Happy St.Patricks Day!

Bake away those blues!

Summer All Preserved!

Hello everyone!!

Summer is here and how do we know this....it's raining! Still, we have had some good weather this far and for me, one of the main attractions of spring and summer in the countryside, despite the weather, is the agricultural shows.

I love them and every year hubby and I make the usual trip to one of Irelands biggest shows, Balmoral. For those of you who have never been to one then you must. "It's only for farmers" I hear you say, well thats not completely true. Yes, there are horses, cattle and sheep entries, all trying for prestigious awards as our farmers show their best animals, and all of this increases their sale value to breeders who wish to purchase them and improve the quality of their stock; but the list of other exhibits and displays are endless!

There is show jumping, poultry shows, classes for goats, dog agility competitions, fairground attractions, gardenening, flower arranging, fashion, hundreds of trade stands and stalls and machinery exhibitors (hubbys favourite!) And then there is the large food hall (my favourite!) Most exhibitors give out free samples of their produce, showcasing what this little provence of ours has to offer and boy is it good! By the time hubby and I meet up for lunch at the show I am already stuffed to the gills with the best that Northern Ireland has to offer. You may also get to see some of our celebrity chefs too!

Support our farmers....buy fresh, local and seasonal... we have the best!

Another attraction at agricultural and farm shows is the Womens Instutute or the WI. It has quite a history in the rural community. The Women's Institute (WI) was first formed in Canada in 1857 and then in Britain in 1915. Its aim then was to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. Since then the organisation's aims have broadened and the WI is now the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK and currently has almost 220,000 members in approximately 6,300 WIs!

It is unique in that it provides women with opportnities to build new skills and they also campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities.

Over the years it lost favour with the female public as it was thought only to be old fashioned and only for elderly ladies, but today that is far from the case and attracts women of all ages. It has adapted and moved with the times.

I myself have never been a member but I am a big fan and I can never walk past a WI tent or stand without going in. I have also amassed quite a lot of WI cook books over the years. These are wonderful, full of old and new recipes, some recipes even handed down over several generations.

WI displays are synonymous with all sorts of crafts and the most popular one of course is cooking and especially jam making.

I once entered a jam making competition run by the WI at a local show. Now, I consider myself to be quite good at jam making, I've never shyed away from it, so I thought I might be in with a chance! There were about 80 pots of jam, all vying for the covetous 1st, 2nd and 3rd award. Needless to say I wasn't even placed! First place went to a wee old lady who had probably been entering every jam making competitions for the last 60 years ..... you can't beat that kind of competence and dedication!

WI Displays At Balmoral Agricultural Show this year

Anyways, I am going to be bold and show you all how you can stock up on strawberry jam for the winter.....and no, you don't buy it at the supermarket!

This is the best time now to buy strawberries in bulk as they are in season and that makes them cheaper. I used to go to a local fruit farm every summer and pick them but sadly it has now closed . If there is one near you I urge you to try 'pick your own fruit'. It really is very therapeutic and the fruit tastes so much better too.

For now I buy the strawberries from the local supermarket that are grown in the UK and I buy the ones that are considered the 'oddballs' of the strawberry world. You know the ones; they are all sizes, usually small and uneven in shape and are half the price of the perfect show stopper strawberries. These are perfect for jam making and eating (if truth be told). We tend to believe that fruit and veg that aren't uniform in shape and colour won't be good for eating. Nonsense, we have become too picky and brainwashed by the big supermarkets into buying perfect food and we pay more for the priviledge. When I grew vegetables you would have been alarmed at some of the produce I pulled out of the ground! None the less, it all tasted amazing; it was fresh and although some of it was deformed, it was a labour of love.

Try growing fruit and veg yourself. Put some herbs, lettuces, strawberries, tomatoes or potatoes in pots in a sheltered sunny spot at the back door or on the window sill and watch them produce for you. I warn you, it can be addictive.

This strawberry jam recipe was given to me by my neighbour Grace from the farm next door many years ago and I have been using it ever since. This has to be the easiest jam recipe I have ever used and it never fails, and you won't even need a jam thermometer! I can guarantee that once you have made jam for the first time and eaten it you will want to make it every year. This recipe will make 4-5 1lb jars of jam. The setting agent used here is citric acid / monohydrate granules. You can buy this in the pharmacy or online. Lemon juice can also be added but it would take a lot to match the citric acid in strength and this would make the jam bitter. A little monohydrate goes a long way and can be kept for long enough in the fridge.

Grace's Strawberry Jam

2 lb (1 kg) strawberries (hulled and sliced)

3 1/2 lb (1 1/2 kg) granulated sugar

1/4 oz (10g approx) citric acid granules (Monohydrate)

Firstly put a small saucer into the freezer. I'll explain later. Wash the jam jars and sterilise them. This is very important as it will keep the jam from growing mold as it is stored and prolong its shelf life. I do this by boiling in water for a few minutes or placing on a tray of jars into a hot oven for 10 minutes.

Rinse the fruit in cold water and then slice into a large saucepan. Make sure the saucepan is deep as the jam will rise as it boils.

Put on to a medium heat and as the fruit heats it will become soft and juicy and release the pectin in the fruit (this is what makes it set).

Mash the fruit and then bring to a gentle boil.

once boiling add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Boil rapidly for 5 mins.

Then add the citric acid and boil rapidly again for 12 mins. The jam will become darker and reduce in volume.

Take off the heat and bring the saucer from the freezer.Put a teaspoonful of jam on the saucer and leave a minute.

Then push the jam with your finger. It should wrinkle and this shows that the jam is ready and will set. (Sorry, this photo doesnt show it too well). If it doesn't then return to the heat and boil a further 4-5 mins.

Take off the heat and there may be a white scum on top of the jam. Scrape this off with a spoon. It doesn't matter if small amounts are left.

Ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Put a small wax disc on top and then cellophane disc. Screw on the lids and lable. The jam will set when it cools completely.