Rhubarb and Ginger Jam
2 1/2 lb rhubarb, trimmed and chopped (prepared weight)
2 1/2 b sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 oz fresh root ginger
4 oz preserved or crystalised ginger, chopped
Put the rhubarb in a large bowl in alternate layers with the sugar and lemon juice]. Cover and leave overnight.
Next day, crush or bruise the root ginger slightly with a weight or a rolling pin and tie in a piece of muslin.
Put the rhubarb mixture into a preserving pan with the muslin bag, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 15 minutes. Remove the bag, add the preserved or crystalised ginger and boil for a further 5 minutes, or until setting point is reached.
Remove any scum, then pot and cover in the usual way.
Note: Although I haven't made this I would be inclined to finely chop the lemon peel and add that, plus any pips to the muslin bag. This would help release some more pectin. Another thing you could do to help reach set point more quickly is to use preserving sugar which has a little pectin added to it.
Cheese Cheese is a
food made from the
milk of
cows,
goats,
sheep and other
mammals, by
coagulating the milk, originating in the
European cuisine. This is accomplished by first acidification with a
bacterial culture and then employing an
enzyme,
rennet (or rennet substitutes) to coagulate the milk to "curds and whey."
[1] The precise bacteria and processing of the curds play a role in defining the
texture and flavor of most cheeses. Some cheeses also feature
molds, either on the outer
rind or throughout.
There are
hundreds of types of cheese produced all over the world. Different styles and flavors of cheese are the result of using milk from various mammals or with different
butterfat contents, employing particular species of bacteria and molds, and varying the length of aging and other processing treatments. Other factors include animal diet and the addition of flavoring agents such as
herbs,
spices, or
wood smoke. Whether the milk is
pasteurized may also affect the flavor. The yellow to red coloring of many cheeses is a result of adding
annatto. Cheeses are eaten both on their own and cooked as part of various dishes; most cheeses melt when heated.
For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by adding
acids such as
vinegar or
lemon juice. Most cheeses, however, are acidified to a lesser degree by bacteria, which turn
milk sugars into
lactic acid, followed by the addition of rennet to complete the curdling. Rennet is an
enzyme mixture traditionally obtained from the stomach lining of young
cattle, but now also laboratory produced.
Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are available; most are produced by fermentation of the
fungus Mucor miehei, but others have been extracted from various species of the
Cynara thistle family.
Cheese has served as a hedge against famine and is a good travel food. It is valuable for its portability, long life, and high content of
fat,
protein,
calcium, and
phosphorus. Cheese is a more compact form of nutrition and has a longer shelf life than the milk from which it is made.
Cheesemakers can place themselves near the center of a dairy region and benefit from fresher milk, lower milk prices, and lower shipping costs. The substantial storage life of cheese lets a cheesemaker sell when prices are high or when money is needed.
Toast Toast is sliced
bread which has been browned by
exposure to dry
heat. This browning reaction is a form of
Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread, making it more pleasant to eat for some, and makes it
crisp such that it holds toppings more securely. Toasting is also a common method of making
stale bread palatable. Toast is often served with
butter,
cheese,
marmalade, or any number of other toppings. Toast is a typical
breakfast food. Immigrants from the North of England took special recipes to Nortern Ireland like Ruhbarb and Ginger Jam, topped with cheese layered on Toast and eaten while drinking Coffee.
Coffee Coffee is a widely consumed stimulant
beverage prepared from roasted
seeds, commonly called
beans, of the
coffee plant. Coffee was first consumed in the 9th century, when it was discovered in the highlands of
Ethiopia.From there, it spread to
Egypt and
Yemen, and by the 15th century had reached
Persia,
Turkey, and
northern Africa. From the
Muslim world, coffee spread to
Italy, then to the rest of
Europe and the Americas.Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.
Coffee berries, which contain the coffee bean, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the
genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown species are
Coffea canephora (also known as
Coffea robusta) and
Coffea arabica. These are cultivated in
Latin America,
southeast Asia, and
Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted, undergoing several physical and chemical changes. They are roasted to various degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and
brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented by a variety of methods.