LEMON CURD

Lemon Curd appeared in the late 19th century. The homemade lemon curd was traditionally served with bread or biscuits with afternoon tea as an alternative to marmalade and as a filling of cakes, biscuits and pies.

From this time to the present day it is one of the favourite desserts or accompaniment of desserts for British and North American.

 
Recipe: 

Ingredients:

•  2 Lemons (juice)
•  220g Sugar
•  3 Medium eggs
•  60g Butter

Method: 

Put the sugar, the butter and the lemon juice in a pyrex glass bowl. 

Put it over apan  of simmering water (on a low heat) stirring with a wooden spoon and cook  until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 5 to 8 minutes). 

Turn the heat off and allow to cool slightly. Beat the eggs well and put them in the mixture. 

Turn the stove back on low heat, letting it cook and stirring constantly until the curd begins to coat the back of the wooden spoon. 

Pour in a small jar, cover and let cool.
 

Enjoy !!!

PERSIMMON JAM

With the end of summer, it is time for jams, compotes and jellies based on fresh or dried fruit, whole, in pieces or minced.

See my post with Tips on Sweet Jams, Compotes, Jellies, Marmalades and Preserves: https://lifeandflavours.blogspot.pt/2017/10/sweet-jams-compotes-jellies-preserves.html .

Persimmon (or Oriental or Japanese persimmon) is an oriental fruit with an orange colour and characteristic flavour that not everyone appreciates. Another way to eat this fruit is as a  jam or compote, making it even more tasty.  

Health Benefits: Improved vision, improvement of production of red blood cells, has anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, anti-haemorrhagic properties and is rich in B-complex vitamins.
 

Ingredients:

•     1 to 1.2 Kg of Persimmons (6 to 7 Persimmons)
•     300g to 350g Yellow or white sugar
•      2 teaspoons Cinnamon powder
•     1 large Lemon (peel and juice) 

Method:

Peel, remove the seeds and cut the pulp of the Persimmons into pieces. In a pan, add the pulp, peels, sugar, cinnamon powder and the lemon´s peel and juice. Turn on the stove at medium to high temperature and stir occasionally until it starts to boil.

As soon as it begins to boil, lower the temperature to a low heat and simmer about 15 minutes until the fruit is cooked, not forgetting to stir from time to time.

Turn off the stove and crush the fruit roughly. If you want it to look like a puree, mince entirely so that it becomes a compote.

Bring this jam to low heat boil for another 10 minutes to thicken a little more.
 

Your Jam is ready!

Use it on delicious bread, toast, cakes and desserts!

SWEET JAMS, COMPOTES, JELLIES, PRESERVES AND QUINCE MARMALADE / GUAVA MARMALADE

       Differences between Sweet Jam, Compote, Jelly, Marmalade or Guava    
      Marmalade and Preserves:

Sweet Jam is made from boiling pieces of fruit / vegetable with less sugar that do not  completely dissolve. Ex: Tomato or Carrot Jam.

Compote has a more fluid consistency, made with fruit / vegetable and sugar and some liquid, that tends to undo, becoming a puree. Ex: Dolmen, Pumpkin and Orange Peel Compote.

Jelly is cooked in plenty of liquid and more sugar. It is a juice of sugary and gelled fruit, when at the end of cooking the liquid is strained to become a jelly. Ex: Red Berry, Strawberry, Orange and Lemon Jellies.

Quince Marmalade (Portuguese Recipe) or Guava Marmalade or Goiabada (Brazilian Recipe) is the quince or guava puree cooked in equal parts of sugar with the fruit.

Preserve is the fruit or pieces of fruit preserved in a syrup of sugar where the fruit can be cooked or not. Ex: Pineapple preserve and pear preserve.


     Preservation:

Jams, Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and Preserves may be stored in sterilized jars up to "1 year of validity" *.

* Note: Sugar is a preservative that helps in the preservation integrity of the fruit or vegetable. The greater the amount of sugar, the longer the preservation longevity of the jam.

     
     Sterilization:

Place the washed jars and lids, in a pan covered with water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove and let dry, face down, on top of a clean kitchen cloth.