AT 95-and-three-quarters Beattie Fuller has many tips for a long and happy life.

She loves to cook and regularly enters the Macksville Show with her offerings.

Beattie supplied NOTA with one of her favourite recipes, tested by local reporter Ned Cowie.

“When people realise how easy it is to cook delicious pickles, they will never buy them again,” says Beattie.

These pickles can be used wherever you usually use tomato sauce or almost any other condiment.

They are especially delicious on toast with a slice of cheese.

Mustard Pickles

Ingredients:

1 kg tomatoes (green)

1 ½ kg cauliflower

3 large onions

2 large green apples

3 tablespoons Mustard powder

4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon pepper

¾ cup salt

400ml white vinegar

2 large tablespoons plain flour

Method:

Chop tomatoes, cauliflower, onions and apple and cover with salt and water.

Let stand overnight.

Cook until vegetables are tender then drain.

In a separate bowl mix the mustard, sugar, turmeric, curry powder, pepper and flour with some of the vinegar to make a smooth paste.

Gradually add the rest of the vinegar then pour over the drained vegetables.

Cook over medium heat for ten minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour into sterilised jars while hot.

Handy hint – use jars with plastic lids for chutneys, relish and pickles as metal lids rust if left on the shelf for too long.
Top tip – substitutions are fine, so be creative.

“The basic recipe for pickles involves salt and vinegar and usually some kind of sweetener,” said NOTA reporter Ned Cowie.

“I used riper tomatoes when I made the jars in the picture and substituted eggplant (which is in season) for the cauliflower.

“I added less sugar because I think we need a lot less and not as much curry because we like ours like that.”