Bush tucker recipes

The following recipes are a selection of our favourite delights, including drinks, pizza, pasta dishes, soups, fish, meat, sweets and condiments. The recipes are largely sourced from the website links provided in Tucker section of the Supporting Carers site, so please refer to these links for more recipes and information. Enjoy!

Drinks

Lemon myrtle syrup/cordial

6 cups of sugar 6 cups of 20g lemon myrtle leaves (good-size bunch)

• Put everything together and bring to the boil. • Turn heat down and simmer until the liquid has reduced to syrup consistency. • Strain the syrup. • Refrigerate until use. • Serve with soda water.

Peppermint gum tea

Makes 2 cups

• Heat 3 cups of good quality water to boiling. • 1 rounded teaspoon of peppermint gum into the infuser or strainer. • Pour about 2 cups of boiling water over the infuser and into the pot. • Let the Peppermint filled infuser steep for 2-3 minutes. Variation: Pour it over in a tall glass, and sip slowly. Iced peppermint tea is a great summer beverage.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 1 Billy tea

Billy pot (pot with handle, available at camping stores) Water Handful (2 or 3 tablespoons) of loose tea leaves Small fire (or stove burner) Clean stick for stirring (wooden spoon or chopstick may be substituted) Drinking mug Sugar or (optional) Milk (optional)

• Place the pot on a burner and heat the water to a boil. The traditional method is to hang the pot over an open fire. • Fill billy pot ¾ full with water. • When the water is boiling, add the tea leaves. • Remove the pot from the fire or stove. • Stir leaves and water with stick (or wooden spoon). • Let the mixture stand (steep) for a few minutes, allowing the tea leaves to settle to the bottom of the pot. Traditionally, someone would swing the pot by its handle in a wide circle over their head, using centrifugal force to settle the tea leaves. A safer method is to use the stick to tamp (push down) the leaves to the bottom of the pot. • Pour the tea slowly into the drinking mug. • Add sugar (or honey) and milk if desired for taste.

Pizza, pasta & damper

Bushfood pizza with Warragul greens

3 large ripe fresh tomatoes or 1 can of chopped tomatoes 1 onion finely chopped 1 or 2 garlic 2 dessertspoon of ground bush tomato 1 dessertspoon of tomato paste Pepper and salt to taste Warragul greens finely chopped; if leaves are old, blanch them first (use spinach if Warragul greens not available) Fetta or mozzarella cheese Black olives (optional) Fresh basil (optional) Pizza base or make your own dough

• Preheat oven to 200 °C. • Brown the onion in the olive oil. • Add crushed garlic and tomatoes.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 2 • Cook until soft. • Add ground bush tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. • Cook until sauce is thick enough to spread on pizza dough. • Add tomato mixture to the pizza base. • Top with Warragul greens, crumbled fetta or mozzarella, olives and fresh basil. • Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes until cooked.

Bunya Pesto Pasta

Serves 4 50g basil leaves 1 cup cooked bunya, chopped 1 garlic 1 cup olive oil plus extra 2 tbsp. 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese Salt, pepper Pasta

• Cook the bunya nuts for 20 minutes in hot water until tender. • Rinse in cold water to stop the heating process. • When cool blend until granulated (like couscous texture). • Place basil, garlic, and oil in a blender and blend. • Add bunya nuts and blend for 6 seconds. • Add grated Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. • Cook the pasta to your liking. • Toss and coat the pasta with the pesto.

Bush tomato Napoli sauce for pasta

Serves 4-6 1 small onion 2-3 cloves garlic ¼ cup olive oil 2 tsp tomato paste 1 small carrot 750g ripe tomatoes diced in 1cm chunks (or tinned) 40g ground bush tomato 10 basil leaves 1 tsp sugar ½ tsp salt 1/3 tsp ground pepper

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 3 • Grate carrot, chop onions, garlic and basil. • Cook the onion and garlic in the oil for 5-10 minutes until they just begin to colour. • Add all the remaining ingredients. • Simmer slowly for 45 minutes. • Makes about 1 litre • Serve with cooked spaghetti and grated Parmesan.

