Blackcurrant Jam on the AGA

If making jam fills you with fear then try this simple recipe of blackcurrant jam – Blackcurrants are a good fruit to work with because they nearly always set!

This recipe makes around 4.5kg (10lb) jam halve the quantities if it is too much for you.

Ingredients
1.8kg (4lb) blackcurrants
1.7 litres (3pt) water
1 lemon
2.7kg (6lb) granulated sugar
small knob butter
Method
Soak the blackcurrants in a sink of cold water. Remove the stalks and put them in a preserving pan with the water. 
Bring the blackcurrants and the juice from the lemon to the boil and simmer, uncovered for around three quarters of an hour, until the fruit is soft and water reduced.

Stir and add the sugar. Continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved bringing it to a gentle boil. After it has boiled for around 10 minutes then do a set test. Put a small amount of jam on to a saucer and put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Move the preserving pan from the boiling plate to the simmering plate.
The set test should show a jam-like consistency when you move it with a spoon. If not, return the pan to the heat, re-boil and test again.

Add a knob of butter and stir well. 

Cool the jam for 10 minutes and ladle into sterilised jars and let the jam cool before putting on the lids.

NEW STORAGE PRODUCTS FROM BETTY TWYFORD

A girl can never have too much storage so keep your garden and home spick and span with these brilliant new products fresh in at Betty Twyford’s new Leominster-based shop.

Camouflage your unsightly wheelie bin with this fabulous weather-proof wooden cover which will accommodate a standard wheelie bin or stack three recycling bins.

And the best bit is not only does it disguise your wheelie bin, this sturdy wooden cover will keep pests out.

Give your garden shed a whole new look with a stylish potting bench. This compact bench has everything you need to help you successfully sow your seeds and pot on young plants including a zinc work surface, and two spacious drawers. It is suitable both in the house or in the garden shed. Not suitable for leaving outdoors.

If you need extra space then this beautifully crafted indispensable storage unit could be the answer. It consists of six portable storage boxes and two large drawers topped off with a zinc work surface.

If, like Betty, you have an ever growing collection of books and ornaments then two new storage products available from Betty Twyford could be the perfect solution.

Betty’s tall wooden shelf unit and her reclaimed elm shelf ladder will fit in with almost any décor.

The tall wooden shelf unit is ideal in the garden shed or even the kitchen. It has ten shelf pockets – perfect for all your nik naks.

The quirky reclaimed elm shelf ladder is bound to be a talking point in any home. Based on a traditional step ladder design this beautiful piece of storage consists of six fixed tray style shelves which are great for books, ornaments and even CDs and DVDs.

Betty’s rustic storage seat has always been popular but there are only a few left so availability is limited. These clever two or three storage seats will complete any utility room or hallway and keeps shoes tidied away too. Why not try having one at the end of the bed for linens and laundry.

NEW PRODUCTS - BONNE MAMAN SEASONAL COOKBOOK

If you find yourself occasionally running out of fresh ideas for sweet and savoury recipes then the new publication, Bonne Maman Seasonal Cookbook is a must for any Bettilicious kitchen.

The latest book promises more than 85 contemporary recipes in a celebration of seasonal food and cooking. It even offers stylish craft ideas using the iconic Bonne Maman jars and top tips on how to get every last teaspoon from your conserves.

From Crispy Crumbed Romano Peppers to a Cappuccino Caramel Torte, this fabulous cookbook is packed with wonderfully tasty recipe ideas for cooking with conserves and compotes.

RECIPE FOR SPINACH SOUP

Huge armful of spinach from the garden

2 oz butter, melted

2lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 large onions chopped

A clove garlic chopped

Green garden peas/broad beans

Mint from the garden

Chicken or veg stock – about 2 pints seasoning

Use the simmering plate of your AGA, to gently saute the onions and garlic in the butter, add the chopped potato and sweat until softened. Add any green peas or beans from your veg patch, and some mint from the garden.

Add the spinach and sweat down with the rest of the ingredients, and then add your stock and seasoning.  bring to boiling on the boiling plate, and then transfer to your simmering oven with a lid on your pan, for about 20minutes.

Remove and place in your blender and zap the mixture for about 30 seconds.

Serve in soup bowls, with swirls of double cream and chopped chives.

Absolutely delicious and healthy too!

AGA CERAMIC COATED CAST ALUMINIUM

Have you ever wished that your cast aluminium cookware matched your kitchen colour scheme? AGA Twyford have the answer with a new range of AGA ceramic coated cast aluminium which comes in both black and white.

And there is no compromise on quality when it comes to stylish cookware which will fit in with any kitchen décor. This range from Berndes is lightweight and offers an eight-year guarantee. Manufactured in Germany, the classic design also offers similar properties to a non-stick coating which makes the washing up a breeze.

The new range, which has been recommended by Betty for making the best scrambled eggs in the land, is available now from AGA Twyford.

