Wash, prepare and cook the beetroot in boiling, salted water until tender. When cool, peel and dice them.
Peel and chop the onions and garlic, put them into a large pan with a little of the vinegar and cook until soft. Wash, peel, core and dice the apples. Wash the sultanas, tie the pickling spices in the muslin bag, bruise the ginger, and put these, with the apples, beetroot, lemon zest, horseradish and half the remaining vinegar, into the pan with the onion and garlic. Cook until very soft, stirring occasionally and taking care not to burn.
Add the remaining vinegar and the sugar to the pan, heat gently, stirring well until the sugar has dissolved. Boil steadily until the chutney is thick. Remove the spice bag. Carefully pour into the jars and seal and label.
Keep for at least 1 month before using.
CABBAGE
There are so many varieties of cabbage, but the one cabbage preferred by the enthusiastic home preserver is definitely the red cabbage – a very firm round cabbage, which is just marvellous when pickled. When preparing cabbage, it is necessary to remove the thick white ribs and stalks before slicing it. I use the shredder attachment on my mixer for this as, when pickling, I find it gives a finer and less erratic result than hand slicing and it is so much easier.
And once you’ve finished your jar of pickled red cabbage, don’t just discard the remaining vinegar – heated up and drunk it is an antidote (albeit a rather strong one…) to tickly coughs.
Hot and Spicy Pickled Red Cabbage
A fiery pickled cabbage, which gives rise to a sharp intake of breath. If you would prefer a milder vinegar, halve the amount of each spice and leave out the chillies and garlic.
MAKES 4 X 375G JARS
1kg firm red cabbage
sea salt, for sprinkling
1.2 litres malt vinegar
15g black peppercorns
8 blades mace
6 bay leaves
2 x 4cm pieces of dried root ginger, bruised
5cm piece of cinnamon stick
4 dried chillies, crushed
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 x 375g sterilised jam jars
Wash the outside of the cabbage and throw away any discoloured leaves. Halve and quarter it and remove the white stalk and ribs. Cut into strips across the cabbage – this way you get nice fine shreds, not great floppy hunks. I do this on a shredder and it does make shorter shreds, which you may prefer. Lay the cabbage in a large dish or basin and sprinkle each layer with sea salt. Cover and leave for 24 hours.
Meanwhile, make the spicy vinegar by boiling all the remaining ingredients together for 5 minutes. Cover and leave to cool. Then strain and set aside until ready to use.
The next day, tip the cabbage into a colander to drain off any surplus salt, rinse under cold running water if necessary, and drain again. Pat dry and then pack the cabbage loosely into the jars and pour the spicy vinegar over to cover. Leave a short while for the vinegar to permeate and any air bubbles to rise, then press down to see if it needs topping up with more vinegar. Seal and label.
Keep for 2 weeks before using, but use within 3 months or it will go soft.
Red Cabbage Relish
A softer cabbage preserve than the spicy pickled cabbage, this is ideal for spreading and is particularly good in cold meat sandwiches.
MAKES 3 X 375G JARS
1kg firm red cabbage
sea salt, for sprinkling
2.5cm piece of dried root ginger, bruised
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon whole allspice
4 blades mace
15g white granulated sugar
finely grated zest of ½ orange
1.2 litres white malt vinegar
small muslin bag for spices
3 x 375g sterilised jam jars
Wash the outer cabbage leaves, removing any blemished pieces. Halve and quarter the cabbage, cutting out the white stalk and ribs. Grate on a coarse grater or use a shredder attachment. Place the cabbage in a deep bowl, sprinkling each layer with salt as you go. Cover and leave for 24 hours.
The next day, drain the cabbage in a colander and rinse it briefly under cold running water. Shake well to remove any excess moisture and leave to drain.
Meanwhile, place the spices in the muslin bag and put this with the sugar, orange zest and vinegar into a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and boil for 3 minutes, then reduce to barely simmering. Cover and leave for 10 minutes.
Return the drained cabbage to the bowl, remove the muslin bag from the vinegar and pour the hot vinegar over the cabbage. Cover and leave for 24 hours, giving it an occasional stir.
Pack the cabbage into the jars, making sure it is well covered with vinegar. If it isn’t, heat up a little more vinegar and use this to top up. Seal.
Keep for at least 1 week before using.
CELERY
As I have consigned more than one crop of celery to the compost heap, I do not consider my advice on the subject of growing it to be of any value! Nor do I consider the pale and anaemic polythene-wrapped variety to be worth buying, finding that dirty celery (from a market, farm shop or, if you have more luck than me, your own garden!) when well washed, to be infinitely preferable. The good, firm, white sticks tinged with green are crisp and well-flavoured and make super pickles and an excellent vinegar, which can be used in salad dressings and mayonnaise.
Celery and Tomato Relish
A gentle, flavoursome relish.
MAKES 6 X 375G JARS
2 heads of celery
500g tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
8 medium-sized onions
2 large garlic cloves
300ml white malt vinegar
150g white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon celery seeds
6 x 375g sterilised jam jars
Wash the celery thoroughly, taking care to remove all the mud. Remove the leaves and chop the stalks into 12mm pieces. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, then into cold. Skin and chop them. Wash and chop the peppers, removing the seeds and pith. Peel and chop the onions and garlic.
Put the vinegar into a pan with the sugar, salt and spices, bring gently to the boil, stirring well until all is dissolved, and boil together for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables, bring to the boil again and then simmer gently for about 40 minutes,