Herb and cheese damper

1 cup (160g) wholemeal self-raising flour 1 cup (150g) white self-raising flour 60g unsalted butter, softened ½ cup (40g) grated tasty cheese ¼ cup chopped oregano leaves ¾ cup (185ml) milk, plus extra to glaze 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Salt

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. • Sift the flours into a large bowl (adding in any flakes from wholemeal flour) with 1 teaspoon of salt. • Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. • Stir in tasty cheese and oregano. • In a separate bowl, combine milk with ¼ cup (60ml) water. • Make a well in the centre of the flour and stir in ¾ of the milk mixture. • Add remaining liquid a little at a time until mixture just comes together. • Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 1 minute. • Shape into a round loaf and place on a greased baking tray. • Brush top with milk and sprinkle with Parmesan. • Bake for 30 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Serve warm.

Apple and damper

3 cups self-raising flour ½ tsp sea salt 1 tsp white sugar 75g of chilled butter, cubed ¼ cup of packed brown sugar 1 ½ tsp of cinnamon 2 gala or pink lady apples, grated 1 egg white, beaten ½ cup of milk ½ cup of water

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 4 1 , sliced when serving

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C. • Grease a baking tray and line it with baking paper. • Lightly grease the baking paper. Set aside. • Mix together the flour, salt, sugars and cinnamon in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour mixture until the mixture resembles small breadcrumbs. • Add the grated apple and mix well with a wooden spoon. • Add the milk and ½ cup of cold water to flour mixture. Mix until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Add a little extra water if necessary to moisten the dough slightly. • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it until it's just smooth (about 4 times). • Shape dough into a 15-20cm round. Place the round on the prepared baking tray. • Rub some flour on a sharp knife and score top of damper into 8 wedges. • Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Tap the bread and if it sounds hollow, it's ready. • Let the bread stand on the tray for 5 minutes and then place it on a wire rack to cool. • Slice and serve with butter, banana and . • Store the damper in an airtight container for up to a week. It can also be frozen.

Vegemite damper

3 cups self-raising flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp sugar 2 tsp Vegemite, dissolved in ½ cup milk 1 (12 ounce) stubby of beer (you wont need it all) 1 cup tasty cheese, cut into 1cm cubes

• Sieve the flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix well. • Dissolve the Vegemite in the milk in a saucepan over a low heat, or this can be mixed in the microwave. • Stir the dissolved Vegemite/milk mixture and some of the beer into the mixture until pliable dough is formed. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll into a round shape.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 5 • Place on a greased oven tray; moisten the top with water and sprinkle with grated cheese if you wish. • Using a knife, score lines about 1cm deep on top of damper to divide into 6. • Bake in a hot oven for 25-30 minutes.

Soup

Witchetty grubs soup (grubuccino)

Serves 4 1 cup finely chopped celery 1 cup finely chopped onions 1 cup finely sliced leek 2 tablespoon butter 150g large witchetty grubs (about 12) 1 litre chicken stock Salt 150ml soft whipped cream Roasted ground wattleseed for sprinkling

• Fry the vegetables in butter. • Add whole witchetty grubs and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. • Add chicken stock, and simmer for 45 minutes. • Puree soup in blender. • Strain through fine mesh. • Add salt to taste. • Serve in a cup and add a dollop of soft whipped cream and sprinkle of wattleseed.

Barramundi broth

Serves 4 Barramundi head and wings 3 sticks celery, cut to chunks 3 leaves 1 onion, quartered 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns 1 to 2 sprigs of tarragon Shredded coriander leaf for garnish Light soy sauce for serving

• Boil the head, wings, celery, sassafras leaves, onion, pepper and tarragon into a tall stock pot. Add enough water to cover 3cm above fish.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 6 • Simmer for 1 hour over a medium heat. Do not boil. • Turn off heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes. • Ladle the stock into a muslin-line strainer, leaving the last two ladleful’s behind. • Remove the cheeks from the barra head and the long white muscle meat from the wings and add them to the hot broth. • Serve with shredded coriander leaf and a hint of light soy sauce.

