As the winter cold increasingly creeps up on us, it’s a good time to start thinking about winter preserving. In no way is preserving limited to the spring, summer and autumn months. To begin with, here is a recipe for a delicious onion jam. Try serving this with beef or venison or even on a cheese platter. It is great in sandwiches also. Add a spoonful to a casserole or gravy for extra flavour. Try susbtituting orange rind and juice for the lemon.
1kg brown onions, peeled weight
2 tablespoons cooking salt
1 teaspoon whole cloves
6 allspice berries
4 cups sugar
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups white or cider vinegar
3 teaspoons caraway seeds
Cut onions into quarters, then slice thinly. Place in a bowl and mix with the salt, then leave to stand for 2 hours or more. Drain and rinse, drain well.
Place the cloves and allspice in a small piece of muslin and tie the top with string to make a small bag.
Combine the sugar, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, muslin bag and caraway seeds in a large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until a jam-like cinsiste3ncy is reached.
Makes approximately 1kg.