not just jam (new cover edition)

This book is Fat Pig farm’s ode to the surplus of the seasons. Overwhelmed by ripe fruit, or mountains of rhubarb, we have found ways to preserve what we grow, and what grows near us.

Not Just Jam is farmer Matthew Evans’ collection of more than 90 modern recipes for old-fashioned preserving methods. It is for the forager, who scours the suburbs looking for fruit trees whose bounty is overlooked by others; for the cook, who wants their dishes to resonate with flavours borne from their own hands; and for anyone who is passionate about flavour.

Discover the joys of pear and cardamom jam for next level morning toast, or beetroot relish to brighten meals year round. Lunches made with apple cider mustard are always the better for the addition. A bowl of ice cream is transformed with a drizzle of homemade gooseberry and sour cherry syrup. Use this book as your launching pad, then adjust the combinations to suit the bounties of the place you call home. At its heart, it’s all about harnessing the harvest, making real food from scratch and feeling great about what you feed your family and friends.

Matthew Evans is a chef and food critic turned farmer-food activist. He lives on a mixed farm that occupies a one-time apple orchard in the Huon Valley outside Hobart with his partner Sadie Chrestman and son Hedley. He is nationally best known for his long-running SBS series Gourmet Farmer (six seasons), set on Fat Pig Farm’s 70 acres, but also was the star of food documentaries What’s the Catch? and For the Love of Meat. He has authored or co-authored 13 books on food, and is regularly interviewed on radio about all things to do with farming, growing, soil and eating. He has capitalised on his broad appeal hosting weekly farmhouse feasts and on-site cooking classes, which are often booked out months ahead. He is beloved of television audiences but also widely respected in the food world as someone who lives his truth - giving up the apparently coveted life of a Sydney food critic to create something real and meaningful with Sadie on their small parcel of land in southern Tasmania.