Preserves with a purpose
Jams and marmalades link directly to my preserving books and practical home-kitchen methods. The aim is traditional flavour, good set, clear labelling and small-batch quality.
Author Carl – handmade food, practical books and market-stall products
Handmade Jams, Marmalades, Spices, Chutneys & Books
Author Carl is now a small food brand as well as a publishing brand. I make and sell jam, marmalade, spices, chutneys and gift baskets, alongside the practical books that explain the food, methods and ideas behind the products.
The products are built around the same subjects I write about: preserving, Indian cooking, fermentation, chillies, garlic and growing food. The books give the knowledge. The stall gives you the finished products.
- Small-batch products
- Food knowledge behind every product
- Books, recipes and real market-stall goods
Food products first. Books behind the brand.
About Author CarlAuthor Carl began with practical books on food, preserving, Indian curry and growing food. It has now grown into a market-stall food brand selling handmade products that connect directly with those same subjects. If I sell a jam, marmalade, spice blend or chutney, there is a clear reason it belongs under the Author Carl name.
Spices and chutneys with context
My Indian cooking books explain curry-house methods, spice timing and flavour building. The stall brings that world into physical products such as spices, blends and chutneys.
Books that support the products
The books are still important, but they now support the products rather than standing alone. They show the knowledge, testing and practical thinking behind what I sell.
What You Can Buy from Author Carl
Where to buyProduct ranges will grow over time. The current focus is traditional small-batch food products, useful cooking ingredients, and gift ideas that combine handmade food with the books.
Jams
Handmade fruit jams such as strawberry and raspberry, produced in small batches and sold through Author Carl market stalls.
Read about jam making →Marmalades
Traditional marmalade products linked to my preserving work and my jam, jelly and marmalade book.
View preserving books →Spices & Blends
Practical spice products inspired by my Indian cooking books, designed for people who want better flavour at home without over-complication.
Explore curry guides →Chutneys
Chutneys sit naturally between preserving and Indian cooking, making them a strong fit for the Author Carl range as it expands.
Read the blog →Jam, Marmalade & Book Gift Baskets
Gift baskets are planned around simple, useful combinations: for example, two jams, one marmalade and a related Author Carl book, wrapped as a birthday, Father’s Day, Christmas or food-lover gift.
See where to buyBooks
Books remain available online and at the stall. They explain the techniques behind the brand: jam making, preserving, fermentation, curry-house cooking, chillies, garlic and growing food.
Browse booksVisit the Author Carl Market Stall
See all eventsBuy in person, ask questions and see the products
The market stall is now the physical home of Author Carl. It is where you can browse the products, see the books, ask questions and buy directly.
Typical stall products may include jam, marmalade, spices, chutneys, gift baskets and books, depending on stock and the event.
For confirmed dates, times and locations, use the events page. Stock can change as batches sell and new products are added.
From Ormskirk Market
View all blog postsMy first Ormskirk Market stall
Author Carl has moved beyond books alone. This post shows the first market-stall step: the yellow gazebo, the physical display and the beginning of turning the brand into a real-world food business.
As the stall develops, it will increasingly focus on handmade products as well as the books: preserves, spices, chutneys and gift baskets.
The Books Behind the Products
Browse all booksThe Author Carl books are no longer the only thing the brand sells. But they are still central because they explain the knowledge behind the products: why jam sets, how preserving works, how spices build flavour, why fermentation must be safe, and how growing food connects back to the kitchen.
Preserving Books
These books support the jam, marmalade, pickling, vinegar and preserving side of the brand.
Explore preserving books →Indian Curry Books
These books support the spice, curry and chutney side of the brand, including flavour building and practical UK kitchen methods.
Explore curry books →Gardening & Growing Books
These books connect the brand back to garlic, chillies, herbs, composting and growing useful food.
Explore gardening books →Learn More About the Food Behind the Brand
Browse the blogThese guides support the product range and give visitors a reason to trust the brand. They also help customers understand the food, methods and ingredients behind what is sold at the stall.
Fermentation & Preserving Guides
Salt %, brines, safety basics, mould vs kahm, troubleshooting, vinegar, jam setting and more — written for UK kitchens.
Indian Curry Guides
Base sauce, spice timing, restaurant-style flavour, and fixes for the common “tastes flat” problem — using UK supermarket ingredients.
Gardening & Growing Food
Garlic, chillies, indoor growing and compost basics — connecting the garden back to the kitchen.
Fermented Chilli Sauce Starter Kit
View the kitMake proper fermented chilli sauce at home — safely
This kit connects directly with the Author Carl fermentation and chilli books. It is designed for people who want to make proper fermented chilli sauce rather than a quick vinegar shortcut.
- Jar + airlock lid + glass weight
- 0.1g scale for accurate salt measurement
- pH strips to confirm acidity
- Straining funnel for clean bottling
- Full step-by-step guide to make your first fermented chilli sauce
Latest Books
See allBooks are now a supporting part of the Author Carl brand. They are still available for people who want to learn the methods behind the food, or buy a book alongside a handmade product as a useful gift.
Indian Takeaway Classics at Home
Real British Indian Restaurant style curries at home — simple ingredients, proven method.
Details
Slow Cooker Indian Curries
Slow cooker convenience with proper curry-house flavour — reliable timings and rich sauces.
Details
The Beginner’s Guide to Gut Health
Gut health explained simply — including fermented foods, the microbiome and practical daily habits.
Learn moreFree: Fermentation Safety Checklist (PDF)
Confident fermentation starts with safety. Use this one-page checklist before each batch to avoid common mistakes and get tastier, safer results.
- Simple, actionable checks
- Beginner-friendly
- Backed by food science
Enter your email below and you’ll get the checklist plus occasional, practical tips, product news and Author Carl market-stall updates.
Latest from the Blog
View allThe blog supports both sides of the brand: practical food knowledge for readers and useful background for customers who want to understand the products.
Why Homemade Indian Curry Never Tastes Like a Takeaway
The real reasons home curry tastes flat — heat, spice timing, base sauce and finishing — and the simple fixes that work.
Read more →
Why Homemade Jam Sometimes Fails
Runny set, burnt flavour, crystallisation and mould — what causes failures and how to make jam reliable every time.
Read more →
How to Price Homemade Preserves for Profit
A clear way to price jams, pickles and ferments so you cover costs and actually earn money.
Read more →Online Fermentation Course – Coming Soon
I’m filming a step-by-step fermentation course for beginners — based on the same clear, safety-first methods from my books. From yoghurt and kefir to sauerkraut, kimchi and fermented chilli sauce, you’ll learn each method with simple science and real kitchen techniques.
- Perfect for complete beginners
- Safety and science explained simply
- Clear demonstrations for each core ferment
About Author Carl
Author Carl is the food brand created by Carl Williams. It started with practical books on fermentation, preserving, Indian curry, chillies, garlic and growing food. It has now developed into a market-stall food business selling handmade products as well as books.
The idea is simple: the products and the books should belong together. If I sell jam or marmalade, it connects with my preserving work. If I sell spices or chutneys, it connects with my Indian cooking books. If I sell fermentation products or chilli-related items, they connect with my fermentation and chilli guides.
This makes Author Carl more than a normal book website and more than a normal food stall. It is a practical food brand built around real methods, tested ideas and useful products.
The books remain available for people who want to learn the methods. The market stall gives customers the chance to buy the finished products, ask questions and meet the person behind the brand.
