Tracklements - Tracklements Savoury Preserves

To a past generation , the art of preserving and pickling was quite familiar, but in the great rush to the towns, old traditions were lost To restore the knowledge may be one way to make a happy and contented people, for there is more in it than reducing the cost of living; there is a satisfaction which comes from creative and productive occupation, and the culture of self-reliance which is the backbone of freedom.

Herbert Mace, Storing, Preserving & Pickling , 1940

Simple, well-made preserves are most valuable domestic stores, as they will retain through the entire year or longer, their peculiarly grateful and agreeable flavour, and supply many wholesome and refreshing varieties of diet through the winter months and spring.

Eliza Acton, Modern Cooking for Private Families , 1845

Its the little things in life that make a big difference.

My earliest food memories are of a kitchen, the pervading smell of boiling vinegar, with a pan on the stove containing anything from real tomato chutney to Pontack catsup. These were always consumed with great enthusiasm some might even say with relish! Writing this book has made me remember the unending desire I had as a small boy to taste, smell and touch everything. I recall walks with my father, each one an adventure, when we gathered some booty from the side of the path to chew on, or more likely to take home. There he would transform it, like a wizard, into concoctions to excite the palate and engage the mind. These occasions formed my views of preserving, in particular the creation of the savoury sauces that are such an integral part of our daily lives without us ever really noticing them. Thats what a tracklement a savoury jelly or sauce should be: never dominating, always an adjunct to a meal or a dish.

Im not sure how or why British food ever picked up its reputation for being bland and uninteresting; my experience is that we are a nation full of flavours and spice, and keen on exploration, heading out to the four corners and returning with sauces and techniques that have become embedded in our food culture. For example, since our company, Tracklements, started in 1970, my father and I have collected 400 or so books on food preservation, its traditions and place in our history.

According to my family, my great-grandmother would sit at the end of the table and cry, Pass the tracklements! It was her belief that no particular meal was complete until the accompanying condiments had been placed, put or spread onto whatever was in front of her. I agree with that sentiment. Life is always a little less colourful without a perfectly balanced pickle on a piece of pork pie, or the pleasurable chomp of chutney in a sandwich filled with your favourite cheese or meat.

There is something reassuring about sharing food that our parents and grandparents loved with the next generation. In doing so, we regain and return to our foodie and cultural roots. Savoury preserving is all about that; every family has a favourite heirloom chutney or pickle made by a relative and treasured through the generations.

The home preserver begins a process of the enjoyment and sharing of food. We hope that this book will send you out on your own adventure and give you the confidence to embark on a wonderful journey: a journey that will enable you to make your own collection of tracklements to enhance your food and delight your friends. It is about discovery and a bit of detail. As you will see from the following recipes, we have always been a nation of adopters and adapters more usually out of necessity coupled with invention. But some hard-and-fast rules must be observed, after which the budding preserver can add his or her own flourish and embellishments.

Dont be tempted to cut corners or to break the essential preservers rules, but do experiment with levels of spicing. We think that these are the key part of the tracklement-makers art. They add the light and shade to almost all the recipes in this book. Where we have specified an amount of fruit or vegetables to an amount of sugar and vinegar, its important to follow that guidance. If you prefer something a little sharper, add a bit more vinegar but make sure you compensate by removing an equal amount of sugar.

Welcome to the world of Tracklements. The aim of this book is to share with you the tricks of the trade that we have learned over the years and to encourage you to join in our culinary adventuring. We hope it will become a faithful friend and ally in the kitchen.

Guy Tullberg of Tracklements

There are few things as satisfying as popping open a jar of a homemade preserve and breathing in the scent of the luxurious flavour within. As only an aroma can, it will immediately transport you to the moment of harvesting the fruit, or watching the pot bubbling away on your cooker.

The diversity of preserves, from a mature chutney to a fresh relish, is matched only by the variety of the foods with which they can be eaten, but whether they are sweet or sharp, hot or fruity, smooth or chunky, they share a common goal: to bring out the best in whatever they are served alongside and to add a burst of flavour.

We call these recipes savoury, although it is hard to confine them in this way. They are so versatile, so adaptable; there is barely a meal or a dish that wouldnt benefit from the addition of one of them.

To make these jewels of your larder requires some essential elements which we have outlined below:

1. Acetic acid

This comes either in the form of lemon juice or vinegar. While lemon juice is straightforward acetic acid, vinegar is alcohol that has been exposed to air and turned into acetic acid. This acid prevents bacteria from growing in pickles and preserves, enabling them to keep their flavour and integrity for months or even years after they have been made.

There are many, many types of vinegar. Generally the variety originates from the national drink of the country it comes from. France, Spain and Italy and other wine-producing countries or regions produce red or white wine vinegar or vinegars from specific wines such as champagne or sherry, Italy produces its famous balsamic vinegar, England produces malt vinegar and cider vinegar (our favourite), and Scotland produces spirit vinegar distilled malt vinegar which is useful in pickling as it is clear.