Kangaroo tail soup

Serves 4 400g kangaroo tails Olive oil 1 large carrot 2 sticks celery 1 large parsnip 1 small bulb celeriac 100g butter 1 large brown onion 2 bay leaves 1 tsp finely ground black pepper 1 tsp sea salt Parsley

• Preheat oven to 200°C. • Run the Kangaroo tails through a little olive oil and place them in the oven until the pieces brown all over (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). While the tails are cooking proceed to next step. • Wash the vegetables and chop the vegetables. • Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. • Fry onions. • Add other vegetables – sweat for 8 to 10 minutes. • Place the tails onto the vegetables, add bay leaves, pepper and cover with water to about 10cm above the surface of the tails. • Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer until the meat easily comes off the tails. • Season to taste and eve with a generous amount of washed, dried and finely chopped parsley.

Bunya nut soup

Serves 4 30 bunya nuts cut in half 2 large peeled and diced potatoes (can also use sweet potatoes) White part of a leek chopped 2 cloves of garlic

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 7 1 onion diced Stock or water Salt and pepper

• Boil the bunya nuts in salted water for 15 minutes, run under water and remove the shells. • Put potatoes, leek, garlic, onion in a pot and cover with 10 cup of stock or water. • Add seasoning of salt and pepper to taste. • Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are cooked. • Remove from heat and blend until smooth. • Bring the soup back slowly to eat.

Fish

Lemon myrtle and sweet potato fish cake

Makes 4 1 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed 1 cup cooked mashed fish fillets or tinned fish in spring water (drained) 1 tsp ground lemon myrtle 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 medium onion, finely chopped ½ cup frozen diced mixed vegetables, or grated fresh vegetables 1 beaten egg 2 cups breadcrumbs Pepper to taste Olive or canola oil to grease the baking tray

• Preheat oven to 180°C. • In a large bowl, mix the sweet potato, fish, pepper, lemon myrtle, parsley, onion and mixed vegetables until well combined. • Take approximately two tablespoons of the mixture and roll with the palm of your hands into a ball and slightly flatten. • Repeat for the rest of the mixture. • Put the beaten egg into one bowl and the breadcrumbs into another. • Dip each ball into the beaten egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs. • Place on a lightly greased baking tray and cook until golden brown, around 20 minutes.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 8 Coral trout cooked in paperbark with lemon myrtle

Whole coral trout Mixture of vegetables: zucchini, mushroom, pumpkin, onion, carrot etc. Salt Pepper 1 dessertspoon lemon myrtle or aniseed myrtle Paperbark washed and soaked for 5 minutes Foil

• Stuff the fish with chopped vegetables. • Sprinkle with pepper, salt and lemon myrtle. • Wrap the fish in the wet paperback. • Wrap in foil. • Cook on the BBQ for about 40 minutes; check after 30 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.

Prawns marinated in finger limes with lime chilli dipping sauce

Serves 2-3

Marinade: 6 fresh prawns 1 fresh chilli Juice from finger limes

• Peel Prawns and remove the black vein running along the back. • Marinade with the fresh chilli and juice from finger limes.

Dipping sauce: 225g sugar 200ml water Fresh chilli

• Bring the sugar and water to the boil. • Add fresh chilli and slices of finger lime. • Cook until of a syrup consistency. • Cool.

Cooking: or olive oil 1 crushed garlic clove

• Heat oil in frypan. • Add prawns with crushed garlic.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 9 • Cook until prawns turn orange.

Serve with the dipping sauce or with:

Finger lime and honey aioli

Blend 2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of finger lime flesh, 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 cloves of finely crushed garlic slowly with 250ml of macadamia nut oil to a mayonnaise consistency. Season to taste.

Blackened barra cutlet

Serves 4 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp white pepper ¼ tsp thyme ½ tsp oregano ½ tsp onion and chili powder ½ tsp chilli powder 4 barramundi cutlets 300g butter melted

• Mix all the herbs and together. • Pat dry the fish cutlets. • Coat one side of the fish with melted butter. • Shake the herbs and spices over the coated side of the fish. • Wait until the butter has set the herbs and spices to the flesh. • Cook the seasoned side for 1.5 minutes to 2 minutes. • Turn the fish over to cook the other side. Do not return to the blackened side. The longer this side is cooked, the stronger the flavour will be.

