Alstonville jam and relish maker Jean Gillies has earned a place in the next edition of The Australian Blue Ribbon Cookbook, a publication celebrating the nation’s best agricultural-show cooks.

Mrs Gillies, whose award-winning mango chutney will be featured in the book, shared some of her preserves at the Alstonville Uniting Church cake stall on Thursday, where shoppers snapped up everything from her lime chutney to her delectable Davidson plum jam.

Mrs Gillies said the secret to good jam and chutney making was quality ingredients and patience.

“It is an art,” she said.

“The main thing with jams is not to have too much liquid, because the more liquid you have, the longer you have to cook the fruit.

“That’s not ideal, especially with marmalades, because citrus skins can go hard, so the trick is to get the right moisture level from the start.”

Mrs Gillies said sugar remained an essential ingredient in traditional jam-making.

“The rule of thumb is that it’s mostly cup (of fruit) to cup (of sugar).

“With some fruits it is different, but you must have sugar to stop the jam from spoiling.”

She said fruits such as mulberries contain lower levels of natural pectin, which helps jams set properly.

While some cooks extract pectin from lemon seeds, Mrs Gillies prefers a simpler approach.

“Mulberries have never been a problem for me, but if I do need anything, I’ll put a bit of lemon juice in.”

Mrs Gillies, who turns 78 next month, said she had been making jams and relishes for decades and was delighted to be included in the next edition of the cookbook.

Rhonda Worboys with Csilla Magyari

Let them eat cake … in Alstonville

The cost of living may be biting, but Alstonville’s Uniting Church is doing its bit to feed the community by holding cake stalls twice a year.

Reverend Daniel Yang was on the cappuccino machine on Thursday, assisted by wife Julie.

“We are here to care for the community, not just the church congregation, but we want to engage and look after Alstonville,” he said.

Csilla Magyari

Rev Daniel Yang and wife Julie Yang

A Cosy Winter’s Feast planned for local families

The town of Alstonville has two primary schools and a high school, and the Uniting Church has just appointed a couple, Jon and Kimberley Row, as children’s, youth, and family pastors to work with the community.

Mrs Row is organising a family dinner, called A Cosy Winter’s Feast, at the end of July.

“There will be a $5 cover charge for families, who are requested to bring a side dish, such as a salad, but the church community will serve roasts and casseroles and other winter traditional dishes,” she said.

“We are providing a space for families to connect and enjoy delicious foods because a village needs to wrap its arms around families. As a church, we want to be a hub where people can connect. Community is so important.”

You can register for A Cosy Winter’s Feast on the Alstonville Uniting Church Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/Oneheartrivers/#

Jan Crawford, Kimberley Row, Jan Dean and Denise Newton.

MAIN PHOTO (L to R) Ace jam and chutney cook Jean Gillies with fellow parishioners Helen Saengen and Sharon Troy.