When Winterbourne was a family home, the end of November would have already seen preparations for the festive table well underway. The Christmas pudding would be resting in the pantry after making its way around the household on Stir-up Sunday. Preserves and pickles would line the shelves – the product of the Walled Garden’s annual harvest.
Today, we tend to approach the Christmas food shop a little like going into battle: trolley wars, midnight shops to avoid the crowds, and the dreaded three-mile queue at the butchers if you’re collecting a fresh turkey. If you prefer to avoid the supermarkets, you’ll likely have experienced the Christmas delivery slot stakeout instead, eagerly awaiting the chance to log in and bag one of the revered ‘as close to the big day as possible but not at midnight’ slots.
For this month’s recipe, we thought we’d inspire you to add a taste of a traditional homemade addition to your festive larder. No matter what your Christmas dinner looks like, there is always place for a tasty accompaniment to leftovers during the ‘twixmas’ period – and this simple savoury marmalade can be made over the next few weeks, saving you from the Christmas supermarket rush.
Ingredients
500g red onions, sliced finely
400g sugar
200ml red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
Method
- Put the onions and salt in a bowl and mix well.
- Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Remove from the fridge and rinse well in cold water. Drain and set aside.
- Place the sugar and vinegar in a large pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the onions and continue to simmer gently, uncovered, on a low heat for 2 – 2.5 hours.
- Once the mixture is the consistency of a nice thick marmalade remove from the heat and place in sterilised jam jars.
If you make our recipes, we’d love to see the results! Share your pictures via Facebook or Instagram and tag us in.