2016... So far this year I have preserved.....

[Small pumpkin]

Ok Mrs Bee I've got to ask, what is this jars of cheese you keep making?

Pineapple, lime,chilli & cardamom sounds lovely. But then I have visions of you mixing it with d@iryle@ triangles and forcing it into a jar!!!

I think I'm missing something

[Mrs Bee]

OK. Fruit cheese.

If you know about membrillo, which is a quince paste/cheese, then that is what fruit cheeses are.

If you have never seen/tried it pop into Waitrose cheese counter and they have slabs of it.

It is a preserve made with fruit and sugar rather like a jam except that you cook it to a thick paste which sets solid on cooling. You then turn it out of the pots or jars and can cut thin slices to eat with cheese just like quince/membrillo. It is an intense fruit flavour.

When you make them you can pot them into short, straight sided verrine jars greased with a little glycerine or into metal moulds or loaf tins. Once they are set you can turn them out and use them on a cheese board or small spoonfuls in casseroles or chopped into cubes and put in fruit desserts to give an intense burst of fruit flavour.

If you have them in verrine jars, you can put the jar into a dish of boiling water to loosen the cheese from the jar and it will turn out whole. You can then cut slices from them.

I tried to get to grips with these fruit cheeses last year and didn't have much joy with getting them to set to a sliceable paste. I was determined to get to grips with it this year so I have researched the subject, although there is very little written on fruit cheeses and some of the recipes don't work.

I have been experimenting with a variety of recipes and fruits and nuts.

And think I have cracked it. So I have lots of jars of fruit cheeses to go into Christmas hampers for friends this Christmas.

I plan to put several jars of fruit cheese, in a bag with a mini real cheese and some homemade cheese biscotti and oat biscuit.

I will get OH to take some pics later on and post them here if I can work out how to do it.

So far I can't work out how to put emoticons on posts. I am more comfortable with kitchen equipment than I am with IT. LOL

[Mrs Bee]

Actually one of the best recipes I have come up with is an apple, beetroot and black pepper which is amazing served with goats cheese.

I will be making some more of this at the weekend and adding some walnuts as walnuts go really well with goats cheese too.

The Christmas cheese board is hubby's favourite food treat. SO I get a good selection of West Country cheese from a wonderful cheese shop in Devon and serve it with a some home smoked nuts, a variety of homemade oat, oat and cheese, oat and walnut and black pepper cakes, savoury biscotti, walnut bread, raisin and rosemary bread and various other homemade breads.

And fig and walnut roll and membrillo/quince cheese.
And this year there will be a selection of fruit cheese to go with the cheese, cheese.

[veggiechicken]

I made apple butter years ago - just saying that to confuse SP even more

If you want to use emoticons you need to "Go Advanced" when you reply!

[Small pumpkin]

Thanks Mrs Bee
That's as clear as mud! but I now know your not using d@iryle@ triangles

If you have never seen/tried it pop into Waitrose cheese counter and they have slabs of it.

Your right I've never tried anything like it, I'd be very keen on trying some, but I'm not really up for a 45min ferry crossing then a 3 hour train ride to my local waitrose

When your typing a post just under the box you're typing in on the right hand side, it says go advanced. Click on that and you will find all your little smiley faces.

[Small pumpkin]

I made apple butter years ago - just saying that to confuse SP even more

If you want to use emoticons you need to "Go Advanced" when you reply!

Thanks VC
You managed it

[vixylix]

Ooh Mrs Bee I am looking forward to my christmas hamper now!

[Small pumpkin]

1.3kg of (unfortunately not ripe) lemon drops are now cut in half and in the dehydrator. Soon to be turned into chilli powder

[vixylix]

1.3kg of (unfortunately not ripe) lemon drops are now cut in half and in the dehydrator. Soon to be turned into chilli powder

ooh have you done that before? I have a load that are green that I don't know what to do with - does it taste similar to normal chilli powder? does it stay green?

[Small pumpkin]

ooh have you done that before? I have a load that are green that I don't know what to do with - does it taste similar to normal chilli powder? does it stay green?

No not done it before, no idea and no idea but on the chilli groups on f@cebook they are always showing off what they've done with there chilli and all the different chilli powers are every colour of the rainbow, it looks stunning.
What I do know is the best thing to turn them from dried to power is a coffee grinder

[vixylix]

ooh you'll have to send some pics when its done!

[Mrs Bee]

5 jars of apple and walnut fruit cheese
5 jars apple and beetroot and walnut fruit cheese
7 jars of quince cheese/membrillo

[Small pumpkin]

Made more chilli powder today and put the last lot of chillies in the dehydrator

[Tripmeup]

I have done 3 lots of chilli powder..They look brill!! Have an orange coloured one, a red one and a darker red one.....

Chilli flakes are also simples enough to make...

Watch out that you don't inhale the dust when you open the grinder lid

[Small pumpkin]

Watch out that you don't inhale the dust when you open the grinder lid

To late........

I was surprised how much the chillies ripened in the dehydrator.