Tasty jams, chutneys and cordial made from some of the city’s most iconic trees are flying off the shelves at the Slow Food Earth Markets Maitland.
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And behind this delectable venture, which is saving tonnes of fruit from going to waste, is the East Maitland Country Women’s Association branch.
The branch’s land cookery officer Debbie Jeffrey and vice president Sharyn Buck have seen the city’s passion for citrus take off.
About 40 bottles of lemonade and blood orange cordial were made to sell between the markets and the gaol. In the past two markets they have sold all of the cordial supplies they brought and a lot of their jams and chutneys.
The blood orange variety is by far the most popular.
“Blood oranges are a thing here,” Ms Jeffrey said. “We did have a spiced blood orange chutney, which has completely gone, and the blood orange marmalade which seems to be very popular.
“The blood orange cordial sold out very fast - people just love the taste. We’ve got lemon and ginger jam left and the lemon chutney which is very popular too.”
The fruit comes from the orchard at Maitland Gaol and is harvested before the CWA members become involved and put longstanding recipes into place to transform the fruit into tasty food and drinks.
The gaol pays the branch for its efforts and then gives them some of the goods to sell.
It’s a partnership that ensures the annual crop isn’t wasted.
“Some of the trees are very old and some have been recently planted,” Ms Jeffrey said.
The market, which was known as Maitland Produce Market until August, has proved the perfect outlet for the goods.
“We like the fact that everything is seasonal and it’s local,” Ms Jeffrey said.
“We like that we are making these things so nothing is going to waste - the same as the Dennis’ with the pumpkins and the cauliflower and broccoli recently, nothing is wasted.
“We can only sell this usually at our local market at our CWA hall and at the gaol - so it’s great to be able to sell it here and show people that the CWA is not just tea and scones as they say.”
Ms Buck said the CWA shared Slow Food Hunter Valley’s concerns about food waste and were proud to be part of the city’s fresh food movement.
“It’s our ethos, we don't want to waste food,” she said.
NEXT MARKET
The Slow Food Earth Markets Maitland is held in The Levee on the first and third Thursday of the month between 2pm and 6pm. The next market is scheduled for September 21.