Bachelor's jam
The undisputed king of using surplus fruit must be the bachelor's jam. Fruits and sugar are covered in alcohol and left to infuse and turn to jam over many months, and it can be added to at any time. Any fruit can be used, but it's particularly well-suited to fruits that overripen quickly such as berries and stonefruit. A match made in heaven.
Ingredients
500g (or more) overripe fruit, separated by type and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup granulated sugar (per 500g of fruit)
about 300ml white rum (this will depend on the shape of your jar)
Method
1. Sterilise a large jar (about three-litre capacity) by heating in a 120C oven for 20 minutes. Toss each type of fruit in sugar and add it to the jar in layers. Pour over the rum to completely cover the fruit. Weigh down the fruit with a small plate (make sure there is no air trapped under the plate), cover the jar and leave in a cool, dark place.
2. The bachelor's jam can stay as it is for months, topped up with layers of extra fruit whenever there is a surplus. When the jar reaches about 7.5 centimetres from the top, seal it and leave it undisturbed for at least a month.
3. Stir the jam together to mix the layers only when first ready to serve. It is exceptional with ice-cream on top of a little toasted sponge cake or panettone.
- More recipes to use up leftovers including stale bread, excess fruit, sour milk, leftover meat, pasta and rice here
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Adam Liaw is a cookbook author and food writer, co-host of Good Food Kitchen and former MasterChef winner.