Elderflower Cordial on the Aga

Ingredients

30 elderflower heads

1.7litres/3 pints boiling water

900g/2lb caster sugar

50g/2oz citric acid (available from chemists or good health food shops)

2 unwaxed oranges, sliced

3 unwaxed lemons, sliced

Preparation method

      Gently rinse over the elderflowers to remove any dirt or little creatures. Using the Aga kettle, boil three pints water and pour over the sugar in a large mixing bowl and leave to cool. Add the citric acid, the orange and lemon slices, and then the flowers. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through some muslin and transfer to sterilised bottles.

Fabulous Summer Foraging

What a shame that when we are young, we take those long golden summer holidays for granted, especially if, like me, you grew up in the glorious Herefordshire countryside.  The days were endless and we spent our time out in the sunshine playing on our bikes and in the fields and streams making dens and dams.

It seems that we were perfectly happy to entertain ourselves but these days, with my domestic goddess hat firmly in situ, it appears that we need to spend more time and money keeping our children busy during the school holidays.  And with my two, Teddy and Susan, soon to return home from school for six whole weeks, I started racking my brains for ‘things to do’ to stave off the cry of ‘I’m bored!’

We all know it is far better for children to spend their time outdoors being active rather than in front of a TV or computer screen but there are a whole myriad of modern dangers which leaves us feeling guilty if they are left unsupervised. To be able to get to week two without hearing those dreaded cries would be a major achievement. I think about my childhood some more and realise that I simply can’t turn my children loose for the summer like our parents did. The world is a very different place nowadays.

But I do remember some of my most favourite childhood memories involved my mother and grandmother teaching me about the ancient art of foraging and making a lovely, sweet treat at the end of it.  In those days, it was a case of waste not, want not, and people valued any tasty morsels that they could glean from the surrounding countryside. Hot sunny days were enjoyed wandering along the hedgerows collecting wild raspberries and tiny strawberries. Later in the autumn came hazel nuts and blackberries. Wellington boots to protect our knees from stinging nettles and a large stick to beat them down were an essential part of the collecting kit.

One Saturday, as a sort of a dummy run, I tear my two little Twyfords away from their computer games and TV programmes, equip them with the essential kit, basket, scissors, wellies and sun hats and off we go on the hunt for elderflowers and other fare.

Amid cries of, ‘but I wanted to watch…’ and ‘I was just feeding my virtual pet’, we prise the ‘non-virtual’ dog out of his basket and set off. It’s funny because as soon as you start actively looking for free forage, you see that there is plenty of it about and we soon find huge clumps of the delicate tiny flowers.

Instructing the two tiny Twyfords to get snipping with the scissors we start off collecting at a fine rate but interest soon wanes and I know I have lost them when tears and sulky faces start to come forth so we move on to raspberries and wimberries. It really is surprising how much edible produce there is hanging around in the local countryside and it is all delicious and free!

An hour or two later with berry stained faces and fingers we head for home. Although I am sure that Teddy and Susan ate as much as they collected, we still have a good haul of elderflowers, wimberries and raspberries. We have even found a few tiny, deliciously sweet wild strawberries!

Back home, the kitchen was filled with the fabulous perfume of elderflowers and berries. And while the children may have lost interest in the gathering and making process, they certainly enjoyed the summer pudding we had for tea!

And later, the Aga is proving to be the perfect place to boil the children’s t-shirts in a bid to remove the purple stains from their clothes. The purple fingers and cheeks may well be with us for a few more days.

So, I have bottles of elderflower cordial to keep us going throughout the summer holidays and tons of yummy fruit in the freezer which are ideal for sweet puddings, smoothies, lollies and ice cream – perfect ingredients for the school holidays.

Tired out, my two were tucked up in bed by 8pm with full tummies and contented smiles dreaming of their long golden summer holidays to come – what could be better for a domestic goddess?

NEW PRODUCTS - AGA Cherish Cookware Range

Calling all those who want functional and fabulous. If you, like me, are in hot pursuit of top quality cookware coupled with a distinct retro 50s’ style then the new AGA Cherish Cookware Range could be right up your street.

These beautiful Swiss-made saucepans and casserole dishes may have a traditional feel but they are right up to date when it comes to style and innovation.

This new range is set to hit the shelves at AGA TWYFORD this summer all ready for the autumn soup and stew-making season.

The cookware promises a 25 year guarantee and is made from 100 per cent recyclable stainless steel with stylish glass lids and silicone handles specially formulated to withstand heat.

Using cutting edge technology each pan benefits from wave base technology which is designed to move downwards to make ultimate contact with the heat source.

