Review: Kentish Preserves from Heidi Jane

Since moving back to Kent I have been trying to support the local businesses as best I can and I very much enjoy walking down to the village hall to visit the weekly farmers market where you can pick up anything from cards and knitwear to plants and all the ingredients you’d need for a good Sunday lunch.

Today I am reviewing some preserves from Heidi Jane who is based in my village and offers homemade Kentish jams, marmalades, chutneys, pickles and mustards all made from locally sourced, seasonal produce where possible. All music to my ears.

Heidi has been refining her range of products for more than 5 years and makes batches of flavours in a traditional french copper kettle. Isn’t that amazing? Flavours in the range include old school as well more modern combinations.

The Kentish Preserves I picked out to try were the Tomato & Chilli Jam and the Beetroot Relish, both of wish look so lovely with vibrant colours in their elegant packaging.

The Tomato & Chilli Jam is made from tomatoes, sugar, red wine vinegar, chllis, ginger, anchovy extract and garlic. On opening the jar I was immediately hit by a zingy and tempting fragrance. It is hot and sweet with a nice thick texture. This jam is begging to be paired with a mature cheddar and devoured with some crusty bread.

We are big beetroot fans in our house, so the Beetroot Relish was right up out street. Heidi’s version is made with beetroot, tomatoes, cane sugar, red wine vinegar, onions, balsamic vinegar, fresh horseradish, olive oil, garlic and sea salt. This relish has a peaty flavour from the beetroot with an extra punch which comes from the garlic, horseradish and vinegar. I’d recommend using the relish on a burger (beef or mushroom), paired with goats cheese and sweet potato chips. Yum!

Both of these accompaniments would go really well on a fabulous cheese board with some lovely crackers with different textures. Alternatively you can use them as a glaze when preparing meat, especially on the BBQ, or revive your boring leftovers with a blob or two!

My husband and I both really love the jam and the relish due to the tasty flavour combinations and the fact that Heidi uses local products. Big thumbs up from us. We award them 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to trying more of Heidi’s delicious range.

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5stars

2 comments

  1. I think that supporting your local businesses and shops is so important. We cannot lose our local retailers and independents as they are a vital part of a community. Loving the look of the tomato and chilli jam!

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