Smoking, Curing & Preserving

The ancient arts of smoking, curing and preserving are almost forgotten nowadays even though salting, drying, pickling, fermenting, infusing, freezing or bottling are so satisfying, exciting and fulfilling! Historically of course, it was a necessary and essential part of survival, particularly through the winter months.

However, in an era of industrialized food, the vast majority of the preservation techniques are made by the supermarkets.  Unfortunately, through the use of chemicals and artificial flavourings there is the inevitable sacrifice of quality and flavour in the name of streamlining and efficiency.

We firmly believe that we must try to reconnect with our culinary heritage, and, whether you are a home producer with the annual worry of the inevitable glut of fruit and vegetables or simply a keen cook who wants to experiment further, preservation techniques are a very important and fulfilling aspect of cookery. We will show you how to cure, pickle and preserve meat, fish and vegetables as well as how to smoke food efficiently at home so that you can always enjoy the goodness of naturally preserved ingredients.

Example recipes: Hot or Cold Smoked Trout; Potted Venison; Cassoulet; Apple and Pear Chutney; Gravadlax with Caper Dressing