Cape Town - Usually, lunch consists of a salad at my desk.
But one day in early spring I found myself making jam (and eating a three-course lunch) in a luxury Bishopscourt venue.
The point of the exercise was not the jam itself - but the launch in South Africa of a range of preserving jars.
Making home preserves was once a necessity, and then fell out of fashion. The general rise of home crafts is pushing it back into popular consciouness again - and the uncertainty of South Africa's electricity supply means that a well-stocked pantry is again a necessity.
At the launch, the assembled food and lifestyle writers were fed and watered from Ball jars, which are making their way from the United States market to ours.
While we ate and drank and chatted, we got on with making the jam, which was easy to do (see recipe below) - mush up strawberries, add sugar and lemon zest, boil.
As an occasional home preserver though I was fascinated by the preserving method. I'm used to assembling old mayonnaise and coffee jars, sterilising them and then keeping the result in the fridge - it all feels virtuously frugal, but I have had some of my preserves go bad.
The Ball method is different: you put the jars in a pot of hot water to get them to heat and to sterilise them, then you add the preserve and put the lid on. So far, so familiar. But there's another step: you then submerge the jars in the same large pot of boiling water and let them stand in that for 10 minutes. This causes air to escape the jar, creating a vacuum. And that means the jar can stand in the pantry for a year before it has to be used.
The secret, claim makers Jarden Home Brands, lies in the lid (the flat bit that seals the jar... the round screwing part is called the band). The metal-plated Ball lids are BPA free, and "offer the safest, most reliable results of any lid on the market". (You're told not to use them twice though as the the lid will no longer seal effectively).
Jarden have been making home preserving equipment since 1884, says their press release, so they are likely to know a thing or two.
If you feel moved to don an apron and get preserving, the Ball Home Preserving Starter Kit is a good place to start. It comes with a preserving jar basket, 3 Ball pint jars with lids and bands, the basic preserving accessories and a quick preserving and recipe guide. It sells in South Africa for between R299 to R360 - and would make a good Christmas gift.
A 500ml (pint) Bell jar should cost you between R25.50 and R29 - which seems a lot compared with a mayonnaise jar. But if your preserve will truly last a year, that's a price worth paying.
* Go to the Ball® brand fresh preserving website at FreshPreserving.co.za. South African stockists are listed on the website
* Facebook.com/BallJarsRSA.
* Twitter at @Ball_RSA
RECIPES
The recipes for some of the meals served at the launch are provided below, along with the delicious strawberry jam recipe.
Lemony Strawberry Jam
INGREDIENTS:
1 L Crushed Strawberries
750 mL granulated sugar
1 large lemon
DIRECTIONS:
Wash jars, lids and bands in hot, soapy water. Heat jars in simmering water in a large pot. Set lids and bands aside.
Combine crushed strawberries, grated zest of lemon and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Boil, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and gels. Remove from heat. Skim off foam.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars, one at a time, leaving 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace. Wipe rim. Centre lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight. Process filled jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove pot lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store up to 1 year in the pantry.
Strawberry Lemonade
Recipe: Makes about 490 ml
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 L hulled strawberries
1 L freshly squeezed lemon juice
1.5 L granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare boiling water preserver (in other words, a large pot). Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready to use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, working in batches, until smooth. Transfer to a large stainless steel saucepan as completed. Add lemon juice and sugar to strawberry puree, stirring to combine.
Heat to 88° C over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
Ladle hot concentrate into hot jars leaving 0.65 cm headspace. Wipe rim. Centre lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
Process jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when centre is pressed.
To reconstitute, mix one part concentrate with one part water, tonic water or ginger ale. Adjust concentrate to suit your taste.
Fresh Gazpacho Soup
Recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
900 g tomatoes (about 6 medium)
450 g cucumbers (about 2 medium)
150 g chopped onion (about 1 large)
175 g chopped green pepper (about 1 large)
50 g chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
1.25 L tomato juice
120 ml red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Peel, core, seed and chop tomatoes.
Peel, seed, and chop cucumbers.
Combine all ingredients.
Ladle gazpacho into clean jars leaving 1.25 cm headspace.
Place lids & bands on jars.
NOTE: I found this a little peppery - you could try cutting down on the pepper sauce.
Colourful Honey-Chicken Salad
Recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
500 g chopped cooked chicken
3 celery ribs, diced (about 375 mL)
120 g sweetened dried cranberries
50 g chopped pecans, toasted
180 g mayonnaise
113 g honey
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Garnish: chopped toasted pecans
DIRECTIONS:
Combine chicken, celery, cranberries and pecans.
Whisk together mayonnaise, honey and salt and pepper. Add to chicken mixture, stirring gently until combined. Garnish, if desired.
Serve in Ball® glass preserving jars
Words and pictures: Renee Moodie, IOL Lifestyle Editor
@reneemoodie
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