At my preserving workshop at Palmers garden centre in Bethlehem, I promised to share the recipes we demonstrated. Thanks for your patience, and without further ado, I shall post them here. (Probably one at a time, because the kids are outside playing in the compost heap and can’t be trusted not to stray into the pumpkin patch and wreak havoc…)

No-added sugar peach & vanilla spread
Peel and slice ripe, but firm peaches. Pack into preserving jars with screw-on seals and bands. Top with boiling water (peaches are sweet enough to preserve without using sugar syrup). Screw on the seals gently. Submerge in a large, deep pot of boiling water so that the tops of the jars are about an inch under the surface. Simmer for 20 minutes or so (when they are cooked, you’ll see the bubbles rising inside the jar). Remove from the water bath and carefully screw the lids up tightly. When you want to make a peach spread for your toast, open a jar, strain off the liquid, then puree the fruit with a hand-held blender. Add a teaspoon of vanilla paste (not cheap extract) and bring to the boil in a small pot. This is scrummy as a spread on buttered crumpets… and even more delicious if you melt a couple of tablespoons of your favourite honey into the mix. Spoon into a jam jar and store in the fridge; the honey sets the preserve when cold.