Buzz on the street is that the newest food trend is the one that makes the most sense, and is also one of the oldest.

Think of all those tomatoes you’ve plucked from your organic vegetable garden, gathering dust in that wooden basket on the kitchen table, or the surplus mangoes you have left after the massive special at the local greengrocer. 

With a volatile economy and food awareness reaching new heights it would be almost obscene to throw away any fresh fruit or vegetables that could otherwise have been used efficiently.

So let's get back to basics and get in the mood that is set to take over 2011: preserving food.

As with most techniques, there are many ways to preserve food. You can cure and smoke meats, brine veggies, make jams, marmalades and jellies, or pickle to your heart’s desire.

You can make chutneys, atchars and relishes. Even cheese and yoghurts are ways in which fresh produce – in this case milk – are preserved.

Preservation ideas

For fruit, try this unusual jam made from brinjals. It’s divinely spicy and goes well with vine leaves and haloumi.

Or make a tapenade using brinjals with some blackberries, which sounds just fabulous and eclectic.

Surprise the boys during the game with a Black Label jelly and some cured duck and lamb meat slices.

And nothing beats good old traditional salt-cured ribs (soutribbetjie) so do try our recipe and make a delicious feast of it!

If you are more pescatarian in your ways, try our fabulous Norwegian salmon sugar and salt cure. It is sure to go down swimmingly in the last heated months of summer.

Make a great mint chutney with all the mint that's taking over your garden, or try a more rustic date chutney, perfect as a condiment to your next curry.

You can even get rid of all those bitter lemons or quincess you got as a gift from the neighbour by making a quince preserve or by preserving the lemons.