Jembella Farm: February 2015

Sunday, 15 February 2015

Zucchini Relish

I've been trying to give away some zucchinis but all my friends run away as soon as I mention the Z word.

Have you got too many zucchinis?

Here's a recipe that is so easy, a 12 year old could make it. There will be delicious relish to "relish" throughout the year and have you being grateful that you spent a few minutes to do this. We eat it with meats, hot or cold, on a cheese platter, in a sandwich etc etc.

It takes roughly 5 minutes to chop the ingredients before putting it onto the stove to cook for approximately 40-60 minutes. Then it's another 5 minutes to pour into jars and seal.

** Addendum 28/1/2018**

I've just finished making another batch today and have altered the basic recipe to include coriander seeds and salt.

Zucchini Relish

1kg zucchini

1 large onion

1 small dried or fresh chillies (I use red for the colour)

or 1 teaspoon chilli flakes will do if you don't have chillies on hand

Roughly chop before putting into a food processor taking care to chop for only a few seconds, leaving a few chunks. If you don't have one of those gadgets it will take slightly longer to chop finely by hand.

Put into a large pot.

Add;

350g sugar

2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons salt

500ml of cider or white vinegar (or a mixture of both)

* Hold back 1/8 cup of vinegar to mix with cornflour to make the paste later

Slowly bring to boil then turn down to simmer for approximately 40mins-1 hour. Stir frequently so it doesn't burn on the bottom.

When it is cooked to your liking, make a paste with 1 dessertspoon of Cornflour and 1/8 cup vinegar* that we held back.

Take the zucchini mixture off the heat while slowly pouring in the cornflour mixture and stirring constantly while stirring it in to avoid lumps.

Return pot to the heat and bring back to the simmer stirring frequently until it thickens. Approx five minutes.

Take off heat and, using a small jug, pour into clean jars, leaving only a very small head space. Screw lids on tight immediately whilst very hot. (They must be metal lids).

Leave to cool and listen to the tops popping as they seal.

Try to wait two weeks before eating to allow the flavours to develop. (Good luck with that)

You may wish to adjust the sugar or the chilli level after tasting this first batch and before going ahead to make your next batch at double this quantity, as I do.

This is the sweetness and chilli taste that we enjoy, but it's an individual taste.

The sealed unopened jars will keep for more than a year (or two) if kept in a dark cupboard, and the flavour really does improve with age.

So, next time someone tries to give you some zucchinis, accept them and give this a try.

About Us

Whether you're living in an apartment, in a house in the suburbs or on acres, you can live frugally and sustainably. There are many things you can do to save money, eat ethically and healthily, reduce waste and live an enriched life.
We are Sally and Brian and we live in the Barossa Valley (South Australia) in a 100 year old house on sixteen acres with 2 dogs, 7 cows, 2 alpacas, 5 geese, 35 chickens, 78 sheep and a few bee hives.
Our way of life takes team work and dedication, but over the years we've learned to be more productive without seeming to put in quite so much effort. We've learned through making mistakes and taking a different approach to what the conventional ways would be. Still learning every day and constantly researching old and new methods, we believe that our lives are greatly enriched, we are healthier and we couldn't imagine any other way of life.
Considered to be living The Good Life, people love to visit us on our small farm to learn about our simple living philosophy.

Why do we do it?
Our love of good food, concern for our health and respect for all animals. The further we got into living on the land the more aware we became that most of the standard practices of growing food were not satisfactory. We couldn't eat with a clear conscience.
Milk from sad cows, pasteurized and homogenized into white liquid. Meat from distressed, hormone and antibiotic pumped livestock. Vegetables and fruits grown and sprayed with chemicals. What to do? Grow our own!
Slowly we grew our knowledge and took one step at a time, becoming proficient in one skill before moving on to the next. The learning curves were steep. We fell over and got back up again. There has been some derision and criticism of our approach from a few, but that's life when you swim against the tide.
If we are not the "norm" then so be it. There is nothing "normal" about growth hormones fed to beef, anti-biotics and chemicals fed routinely to chickens, cruelty and disrespect for farmed animals, meals in a box, GM foods, strawberries and tomatoes in winter.
Thankfully the World is waking up to cleaner and more ethical food. We didn't know back then that Organics and Bio-dynamics would become the "new black". The tide is turning and our swimming is becoming easier.