Daz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

It's that time of year when you can still catch quite a lot of sun and the cicadas are still bleating at night. Then there is the odd cold snap and rain, just to remind you that winter is on the way.

One thing is certain, those summer fruits are over soon and the best way to keep them is by preserving. Peaches don't keep that well fresh so prepare your preserves the day you get your fruit and set aside a few hours. Yes, the art of preserving lives on, but is not practical for a lot of busy households.

The farmers markets fill the gap here, with marketers doing all the hard work preparing home style, small batches of sauces, relishes and chutneys. The time it takes is mostly in preparing the fruit, for example removing the skin off peaches and removing the stones. There are thousands of recipes for chutneys and relishes, and when I have time, I make chutney from an old recipe I have used for many years.

Roast peach chutney

8 kg golden queen peaches, blanched with skin removed and de stoned

6 cloves of garlic

6 medium red onions sliced

Sprig of rosemary

Cider vinegar 500 mills

Brown sugar or palm sugar 600 grams

Coriander 1tablespoon

Cumin powder 1tablspoon

Cardamom pods black 6-8

Cinnamon stick

1 whole sliced lemon

METHOD

Prepare the peaches by crossing the bottom with a sharp knife and plunging into boiling water then into cold water to make it easier to remove the skin, and cut peaches up into large chunks. Place peaches spread put in a large baking dish roast as is for about 40 minutes on 180 degrees. While the peaches are cooking, cook up the vinegar, sugar and chopped onion, ground cardamom and cinnamon in mortar and pestle add this also.

Once the peaches have browned off, sprinkle over small bits of the rosemary, sliced garlic, and the lemon. Then pour the syrup over the peaches and return to oven for around two and a half to three hours. Sterilize jars and sit in a water bath fill to the top then return to the oven and cook in the jars with the lids not fully tightened. Cook for another hour then while still warm screw the lids down tight and turn upside down until cool. Try not to open for two or three months to let the flavours develop then you can enjoy the taste of summer in the middle of winter.