Hello sweet peaches,

Just a quick one from me this week, because guess what?! I’m going on holiday! WOOOOOOOO!!! Yup, the borders have opened, and I’m flying away, reclaiming the interstate jaunt that was whipped from under me in December. Well, I’m not actually flying. No my love, no planes for me: it’s road trip time! In case you can’t tell, I’m excited. I also have to pack, and break the news to the cats. It’s a big day. But before I go, I did just want to elaborate on something I alluded to last week: the joy of the pickled fruit.

I first encountered pickled fruit when a dear friend gifted me a jar of her home-pickled cherries. I’d never, ever heard of pickling fruit before. Bottling, sure, or making some jam, but pickling? It had never occurred to me. My first bite was a revelation. Slightly puckered, and ever so juicy, the sharp-sweetness of these little flavour bombs seduced me immediately. My pickled-fruit cherry was popped, and I was hooked.

Enquiring about the recipe, I learned that this was the handiwork of Stephanie Alexander, whose method I’ve since adopted and lightly modified to land on a perfect potion that lends itself to all manner of fruit. I've also since discovered that pickled cherries can be found in Eastern Europe, and I've mined my vintage Margaret Fulton cookbooks, which feature all manner of creative fruit picklery.

The basic premise of the pickled fruit is a brine of equal amounts of vinegar and sugar, a little water, and then whatever spices and flavours you like. I've included my favourite blend below, but feel free to alter the flavourings any way you like - ginger would be a lovely addition, as would cinnamon (a la Stephanie), or perhaps some sprigs of fresh thyme. Cardamom and star anise would be fun to play with, and an adventurous person might even sprinkle some chilli flakes in there, just to see how that played out. The possibilities are endless.

In terms of fruit, I’ve had excellent success with cherries and plums, but you could also use peaches or grapes (pickled grapes are SO GOOD!). All of these fruits are helpfully in season right now, so there's really nothing holding you back. Whatever you select, your cheeseboards are certain to be remarked upon forevermore – a cunningly-placed pile of pickled fruit will take you to places you never even dreamed of. And so, I leave you with the recipe for amazing pickled fruit, and also my best wishes for a beautiful fortnight or so. I’ll be back in your inboxes in mid-Feb, full of road-tripping tales to tell – I can’t wait to see you then 💛.

Amazing pickled fruit

Ingredients

500g cherries, plums, peaches, grapes or other fruit

250ml white vinegar

125ml water

250g sugar

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon whole allspice berries

5 bay leaves

½ teaspoon whole peppercorns

½ teaspoon salt

You will also need 3 x 250ml jars with lids

Place all ingredients except the fruit in a saucepan, and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for five minutes. If using plums, remove the stone and cut into quarters. If using peaches, remove the stone and cut into sixths. Leave grapes and cherries whole, with stalks on for the cherries. Place your fruit in a large bowl and pour over the hot brine. Cover and leave to sit for three days if using cherries, or 24 hours if using plums, peaches or grapes.

After the required sitting period, sterilise your jars by placing them in a 100C oven for 10 minutes. Sterilise your lids by pouring boiling water over them and leaving them to sit for two minutes. Dredge the fruit from its liquid using a slotted spoon, and set it aside. Bring the liquid and spices back to the boil. Pack the fruit tightly into the hot jars, and pour over the boiling brine, almost to the top, making sure to get some spices and a bay leaf into each jar. Poke a butter knife gently down the sides of each jar to remove any air bubbles. Then top up each jar with hot brine, right up to the top, and put the lids on. Leave your pickled fruit for a month before opening.

Love, Rachel xxx