EVENTS

Free Preserving Demonstrations

From mandarin marmalade to coriander pesto - Queensland’s leading cookware retailer Taste… for the love of cooking is helping customers reduce their grocery spending with a series of monthly workshops teaching the ancient art of food preservation, beginning in July.

Taste preservation expert Suzanne Combes said with many households now feeling the pinch of the recession, customers were looking for clever ways to cut costs and get creative in the kitchen. “Food preservation has existed in many cultures for centuries and with the recession upon us people are reverting back to these simple, do-it-yourself techniques to save money and get longer life out of their cooking,” Ms Combes said.

Ms Combes believes a lot people are paying for overpriced cooking ingredients that they can easily make in their own home for a fraction of the cost.

“People love cooking with dried foods, exotic jams, flavoured vinegars, oils, pickles and cheeses, but buying these from up-market delis or even farmers markets can become expensive, especially when they are so easy to make yourself,” she said.

Ms Combes said most of the utensils used for preserving can be found in a typical kitchen, with items such as preserving jars and candy thermometers available inexpensively from stores like Taste. According to Ms Combes, preserving is not only a great way to cut costs but also a fantastic way to maintain your diet and avoid any unwanted winter kilos. “More people are trying to avoid the hidden nasties in processed foods such as MSG, starchy thickeners, salt and excessive sugar; therefore by making your own preservatives you know exactly what is going into your body.”

These tips and delicious recipes such as Indian Spicy Carrot Chutney, Mediterranean Pickled Lemons and many others will be featured at Taste’s in store preservation demonstrations on the last Saturday of every month from July to November.