Capture the essence of each season as Rachel guides you through a delightful journey of preserving techniques inspired by our kitchen garden bounty, the fruits dripping from our orchards, and the hedgerows that frame our 100-acre organic farm.
Each class is tailored to the season, giving you the chance to create jams, chutneys, pickles, ferments, dried goods, and infused delights from the delicious selection we grow here at River Cottage HQ. By the end of the day, you’ll be equipped with the skills and knowledge to preserve the produce from your own garden, local markets, orchards, or hedgerows.
Preserving isn’t just about celebrating seasonal abundance; it’s also a fantastic way to minimise waste at home. You’ll discover how to transform modest fruit and vegetable scraps into gourmet treats, like tomato skin salt or kale rib relish. With Rachel’s endless tricks up her sleeve, students always leave inspired and eager to start preserving at home. Plus, you’ll take home a bag filled with jars of scrumptious goodies, including your own creations and hedgerow preserves.
Join us for a memorable day of jam making and learn the best techniques to preserve food that will have you excited to share your newfound skills with friends and family!
“Rachel is filled with passion, enthusiasm and knowledge which she shared most readily and joyfully. She removed the mystique of preserving and fermentation, showing that nothing has to be complicated or involve too much faffing. Result!” Amanda, May 2023
10:00 - 17:00
You will meet Rachel, and start the day with tea or coffee.
Kick off the day with a delightful tasting of some of Rachel’s favorite preserves, including rosehip jam-packed doughnuts dusted with lemon verbena sugar and crumpets topped with rich blackcurrant curd.
Get ready to dive into the art of making seasonal jam! Rachel will explain the science of pectin and show you how to create delicious jams with almost any fruit (or veg!) you have on hand. You’ll learn the secrets to making small-batch jams while discovering how to reduce sugar or even substitute it with local honey. Plus, we’ll explore the garden for inspiration, incorporating herbal and seasonal floral twists into your creations!
Next, we’ll explore the art of chutney-making! You’ll tackle the classic question: “What’s the difference between a chutney and a pickle?” By the end of the day, not only will you know the answer, but you’ll also have made a jar of each, filled with delicious ingredients from our kitchen garden. You'll gain the confidence to whip up tasty batches of both without a recipe, allowing you to embrace your gluts and effortlessly transform them into delightful condiments!
Lunch will showcase a selection of Rachel’s favourite preserves, including mackerel paired with oak-smoked beetroot pickles and horseradish salt-baked celeriac served with pickled mushrooms.
Pickles are one of the simplest ways to preserve garden gluts! Rachel will guide you through making pickles using both salt brine and vinegar. You’ll learn how to customize and adapt these recipes, allowing you to harness your skills at home with seasonal produce throughout the year. In this session, we’ll also explore infusing and drying—two of the easiest techniques to preserve seasonal ingredients!
In the afternoon, we’ll focus on fermentation, one of the oldest and healthiest methods of preserving food. You’ll harvest beautiful ingredients from our garden to create a deliciously tangy sauerkraut, enhancing it with a stunning array of seasonal herbs to add a magical touch to your creation.
Once you’ve packed your jars, Rachel will demonstrate two additional fabulous ways to preserve food: drying and infusing. While you relax and sip a homemade brew, like a Honeyed Marmalade Quince G&T, you can taste your way around a platter of local cheeses paired with the various pickles and chutneys you’ve explored throughout the day.
You’ll have time to chat with your fellow scholars and the River Cottage team before heading back up the hill at 5 PM. You’ll take home the jars of jam, chutney, pickles, and sauerkraut that you’ve made, along with a recipe pack full of guidance to help you preserve throughout the seasons.
This course is run from River Cottage HQ on the Dorset/Devon borders. Full address details of HQ will be provided once you have booked.
We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines available to purchase.
If you would like to stay at the heart of River Cottage, we offer overnight accommodation at River Cottage HQ in our beautiful 17th century farmhouse. We have three stylishly refurbished bedrooms for B&B plus the 2-bedroom Gardener's Cottage. These get booked quickly so for more information go to rivercottage.net/stay to book. Alternatively, we have put together a list of our local accommodation which includes B&Bs, self-catering, hotels and camping.
We would advise that this course is only really suitable for 12 years of age and upwards. Under 16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. We put these guidelines in place for the safety, comfort and enjoyment of all our guests.
Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements or allergies when booking.