BEFORE the arrival of fridges and freezers, many people would spend late summer and autumn days filling up their larders with delicious jams and chutneys to be enjoyed in the chilly winter months ahead.

Nowadays, with shops selling such a wide selection of imported fruit and vegetables (not to mention all the ready-made convenience food that is available) we could have easily lost the art of preserving completely, but fortunately it seems to be enjoying a bit of a renaissance, judging by the number of cookery books available now on the subject.

Preserves could not be easier to make, and once put into sterilised jars, they will keep for a year, sometimes longer. Most chutney recipes call for all the ingredients to be prepared (this is where most of the work is) and then simply thrown into a pot together and cooked for about half an hour. Many fruit jams take only four minutes to cook and there is no chopping or slicing involved.

There is nothing like a spicy apple chutney to transform a simple lunch or supper of bread and cheese into a serious feast; or try adding some onion marmalade to a plate of rocket leaves and goat's cheese, or a steak sandwich.

Try making a plum chutney to serve with curry or again some delicious cheese, or serve some tomato, ginger and chilli jam with everything from sausages to roast potato wedges. If you didn't make jam or got to freeze any fruit this summer, then why not pick up some frozen fruit and make a really easy and quick mixed berry jam.

What wonderful Christmas presents these would make for your foodie friends; they will think of you and smile every time they enjoy them.

Spicy apple chutney
Makes about 4 jars

This delicious spiced chutney is great with cheese, sausages and cold meats. Chutney, which gets its name from the Indian chutni, or chatni as it is now known, is a cooked sweet, spicy and usually sour relish, that will give flavour to food which is less piquant.

450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped 175g chopped onion (one medium onion) 250g light brown or demerara sugar 325ml cider vinegar or white wine vinegar Two red chillis, seeded (if you wish) and finely chopped Two tbsp peeled and finely grated ginger One tsp ground turmeric One tsp ground allspice / pimento One tsp ground cloves Half tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.

Cook over a low to medium heat for 30-40 minutes until the apples are cooked and the chutney is nice and thick. Pour into sterilised jars and cover. This will be better if allowed to 'mellow' for a week or two before eating.

Onion marmalade
Makes 2-3 jars

I love having some of this in my kitchen. It is wonderful with goat's cheese and serrano ham. It is also delicious with lamb chops; fantastic with cheddar or gruyere cheese and crackers with a slice of tomato, or even in a steak sandwich. We make this in the cookery school a lot to serve with meat pates. It keeps in the fridge for months.

675g onions 50g butter One tsp salt Two tsp pepper, freshly ground 150g castor sugar 100m sherry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar 250ml full-bodied red wine, doesn't matter if it has been sitting around for a few days Two tbsp cassis (a blackcurrant liqueur)

Peel and slice the onions thinly. Melt the butter in the saucepan and hold your nerve until it becomes a deep nut brown colour . . . this will give the onions a delicious rich flavour . . . but be careful not to let it burn.

Toss in the onions and sugar, add the salt and freshly ground pepper and stir well. Cover the saucepan and cook for 30 minutes over a gentle heat, keeping an eye on the onions and stirring from time to time.

Add the vinegar, red wine and the cassis. Cook for a further 30 minutes uncovered, stirring regularly.

Handy hint: a former student at the cookery school once told me that when she could not find cassis, she used blackcurrant cordial with success.

Tomato, ginger and chilli jam
Makes 2 jars

This is a gorgeous preserve, and one of the most versatile. Enjoy it with everything from cheese and sausages to roast chicken and cold meats.

50g ginger, peeled and chopped Four large cloves of garlic, peeled Four red chillis (leave in the seeds if you want it hot) 25ml Thai fish sauce (nam pla) 750g tomatoes, peeled and chopped 400g sugar 150ml red wine vinegar

Put the ginger, garlic, chillis and fish sauce into a blender and whizz to puree. Place the puree in a saucepan with the tomatoes, sugar, and vinegar and bring to the boil. Stir and simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, stirring regularly until thick and jammy. Pour into sterilised jars, cover and allow to cool.

Handy hint: To peel tomatoes, cut a cross in the skin at the base of the tomato and cover with boiling water for 10-15 seconds. Remove carefully from the hot water, cool, then remove the skins.

Plum chutney

This gorgeous chutney is delicious with cheese or cold meats and also with curry. Allow to mellow for a few weeks before eating.

900g plums, halved and stones removed 225g onion, chopped 225g cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped 225g light brown or demerara sugar 550ml white wine or cider vinegar 110g raisins 110g grated carrot One red chilli, seeded and finely chopped Two tsp salt One star anise . . . optional One tsp ground cloves One tsp ground ginger One tsp ground allspice / pimento

Place all the ingredients in a pot, bring up to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 3040 minutes until the plums and apples are soft and mushy and the chutney is nice and thick. Pour into sterilised jars, cover, and cool.

Mixed berry jam
Makes 2 jars

People always think you are a genius if you make jam, but it could not be easier. A beautiful jar of jam is such a lovely gift if you are going to someone's house.

400g sugar 400g summer fruit . . . a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, blackberries and blueberries (you can buy fruit ready packaged like this in the freezer department if fresh fruit is not available) Juice of one lemon Put a small plate or a saucer in the freezer for testing the jam later on.

Place the fruit (which can be frozen) in a saucepan with the lemon juice and heat up. Simmer for three minutes and crush most of the fruit with a potato masher. Add the sugar, stir to dissolve and bring up to the boil. Boil for three-four minutes over a high heat, stirring regularly.

To test to see if the jam is cooked, take a spoonful of the jam, place it on the frozen plate and allow it to sit for a few seconds. Then push your finger through the blob of jam . . . if the skin on top forms a wrinkle when pushed, it is cooked.

Remove from the heat immediately and pour into sterilised jars or a bowl.

Place the lids on top. The jam will set as it cools.

Handy hints: preserves like chutneys must be stored in sterilised jars, otherwise they will go off. To sterilise your jars, put them in a moderate oven at 1800C, gas mark 4, for 10 minutes, or put into boiling water for the same amount of time and then dry upside down in an oven. The lids must also be boiled. If recycling jam jars, remove all labels and wash before sterilising.

To avoid getting the dreaded sticky jars when potting the jam or chutney, use a jam funnel, these are invaluable and are available at all good kitchen shops.