Meat

Kangaroo meat pie

Serves 4-6 , such as olive or academia 700g kangaroo mince 1 diced onion 1 diced carrot 1 stick celery (sliced) 1 can tomatoes 1 tsp mountain pepper

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 10 1 tsp native thyme 1 tsp saltbush 1 tsp native sage 1 cup cooked pasta Puff pastry sheets 1 tablespoon corn flour 2 tablespoon water 1 egg

• Preheat oven 180°C. • Heat the oil in a large pan. • Add onion, carrot, celery. • Cook or 3 minutes and then add the kangaroo mince. • When the meat has browned, add the tomatoes, the mountain pepper, native thyme, saltbush and native sage. • Cook for 15 minutes. • Mix corn flour with water to form a past and add to the mixture to thicken. • Add the pasta. • Season with salt and pepper to taste. • Allow to cool. • While the meat mixture is cooking, grease a pie dish and line with the puff pastry. • Add the kangaroo mixture. • Cover with puff pastry. • Brush with beaten egg. • Bake for 30 minutes.

Wallaby ragout

Serves 4 Olive oil 1 onion finely chopped 600g diced wallaby 4 chopped carrots 2 sticks of celery chopped fine 1 clove garlic sliced ½ can chopped tomatoes 1 glass of wine or stock Dried rosemary 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 ½ cup of white beans 2 cups of shredded cabbage

• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. • Add onion and sauté until translucent.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 11 • Add cubed wallaby and cook until browned. • Add carrots, celery and sliced clove garlic. • Add tomatoes, wine or stock, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. • Add beans. • Stir and simmer for 30-40 minutes with a lid on. • Add shredded cabbage. • Stir and replace lid. • Cook for another 10 minutes.

Crocodile skewers with lemon myrtle sweet chilli sauce

Serves 4 500g fillet Juice from 1 lime and another lime for serving 2 tsp olive oil skewers, soaked for at least 20 minutes 1 tsp grated ginger 1 crushed garlic clove 2 small red chillies, deseeded and sliced 1 tsp round lemon myrtle ½ cup lemon myrtle sweet chilli sauce

• Cube the crocodile fillet into 2cm cubes. • Marinate with olive oil, lime, ginger, garlic, chilli, ground lemon myrtle and half the sweet chilli sauce for 2-3 hours. • Thread crocodile cubes on to skewers. • BBQ or pan fry on medium to high heat until brown on the outside and just cook through. • Serve with lemon myrtle sweet chilli sauce and wedges of lime.

Buffalo Burgers

Makes 8 1kg buffalo minced meat 1 small red onion finely chopped 2 tablespoon wholegrain mustard 2 cloves garlic finely sliced 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Few drops of Tabasco (or other chilli sauce) Salt and pepper Olive oil 250g mozzarella cut into slices (or other cheese such as cheddar) 8 soft bread rolls, halved Ketchup to serve

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 12 • Mix buffalo mince, onion, mustard, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco together with seasoning of salt and pepper. • Shape the mixture into 8 burgers. • Chill the burgers for about 30 minutes to firm up. • Brush the burgers with a little oil. • Cook on the BBQ or frypan for 7-10 minutes, turning halfway. • Place a slice of mozzarella or cheddar on top of each burger towards the end of cooking. • Place a stainless steel bowl over the burgers to encourage the melting of the cheese. • Toast the bread rolls. • Sandwich the burger between the break. • Serve with ketchup.

Bunya nut meatloaf

Serves 4-6 600g extra lean beef mince 1 cup cooked bunya nuts, coarsely chopped 1 cup breadcrumbs 1 medium brown onion 1 carrot grated 1 zucchini grated Grated 1 stick celery 4 tsp tomato paste 2 tablespoon parsley leaves Chopped 1 egg, lightly beaten Pepper to taste ¼ cup barbecue sauce

• Preheat oven to 190°C. • Place all the ingredients together in a large bowl, except for the barbecue sauce. • With clean hands, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. • Shape meatloaf mixture into a 10 x 18cm rectangle. • Place on a lightly greased or lined baking tray. • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch. • Remove from oven. Drain excess fat. • Spoon barbecue sauce over top of meatloaf. • Return to oven and cook for a further 10 minutes or until top is glazed. • Stand on tray for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. • Serve with a garden salad or vegies and some steamed potatoes.