GEORGE'S NEW PROJECT - THE 13 AMP ELECTRIC AGA

WELL...GEORGE AND HIS TEAM HAVE DONE IT AGAIN AT AGA TWYFORD 

HERE ARE THE DETAILS - CALL HIM ON 01568-611124 FOR MORE INFORMATION

OR VISIT THE WEBSITE @ WWW.TWYFORD-COOKERS.COM

OR TEXT Aga to 60777 TO SEE THE MOBILE WEBSITE

AGA Twyford PROUDLY ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF THEIR AGA APPROVED
13 AMP ELECTRIC RENOVATED AGA COOKERS

AGA Rangemaster Ltd. IN CONJUNCTION WITH AGA Twyford ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF THEIR 13 AMP ELECTRIC RENOVATED AGA COOKERS INCORPORATING A NEW 13 AMP MANUALLY CONTROLLED SYSTEM

NOT ONLY CAN WE SUPPLY HIGH QUALITY APPROVED RENOVATED 13 AMP AGA COOKERS, BUT WE CAN ALSO CARRY OUT AN ON SITE CHANGE TO ALTER YOUR OWN OIL OR GAS AGA COOKER TO RUN ON 13 AMP ELECTRIC AT A HIGHLY FAVOURABLE PRICE

FROM JUNE 6TH. THE FIRST 20 CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASE A 13 AMP ELECTRIC RENOVATED AGA COOKER FROM US WILL RECEIVE £500 WORTH OF AGA COOKWARE OR ACCESSORIES

ALSO: FROM JUNE 6th. THE FIRST 20 CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASE AN ONSITE CONVERSION TO 13 AMP ELECTRIC WILL RECEIVE £250WORTH OF AGA COOKWARE OR ACCESSORIES

YES….THE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE ANY OTHER GAS OR OIL AGA COOKER BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE !

IT IS A FULLY RENOVATED AGA RE-ENGINEERED BY THE AGA Twyford FACTORY
USING THE AGA APPROVED 13 AMP ELECTRIC SYSTEM DESIGNED BY AGA WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF AGA Twyford.

WE CAN SUPPLY YOU WITH THE MODEL YOU NEED, OR IF YOU HAVE A SUITABLE DONOR AGA WE CAN ALTER IT TO RUN ON 13 AMP ELECTRIC.

PURCHASE PRICES INCLUDE V.A.T., DELIVERY, AND FITTING ON YOUR PRE-PREPARED SITE ( MAINLAND U.K.) FOR OTHER LOCATIONS PLEASE REQUEST A QUOTE:

2 OVEN IN ANY STANDARD AGA COLOUR……£ 5900.00

4 OVEN IN ANY STANDARD AGA COLOUR……£ 6995.00

( 3 OVENS OCCASIONALLY AVAILABLE @ £6,600 – PLEASE ASK FOR DETAILS )


PRICES FOR ON SITE CONVERSION OF YOUR OWN AGA INCLUDING VAT, DELIVERY OF PARTS, ON SITE STRIP DOWN AND REBUILD OF YOUR AGA ON A PRE-PREPARED SITE
( MAINLAND ENGLAND & WALES ). FOR OTHER LOCATIONS PLEASE REQUEST A QUOTE:-

2 OVEN PURPOSE BUILT AGA COOKER CHANGE FROM OIL OR GAS TO
13 AMP ELECTRIC…..£2595.00

4 OVEN PURPOSE BUILT AGA COOKER CHANGE FROM OIL OR GAS TO
13 AMP ELECTRIC…..£3095.00

13 AMP ELECTRIC RENOVATED AGAS ( THE FACTS )

• AGA Twyford has recognized the increasing demand for AGA cookers running on 13 Amp electric systems and now provide very high quality AGA APPROVED renovated 13 amp electric Deluxe AGA cookers in 2, 4, ( and occasionally 3 oven ) sizes. The excellent features include:

• An well engineered electric system designed by AGA Rangemaster Ltd on behalf of AGA Twyford and manufactured to the highest specifications possible.

• Cooker performs like any other Oil or Gas AGA cooker, but with added controllability.

• Simple installation by our AGA trained engineers using only a 13 amp fused spur for the power source.

• A choice of oven venting by extraction to outside or via your existing chimney via a small 28mm copper pipe, thus keeping disruption in the kitchen to a minimum.

• Easy to use operation with a simple manual controller offering multi-positional setting.

• Delivery and installation by our AGA trained engineers is included in the price.

• 5 year maintenance cycle…i.e. NO annual servicing costs.

• 5 year guarantee ( I year parts and labour, 4 years parts ). Serviceable parts excluded.

• Running costs very comparable with other fuel types.

• Available with integrated or free standing Modules.

NEW TEXTILES

Betty's new textiles are here - very retro and beautiful. 1950's housewife's apron, chefs pads for the Aga (steam and grease barrier) lovely table cloth and napkin sets, double oven gloves and gauntlets - is there no end to it? Well ladies and gents,now you can get rid of the AGA burn marks on your elbows!