Tayberry Jam

The taste of Summer, bursting with flavour and anti-oxidant effects. Tayberries are a Raspberry / Blackberry cross that combines the best of both. Big, succulent fruits that crop early. Blackberries were eaten even in Stone Age times, pips from the fruit were found in the stomach remains of a Neolithic man preserved in clay in Essex.

Blackberry picking time was once a most important country activity. Country people would pick in droves, gathering the fruit for jams, tarts, crumble, jellies, teas, wine, ale, syrup, vinegar, cordial, summer puddings and the rest ! Tayberry, Raspberry or Blackberry jelly is a great way to preserve this fruit for when it is needed in the winter - it makes a great base for a hot toddy.

Legend has it that wild Blackberries should not be eaten after October 10th because the Devil spits on every bush at this time and they certainly lose flavour and become 'fly blown' as autumn progresses. Roger Phillips in 'Wild Food' (my favourite food book) notes that this choice of date falls around Michaelmas Day (allowing for an 11 day calendar shift in 1752). This feast day celebrates "the primeval war in which St. Michael the Archangel hurled Lucifer out of Heaven and down to earth" and provides more evidence of how Christianity assimilated much of folklore for its own ends.

These berries are rich in vitamin C and provide a recognised boost to the immune system. The fresh berries are rich in bioflavonoids, fibre and folate. There are also traces of salicylate - a natural aspirin like compound that can trigger allergic reactions in some people. The leaves and roots are also a valuable herb that can help to control diarrhoea. The chewing of blackberry leaves for bleeding gums goes back at least 2000 years.

For this recipe I used about 2 pounds of fresh Tayberries with a quarter pint of water (and a couple of Strawberries thrown in). Let it simmer for a few minutes, add 2 pounds of sugar and stir until it dissolves, then add the pectin and a knob of butter, get it to a rolling boil for a few minutes and pour into sterilised jars, and seal. It won't last until winter as my son keeps eating it, and so do I. Yum !

From an ebook called 'Wild Food' underway at simonthescribe. If you wish to republish this article (with this resource box intact) you will find excellent quality pictures to accompany it at http://www.simonthescr ibe.co.uk/TAYBERRY%20AND%20STRAWBERRY%20JAM.html

---

Easy No-Roll Pie Crust

EASY No-Roll Pie Crust3 cups flour1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons sugar2/3 cup cooking oil (I like to use Canola oil)1/3 cup water or milkMeasure all ingredients into a... Read More

Frugal and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Here it is - that time of year when everyone's thoughts turn to food! I'm thankful that at our house, we have plenty of food, but sometimes... Read More

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Bottom Layer:1/2 cup butter or margarine1 cup sugar2 cups flour1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 cup milk2 eggs1 teaspoon vanillaCream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and... Read More

Do You Know How Many Ways There Are To Eat A Cat Head Biscuit?

A time honored Southern tradition, the infamous "Cat Head" biscuit has become as much an icon of southern cooking as fried chicken. Just say the words "Cat... Read More

Swiss Chard - What Do I Do With That?

Originally, all foods were "organic" ? grown and prepared without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, irradiation to prevent spoilage, and microwave cooking.Our food these days, whether of... Read More

Straight Talk from a Comfort Foodie - Moms Remedy for the Blues

As puberty crept up and I became a passive passenger on the roller coaster of hormones, there'd come days that I just couldn't shake the blues. It... Read More

Cucumber & Pork Soup

Due to the fact that cucumber is rich in all kinds of vitamins as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other sorts of minerals, it is one... Read More

Handy Home-Prepared Mixes

Pre-packaged store-bought box mixes are expensive. Have you considered homemade alternatives? Made-from-scratch mixes are healthy, cost beneficial, store well, and taste great. Often times, you're paying for... Read More

Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions and Garlic

Broccoli is a major EnergyRich ?, food and strength builder. It is also crammed high with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals.Some of... Read More

Low Fat French Toast

French toast was one of my favorite breakfast foods when I was little. Dieting can be hard, especially when you can not enjoy many of the foods... Read More

Weight Loss Recipe: Veal Mango

Just because you are watching your weight does not mean you can't prepare fantastic meals for company. "Veal Mango" is one of range of hunger fighting, low... Read More

Simply Salads

"It is just sensible."exclaimed my friend. She was referring to the large plates sitting in front of us loaded with everything imaginable. As though, it was sensible... Read More

Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo

Seafood Fettuccine is always a top seller in our restaurants. Any pasta alfredo recipe is easy to prepare making it a great choice for family and friends.... Read More

Kalasan Fried Chicken (Indonesian Sweet Fried Chicken)

Ingredients:4 pcs Big Red Chili (omit the seeds) 100 cc of coconut water 1 pc Tomato (Cut into 4 pcs) 2 pcs Shallots (1 pc cut into... Read More

Low Fat Pasta: Why and How to Make it.

Making your own pasta is not difficult. It's actually very easy.But you may wonder why would you make your own pasta, when you can buy it pre-packed,... Read More

African Bean Soup

Yoruba ethnic group from the Southwestern part of Nigeria call this traditional soup 'Gbegiri'Most of the ingredients can be got at ethnic Nigerian or African food marketsIngredients:To... Read More

Frugal Outdoor Cooking

Firing up the grill is a great way to cook in the summer! Here are a few grilling tips and a couple of recipes, too.For great grilled... Read More

Wonderful Holiday Recipe Ideas

The Holiday Season is upon us and soon we will be frantically searching for yummy recipes to serve our family and friends. Many of the leading food... Read More

All About Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake may be a 200 year-old American invention. With the advent of chemical leavenings in the early 1800's, biscuits became popular. Since strawberries have always been... Read More

Staight Talk from a Comfort Foodie: World Peace Through Vegetarianism

I became a vegetarian in the early 80's. The Czech refugee I had lived with forbade any meat products from entering the little hovel we called home.... Read More

Easy Summer Salads, Lighter Foods For A Brighter Summer

Easy summer salads are the way to go, now that the winter blues are fading into the distance and salad days are here. The best salads are... Read More

Vegetarian Diet Tips: Make Your Vegetarian Diet A Balanced Diet!

The world has opened eyes to the harmful side-effects of non-veg food like red meat and is now opening arms to Vegetarian Food. A very common myth... Read More

Rowan Jelly (Mountain Ash - Pyrus aucuparia)

Sharp and sour but sweet and succulent all at the same time, this traditional accompanyment to cold meat is bursting with flavour, and folklore !'Rowan tree and... Read More

Grandmas Peach Canning Recipe

Grandma loved to bake peach pies or top pancakes with peaches instead of syrup. During the summer months, she would buy baskets of seconds and freeze them.... Read More

Spanish Food - How To Make Spicy Gazpacho Soup.

Home-made soups are so good for you - all that nourishing stock and chock-a-block full of vitamins and minerals.But ... who on earth could face boiling bones... Read More

A Victory Garden

In the early nineteen forties,women shopped with ration stamps that limited the amount of groceries they bought in order to support the war effort. To supplement the... Read More