Sweets

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 13 Lemon myrtle cheesecake (without biscuit base)

500g cream cheese 250g sour cream 2 tablespoon ground lemon myrtle 1 cup sugar 3 eggs lightly beaten

• Beat the cream cheese and sugar together. • In another bowl fold in beaten eggs and sour cream with lemon myrtle. • Combine cream cheese mixture with sour cream mixture. • Pour into a 25cm spring form pan, lightly greased. • Bake at 180 degrees C. • Turn oven down to 150 degrees C after half an hour. • Bake for another 30-40 minutes.

Self-saucing pudding – wattleseed and chocolate

220g (1 cup firmly packed) brown sugar 35g (1/3 cup) dark cocoa powder, sifter 80g unsalted butter, at room temperature 55g (¼ cup) caster sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour, sifted 125ml (1/2 cup) milk Vegetable oil to grease 6 x 150ml ramekins

Preparation: • Soak the wattleseeds in boiling water for 20 minutes, then drain. • Preheat the oven to 180°C. • Combine 165g brown sugar and one tablespoon cocoa powder. • Using an electric mixer, beat butter, caster sugar and remaining 55g brown sugar until pale and fluffy. • Add egg and beat until well combined. • Combine flour and remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder. • Stir into butter mixture, alternating with the milk until smooth. • Stir in the wattleseeds. • Bring a pan of water to the boil. • Grease the ramekins and place in a roasting pan. • Divide pudding batter among the ramekins. • Top with cocoa mixture and then top pudding with boiling water. • Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the ramekins.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 14 • Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until puddings have risen and the sauce has thickened.

Macadamia nut crisps

250g butter 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour 1 tsp essence 1 ½ cups of desiccated 65g ground macadamia nuts

• Preheat oven to 180°C. • Grease oven trays. • Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. • Add nut mixture. • Add flour. • Mix well. • Add vanilla essence. • Spoon heaped tablespoons onto greased trays. • Flatten with a fork. • Sprinkle lightly with coconut. • Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes or until light gold in colour. • Remove from oven and cool.

Makes about 20-24 crisps. Serve as is or with ice-cream.

Chocolate macadamia delights

Block of chocolate either milk, dark or white. Whole unsalted .

• Melt the chocolate either in microwave or in a bowl over boiling water. • Add the nuts. • Spoon mixture onto greased paper cups. • Cool.

Dried fruits, such as sultanas or apricot pieces can also be added to the mixture, as well as different spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, lemon myrtle.

Macadamia nut praline

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 15 220g (1 cup) caster sugar 250ml (1cup) water 220g (1 cup) macadamia nut chips, preferably roasted

• In a heavy based saucepan, place the sugar and water together and cook, without stirring, on medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. • When the sugar syrup is clear, place a warmed sugar thermometer in the pan and boil evenly at medium to high without stirring. • Cook until the mixture is honey coloured at 165°C or light caramel stage. • Arrange nuts, fairly close together, on a lightly oiled marble slab, a greased heavy stainless steel tray, or a sugar mat. • Pour toffee over the nuts and leave to set. • When cool, break into small chunks, with in turn may be copped finely for sprinkling.

White chocolate chunk macadamia nut cookies

Makes about 36 soft and chewy cookies 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar ¾ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda ¾ tsp salt 1 ½ cups white chocolate chunks (can also use milk or dark chocolate). 1 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted macadamia nuts (about 100g).

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line cookie sheet with greaseproof paper. Beat the butter until pale and fluffy (use or hand mixer). Add the eggs one at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add all the other ingredients. Roll generous tablespoons of dough into balls and shape so that the dough ball is taller than it is wide. Place on cookie sheet about 7cm apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges of the cookies begin to turn olden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Carefully move to wire rack to cool completely.

