Caramelised Courgette, Lemon and Lime Marmalade

Courgettes are in season and my friend Tony had a good glut, so he loaded my car with 2 crates full, I'm a little bored of roasted courgette already so now I have the task of preserving them!
The great thing about courgette is they don't really have a distinct flavour compared to peppers or beetroot which makes them much more versatile.

I was really impressed with how this batch turned out but I will alter the recipe next time, What's more impressive my friends daughter (age 8) had two slices of toast smothered in the marmalade and loved it!

Ingredients

• 1kg Courgettes
• 800g Caster Sugar
• 4tbsp Lemon Juice
• 4tbsp Lime Juice

Recipe 

• Before you start place a side plate in the freezer 
• Grate Courgette into a large heavy based jam pan 
• Add Sugar, Lemon Juice and Lime juice
• Stir the mixture really well, The courgette will release its water and become really runny in under a minute
• Simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes, keep stiring to ensure all the sugar has dissolved and everything is mixed
• Bring to the boil and the let the mixture bubble away for a minimum of 20mins (you will see from the top photograph that the mixture has turned a dark brown colour, this is because I had the heat up too high I was making cake and making Blackberry Jam at the same time. Most people would have thrown the mixture away but over cooking the mixture resulted in the sugar caramelising)
• Skim off any scum that bubbles to the top
• Test the marmalade by spooning a little on to your side plate from the freezer, run your finger nail through the marmalade and it should part leaving a line on the plate, If not simmer for a further 5 minutes and repeat the test
• Once the jam has reached its setting point. Ladle into hot sterilised jars, fasten the lids and leave to cool
• Store in a cool dark place until you are ready to enjoy 

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

Banana, Chocolate Chip, Blackberry Cake Recipe

 

This recipe has nothing to do with zombies or survival but it is a great way of using up any over ripe bananas you have in the house. Its something a little bit different to do with your blackberries, I cant believe how well the flavours work together! if your like me and have baking items at home already its so cheap to make and healthy compared to some cakes. 

I insist that if you make this you HAVE to make my blackberry and chilli jam  recipe to smoother on the top!!
Now my mission is to alter the recipe so it can be cooked on an open fire or in some nice cast iron! Or possibly make it thicker so it can be toasted on green sticks, any tips from you guys are more than welcome!

Ingredients   

• 115g Butter
• 165g Brown Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 Spotty Bananas
• 1tsp vanilla
• 260g Self Raising Flour
• 1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Small Bag of Milk Chocolate Chips
• 20 Blackberries 
• Optional Tsp of spice Cinnamon/nutmeg/all spice/ginger

Recipe

• Preheat oven to gas mark 4 or a moderate heat (My oven does hot, Really Hot and HOT- you know your own oven so gage accordingly)
• Measure out Butter and Sugar and mash the two together with a fork in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth
• Whisk your eggs together to break up the yokes and mix with the butter and sugar.
• Mash your bananas with a fork into the mixture
• Add your vanilla to this wet mixture
• In a separate bowl mix your flour, baking soda, salt and any spices you may wish to add
• Add the flour mixture to your wet mixture and start to combine the ingredients making sure you get all the flour from the outside. 
• Add chocolate chips and mix a little more
• Now add your blackberries (you may want to leave a few back to decorate the top) very gently mix the blackberries in.
• line a cake tin or bread tin with grease proof paper and poor in the mixture
• cook for 35-45 mins in the centre of a moderate oven or until your tester comes out clean

 Now make the jam from this recipe - http://zombiesurvivalfoodbible.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/blackberry-chilli-jam.html Once you try the two together you will be wanting to make a second cake in no time!

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

Subscribe via email -->

BLACKBERRY CHILLI JAM

Blackberries are in abundance at the moment so make the most of them while you can! I find it infuriating that people will pay £2.49p for around 25 Blackberries at the local super market (but then I think more for me) when you can step outside your front door and collect half a bucket full in an hour. My friend David and I pick together a few times a week what ever we can get our hands on, Not only do we have a nice hour or two out every couple of days but we also have a little bartering system too. David supplies me with tasty fruit wine and bread and I supply him with jams and game animals.

Back to the point, make the most of what on your door step, home made jam is by far the best jam you will ever have and the recipes are so flexible you can make them work for you! Learning how to preserve foods now will put you in good stead for any survival situation meaning you can feed yourself in winter when natural resources have died with the seasons.

This jam goes amazing on my home made blackberry, banana, chocolate chip cake that i will share the recipe for later.

Igredients

• 1kg Blackberries 
• 800g Jam Sugar
• Dash of lemon Juice
• 300ml Water
• 1tsp chilli flakes
• 3tsp of any hot sauce

 Recipe

•  Before you start place a side plate in the freezer
•  In a jam pan or large heavy based sauce pan add the blackberries and the water and simmer on a low heat on the hob for 5mins to soften the fruit.
• Add Chilli, Hot Sauce, Lemon Juice and Sugar, Stir well.
• Bring to the boil and the let the mixture bubble away for a minimum of 20mins
• Test the jam by spooning a little on to your side plate from the freezer, run your finger nail through the jam and it should part leaving a line on the plate, If not simmer for a further 5 mins and repeat the test
• Once the jam has reached its setting point. Ladle into hot sterilised jars, fasten the lids and leave to cool.
• Store in a cool dark place until you are ready to enjoy

 Although I added a lot of chilli to this batch its not hot enough for me, I will make a second batch tonight super hot!!

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

Apple, Cider and Cinnamon Sauce

Apple Sauce is by far one of the easiest things to make, It can be tailored to your taste and can be made as chunky or as smooth as you like and will taste so much better than any you have bought from the shops! And because you work with what you have you don't need to measure any ingredients!!
Peeling the apples can be tedious but I promise it is so worth the effort! I personally think the best apple sauce is made by using a mix of apples from different trees in your area, its good to mix cooking apples with eating apples too.
I have made this batch with large bruised cooking apples and tiny eating apples from my mums garden, The mixture of sweet and sour is perfect!

Ingredients

• A mixture of apples 
• Cider, Brandy or Booze of your choice (You can use a little water)
• Cinnamon (try nutmeg, all spice, ginger or cloves)
• Lemon Juice
• Sugar if needed

Recipe

• Peel, core and chop as many apples as you have into a large heave based pan
• Add a few dashes of lemon juice
• Add enough cider, booze or water to simmer your apples slowly, (about 5mm deep) Its important not to make your sauce to runny, you can add more juice as the apples break down
• For a subtle spice add half a teaspoon of cinnamon, If you like more add more but taste as you cook
• For the first 5 mins cook on a medium heat on the hob and lower the temperature as soon as the apples start to break down. 
• Stir the mixture as you cook for a further 20mins, taste your mixture to see if you need to add any sugar, lemon, spice or more liquid
• For a smooth sauce crush the mixture with a potato masher or blend with a stick blender
• Funnel your mixture into hot steralised jars and store for up 3months in a cool, dark place.

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible