Mostarda di Cremona

Ingredients:

Ingredients

  
• 2½kg (5½ lb) soft seasonal fruits   
• Suggested combination:   
• 1kg (2¼ lb) nectarines or peaches   
• 700g (1½ lb) plums   
• 500g (1 lb 2oz) apricots   
• 300g (10½ oz) cherries  
• 1125ml or (2¼ pints) white wine vinegar   
• 4 tablespoons mustard seeds   
• 1 x 10cm (4 inch) cinnamon stick   
• 1½ kg (3 lb 5oz) preserving sugar   
• 8 x 450g (1 lb) jars with screw cap lids or preserving jars

Wine Recommendation:

Instructions:

To sterilize the jars

Wash the jars and lids with warm soapy water and rinse (see Cook’s Note 1).

Turn on the oven to 140ºC/275ºF/Gas Mark 1. Fan Oven 120ºC.

Place the jars and lids upside down onto the oven racks and leave until required.

To make the mustard fruits   

  
1. Place the wine vinegar and mustard seeds into the 3-ply Stainless Steel Preserving Pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat.   
2. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 1-1½ hours.   
3. Prepare the fruit by washing, cutting in half and removing the stones.   
4. Strain the mustard seeds from the vinegar and return the vinegar to the preserving pan discarding the seeds.   
5. Add the preserving sugar and cinnamon stick to the infused vinegar and stir over a low to medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.   
6. Bring to the boil and cook for 20-25 minutes until reduced and syrupy.   
7. Carefully add the fruits to the simmering syrup in small batches one variety at a time starting with the largest and firmest and ending with the smallest and softest (see Cook’s Note 2). Cook until just tender but not soft, removing each fruit with a slotted spoon as it become ready and placing into a hot sterilized jar. Distribute the varieties equally between the jars as you go as this will create a pretty, layered effect.   
8. Once all the fruit is cooked and packed into the hot sterilized jars, fill each jar to the top with the hot syrup and put on the lids.   
9. Leave to cool before labelling and storing in a cool dry place.

Once opened store in the refrigerator and use within 1 month.

Cook’s Notes

1. Sterilizing the jars. If using jars of various shapes and sizes jars add a few extra to be prepared. To sterilize a jar quickly wash and leave very wet, microwave on full power for 1 minute.

2. Making the mustard fruits. Fruit will cook at different times depending on size, density and ripeness. Some varieties may only take 1-2 minutes. Don’t worry if the skins of softer fruits such as peaches and nectarines come away in the syrup these can be discarded.Take care not to overcook the fruit or it will lose its structure.