Madron Hedgerow Relish to go with your Michaelmas Goose


I've been mooching round Madron again and all the fruit in this recipe is from Madron hedgerows - thank you St Maddern.

  • Hedgerow relish
  • lb tart green apples
  • 12 oz onions finely chopped
  • 2lb - 3lb of hedgerow fruit - blackberries, sloes, damsons, elderberries
  • 1 pint vinegar - any sort except malt
  • 1tsp ground allspice
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 6 cloves
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 1lb jam sugar
  • Put all the fruit and the flavourings in a heavy bottomed pan with the vinegar and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Blitz the mixture with a stick blender if you have one, or a food processor - this is to make the next bit easier. Rub it all through a fine sieve until you have a seed free puree. Return to the pan and add the sugar, boil for 25 minutes until you have a thick jammy puree - keep stirring so it doesn't stick. Bottle into warm jars and keep for a couple of weeks before using.

    'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
    Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
    Conspiring with him how to load and bless
    With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
    To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
    And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
    To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
    With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
    And still more, later flowers for the bees,
    Until they think warm days will never cease,
    For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.'

    From 'To Autumn' by John Keats (1795-1821)

    3 comments:

    Unknown said...

    I have to say even though I shouldn't, that this relish is fantastic. As I was waiting for my confit to cook with a glass of something cold and white in my hand (not water) I idly dipped a crisp in to the jar - what a taste sensation! It's not too late - make it soon, by Christmas it will be mature and fabulous with cold meat and cheese.

    Brownieville Girl said...

    Think I'll give this one a go .... Thanks :-}

    Choclette said...

    A fine fellow that St Maddern and glad to know it tastes good too.