Check out my 5 Ways to preserve fresh chilli so you can make the most of your chilli harvest. If ... Read More
When faced with one quickly ripening banana you can throw it in smoothie; 3-4 can be transformed into a delicious ... Read More
Bitter Grapefruit & Whisky Marmalade
When life gives you grapefruit…..why should lemons get all the glory?! Bitter marmalade is a personal preference. I find it ... Read More
Blueberry Vinegar & Vinaigrette
Once you have access to locally grown fruit in copious amounts and at grower’s prices it’s time to experiment with ... Read More
Brandied Grapes are, quite simply, multi-fabulous. Not only do they transform into an epic fruit dessert topper (perfect for crumbles, ... Read More
Bread and Butter Pickle, sometimes also known as cucumber pickle or even dill pickle depending on the spices you choose, ... Read More
As the name suggests, this Chilli Fig Jam is sweet however with the beautiful chilli after-kick it isn’t the kind ... Read More
Citrus Sweet & Sour Cooking Sauce
I first discovered this recipe when I was trying to make a citrus jelly. The result was it was too ... Read More
Homemade Lemon Curd is a classic. Love it thick and creamy, or with zesty strips of peel, it’s delicious on ... Read More
Curried Courgette Sandwich Pickle
One moment you are admiring the cute little courgettes sprouting beneath the foliage, next minute bulbous marrows bathe lazily in ... Read More
Dehydrated Persimmon – Slices and Fruit Rollups
Extra ripe persimmon make the perfect dehydrated fruit roll-ups! The persimmon season is a short one. Depending on when picked, ... Read More
What is a pickling onion? It is literally just a small onion – no particular variety or sneaky growing methods ... Read More
How is your beetroot growing? If you planted several seedlings and they are naturally maturing at the same time, you’ll ... Read More
Save those fresh veggie leftovers and make a delicious refrigerator pickle. Unlike most of my preserves which are intended to ... Read More
With an abundance of late croppers, it’s time to make Feijoa & Ginger Jam. Maybe it’s the Waikato weather, maybe ... Read More
Feijoa season is short and sharp, usually providing an over abundance of fruit. Time to add Feijoa BBQ Sauce to ... Read More
Yum! So delicious with cold meat or on cheese platter, and a pretty addition to the picnic table, homemade Feijoa ... Read More
Forgotten Fruits: Crab Apple Jelly
I’ve started a series of recipes dedicated to forgotten backyard fruit. You know the ones: look a bit strange, have ... Read More
It’s October – that means Loquat Jam is on the menu. My loquat tree has self seeded numerous times and ... Read More
Forgotten Fruits: Loquat Sauce
If you’ve never tasted loquat, you’re in for a treat. The fruit is sweet and bursting with juice. ‘A flavoursome ... Read More
It’s fresh fig season and I’m loving it. Out come the preserving pans once again and it’s Fresh Fig Chutney ... Read More
Saving the last of the fruit bowl stragglers with my Fruit Bowl Chutney! There are times when I look mournfully ... Read More
With my passion of saving food, my green tomatoes are destined for the preserving pan: Green Tomato & Chilli Chutney ... Read More
Be sure to use that glut of green tomatoes at the end of the summer season for good use! You ... Read More
Inspired from some fruit paste that I spotted at an event recently, I thought I’d have a go at making ... Read More
With a healthy crop of chilli turning fiery red within a few weeks, I did wonder what to do with ... Read More
I’ve had such a massively successful run with chilli this season. Planted from seed, virtually every jalapeno seedling grew to ... Read More
I’m a keen preserver and look forward to enjoying as much homegrown fruit as possible off season. Homemade compote is ... Read More
I love limes. I absolutely adore them. In fact, all citrus gets a big tick from me. Here’s how to ... Read More
Making homemade Mandarin Cordial
With an over-abundance of mandarins, making homemade mandarin cordial to enjoy for the remainder of the year is an easy ... Read More
With my first real success in making sauerkraut, I am converted. I first fell in love with sauerkraut several years ... Read More
You’ve heard of Lemon Curd — so why not Mandarin Curd? Nope, no reason at all it seems. So I ... Read More
Fruit syrup is a great way to utilise ripening fruit. I can’t imagine myself supping on a plum juice but ... Read More
Ready yourself for beetroot chaos in the kitchen! This Onion and Beetroot Relish is worth the effort. Like many recipes, ... Read More
A delicious all-purpose relish, Pear & Tomato Relish is a winner when looking to preserve the last of the season’s ... Read More
To enjoy persimmon year round, make the most of an ample harvest and preserve a batch of persimmon chutney. Like ... Read More
Pickled Beetroot (from frozen)
Delicious with so many things, Pickled Beetroot may be a little messy to make but worth it many times over ... Read More
I’m not afraid to say that this was an absolute experiment. I am delighted to report that it was an ... Read More
As you may have spotted in my 5 Ways to Preserve Fresh Chilli, this simple brine recipe works a treat ... Read More
The rich, yellow glow that penetrates even the dullest winter afternoon reminds me, from my kitchen window, that my backyard ... Read More
Preserving pears in juice makes for a handy breakfast or baking companion, long after the pear season has ended. You ... Read More
Preserving using the Water Bathing Method
I go back to basics and rediscover the water-bath method of preserving, just like grandma used to. While I have ... Read More
With an abundance of cherry tomatoes in my veggie patch there is nothing more daunting than the thought of having ... Read More
I LOVE feijoa – the smell, the taste and the convenience of having a tree absolutely laden and ready at ... Read More
If you need ANY more inspiration to plant untold tomato seedlings next season, this is one of them: my yet-to-be ... Read More
Spaghetti squash is such a delicious crop – now you can enjoy it year round in the form of a ... Read More
Having an abundant plum season? Maybe it’s time for a batch of Spiced Plum Chutney. I have learnt to be ... Read More
My Spiced Plum Sauce is cracking…if I may say so myself! My plum tree giv-ith, trice. Yep, my amazing plum ... Read More
Cauliflower, yum! I love this versatile vege so much I could almost drink it! Cauliflower Pickle has been my latest ... Read More
Not a refrigerator pickle nor a fermentation, this Zingy Cabbage Pickle is a preserve recipe that is shelf stable. I ... Read More