Bottling it

Autumn is the traditional time to bottle and preserve the bounty of the harvest to offer comfort in the cold winter months ahead.

Nobody bothers preserving vegetables any more, but fruit is a different matter. Brandy preserved peaches eaten in December is a wonderful reminder of warmer days.

Almost any fruit can be preserved and these recipes can be adapted and experimented with. Sterilization of the bottling jars is important however - heat the jars and lids in the microwave or oven until they are too hot to touch.

There is no need to use pristine fruit – bargain with your greengrocer for the damaged fruit. Similarly don’t use expensive brandy, the inexpensive XO from Aldi works very well.

I use brandy below but you could also use Vodka, Tequila or Poitín for equally delicious results.

Cherry Brandy (adapted from Jane Grigson’s Good Things)
This works best with sour morello cherries but unless you have a tree in your garden you will only find sweet cherries for sale.

Wash and pick over the cherries and cut off any bruised bits. Prick each cherry a few times and pack into a sterilized jar. Add a couple of tablespoons of sugar and fill to the brim with brandy. Add extra sugar if using bitter cherries. Close tightly and store at the back of the cupboard for three months (or 20 years).

Once you pour off the brandy, the cherries can be eaten with cream or to make the very best Black Forest Gateaux.

Grape Brandy
Follow the same method as above but use grapes, especially Muscats.

Brandy Preserved Peaches
Peel 12 peaches (boil in water for 60 sec.), cut into quarters and add to a saucepan with their stones. Add 500g of sugar, 1000ml of inexpensive Brandy, a crushed cinnamon stick, a teaspoon of cloves and a quarter of a grated nutmeg. Stir over gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Spoon peaches and brandy into sterilized jars with some cinnamon, a stone or two and some spices. Fill to the brim, close tightly and leave in a cool place for approx. 3 months. The peaches add a kick to fruit salad and taste as good as the brandy. Pears or Apricots work well also.