The boom in the number of people growing their own fruit and veg this year has left Britain facing a glut of pickles, preserves and chutneys.
So what better way to celebrate the harvest season than with the National Trust’s first ever home-made preserves festival - ChutFest - at Barrington Court in Somerset on 3 and 4 October 2009.
A showcase for the great British art of preserve-making, chutney makers will be able to swap their own surplus chutneys and jams for other intriguing concoctions while visitors can taste and buy their favourites, at a glorious autumnal weekend event.
Barrington Court’s resident chef, Helen McDonald, has been busy cooking up chutney out of the surplus pumpkins, pears and other fruit and vegetables from the kitchen garden.
She said: 'Great wheelbarrow loads of fresh fruit and veg come in from the garden each day, I have to be creative. It’s a challenge but also a real privilege. I hate seeing food going to waste, especially fresh produce that the kitchen gardener and our local school children have been lovingly growing all year.
ChutFest is a great way for people to share recipes and for us to share our passion for growing and cooking our own food. Often you end up with more chutney than you can eat, so this is a chance to offload some of yours and try different types.'
Local preserving expert Vivien Lloyd will be running a chutney clinic to give visitors top tips and advice on any preserve-making problems.
Recognised as a leading authority on preserves and winner of the World's Original Marmalade Festival 2008, Vivien is passionate about keeping the traditional art of preserving fruit and vegetables alive.
Vivien said: 'I think it’s really important that we don’t lose our age-old traditional recipes in favour of modern - and often incorrect interpretations. Properly made chutney tastes much better and lasts much longer.
'ChutFest is a great way of tasting and learning about really good quality chutneys and jams. It’s also a fantastic way to round off the growing season as the best chutneys and jams are made from local and seasonal produce.'
The event links back to the National Trust’s seed giveaway that formed part of the Food Glorious Food campaign launched in May and the Trust’s commitment to create 1,000 new allotments on its land over the next three years.
Tasty local cheese, bread, cakes and the National Trust’s very own South Somerset Apple Juice and Barrington Court Cider will also be available to purchase at the food fair running alongside.
Visitors can take a break from chutney to stroll or take a guided tour through Barrington’s kitchen garden to see pumpkins and unusual apple varieties in the orchards. Children can also collect apples and help press them into juice.
Join the ChutFest Facebook group 'Idle Chut Chat' for latest news and updates.
|
