Taste of the Week. Ayle Farm Gooseberry Jam

Taste of the Week

Ayle Farm Gooseberry Jam

I've been buying Ayle Farm products over the past few years from places as diverse as the Farm Shop at Aillwee Cave to our local Neighbourfood. And one that stands out time and again is their Gooseberry Jam.

It has an engaging light sweet taste and the colour is close to red which suggests the fruit used was on the ripe side. Still, it boasts a balancing zingy tartness, a freshness, that also engages those taste buds to make it our Taste of the Week.

Oh, you may well ask why is gooseberry jam red? I'm told by the experts that with ripe fruit the pectin and sugar react to turn a light red. If you don't want that colour, then try using gooseberries before they are fully ripe.

I'm sure there are many people making excellent gooseberry jam. After all, it is one of the easiest to make because the fruit is naturally high in pectin. The only problem nowadays for many of us is getting our hands on fruit. Your best bet is probably the local farmers market.

Ayle Farm, who oddly enough don't list this jam on their online store, are based in Oola, Tipperary and produce multi-award winning artisan Granola, Chutneys, Relishes, Cooking Sauces and Preserves in small batches. "In 2010/11 Peter completed a commercial growing course at the Nano Nagle Centre in Cork. The course was delivered by Jason Horner a well-known organic grower.  We are members of The Tipperary Food Producers Network. You can follow our news on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter."

Tipperary Food Producers launch Artisan Food Hamper

Tipperary Food Producers launch Artisan Food Hamper                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Offering a taste of Tipperary to the nation of Ireland, The Tipperary Food Producers, a network of Tipperary’s artisan food and beverage producers has launched a new “Taste of Tipperary” Hamper in conjunction with Hampers & Co, Ireland’s leading luxury hamper company which was founded in Tipperary in 1993. 

The luxury hamper features products from ten Tipperary producers, with many award-winning products among the selection. 

Creating a Tipperary Hamper offering has been a goal of the Tipperary Food Producers said Con Traas, Chairman of the network which was established in 2008. Commenting, Con said, “We are delighted to launch our first ‘Taste of Tipperary’ hamper and to share some of the fantastic food and beverage products produced here in Tipperary. As a network, we have discussed on many occasions about creating a Tipperary hamper offering, available year-round. I guess you could say that the recent lockdown has given us that extra “push” to get this initiative up and running and we are thrilled to be working with Hampers & Co on this Tipperary collaboration. We are very proud of our homegrown produce here in Tipperary and we hope that everyone can enjoy a taste of Tipperary no matter where they are in the country.”

With something for everyone to enjoy in the hamper, products include; The Apple Farm – Con’s Apple Cider; 3 Men in a Trailer - Artisan Ketchup; Cooleeney Farmhouse Cheese; Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers - Cashel Blue Cheese; Crossogue Preserves Chutney; Vera Miklas Freeze Dried Strawberries; Rivesci’s Cashew Chilli Crush; Irish Hedgerow, Elderflower Refresher drink; Galtee Honey Farm, Wildflower Honey and Ayle Farm’s homemade granola. 

Commenting on the collaboration, Thurles native Emer Purcell and founder of Hampers & Co said, “I am very proud to partner with the Tipperary Food Producers to create this wonderful Hamper. Since I established Hampers & Co over 27 years ago, I have featured many products from Tipperary’s food producers in our hampers and they have always been much loved by everyone. When the opportunity came around to collaborate with the Tipperary Food Producers to create ‘A Taste of Tipperary’, I jumped at the chance. It’s great to reconnect with my home county and to celebrate Tipperary’s wealth of artisan food and beverage producers.”

The “Taste of Tipperary” Hamper is €70 and for more information and to purchase visit www.tipperaryfoodproducers.ie or hampersandco.com