Quandongs in syrup

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 16 100g sundried red quandongs 1 litre water 8 oranges, juiced and strained 4 lemons, juiced and strained 300g caster sugar

• Soak the quandongs in water for 2 hours. • Put the soaking quandongs in a wide, open pan. • Add the fruit juices and the sugar. • Bring gently to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes. • Remove the quandongs (reserve the syrup) and refrigerate. • Reduce the syrup by half on simmer. • Pour the syrup back over the quandongs. • Let the quandongs stand overnight in the syrup before using.

The quandongs can be preserved by putting them in sterilised jars and pouring the hot syrup over them and seal. Delicious over ice-cream.

Ice-cream

Wattleseed ice-cream

250ml full cream milk 600ml thickened cream 100g sugar Pinch salt 2 teaspoons roasted wattle seeds

• Mix all the ingredients together. • Heat in saucepan. • Chill and churn, in ice-cream maker and freeze. or • If making by hand, put in freezer and take out and beat by hand during freezing process.

This method can also be used for the following recipes.

Davidson plum ice-cream

375g Davidson plum puree 300ml thickened cream 100g caster sugar (more sugar can be added as the Davidson Plum is very tart)

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 17

Lemon myrtle and coconut ice-cream

250ml full cream milk 300ml thickened cream 300ml coconut cream 100g sugar Pinch salt 1 tsp ground lemon myrtle

Pepperberry and lemon sorbet

200ml lemon juice (approx. 3 lemons) 450ml cold water 200g caster sugar 2 egg whites (lightly beaten) 0.5g ground pepperberry

• Combine sugar and water stirring over het until dissolved. • Boil for 5-10 minutes until light syrup. • Cool and add juice. • Chill, churn in ice-cream maker. • Add pepperberry (it will go bright pink). • Add egg whites when sorbet start freezing.

If doing by hand:

• Beat egg whites until stiff. • Add to mixture after the juice. • Add pepperberry.

Jam

Illawarra plum jam

1kg seeded Illawarra plums 200ml dark grape juice 500g caster sugar 3 lemons, juiced and strained

Do not use aluminium pans or utensils as these will react with the fruit and give an unpalatable metallic taste to the jam. Use a heavy, preferably copper based stainless-steel saucepan or jam pan.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 18 • Wash the fruit after you have seeded it. • Remove the resinous core from each plum, by cutting the sides from the fruit (like you do with a mango). Remove the core. • Place all the ingredients into the stainless steel saucepan or jam pan. • Cook over a low heat, stirring regularly. The bubbles should be small and numerous. (High heat will make the jam bitter and caramelised). • Continuously skim the sugary froth that forms on top of the jam. • Reduce the jam until the bubbles are fewer and large, about after 90 minutes. • Test the jam for consistency by pouring a large spoonful onto a cold white plate. • Allow to stand for 5 minutes. The jam should be thick. It too thin, cook further and retest.

Quandong and apple jam

Best made with fresh quandong.

500g Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (reserve the cores) 500g fresh quandong halves 1kg caster sugar 4 lemons, juiced and strained 3 oranges, juiced and strained 3 cardamom pods

• Place the apples, quandong, sugar and fruit juice into the jam pan or saucepan. • Put the apple cores and cardamom pods into a jelly bag made from muslin cloth and tie it tightly with twine. • The twine end of the jelly bag to the side of the jam pan. • Bring the contents of the pan to a gently boil and cook for 30 minutes to evaporate some of the water content, skimming all the time. • Bring down to a simmer, skimming surface continually and stirring occasionally. • Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the jam coats the back of a wooden spoon. • Squeeze the contents of the jelly bag into the pan. • Bottle the jam in sterilised jars. Cool or 30 minutes so that slight skin forms over the top. • Seal the jars.

If the jam fails to set, reheat gently and add agar to manufacturer’s specification. If the jam crystallises, reheat and add lemon juice. Jam will ferment if it is cooked insufficiently or if not enough sugar is used. Poor-quality fruit may also cause fermentation.

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 19

May 2020 www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au 20