The Preserver's Year

thriftlady_2

ChocolateMonkey wrote: »

I've been thinking, how do I go about using celophane with chutney? I know I dont use the wax discs as the vinegar eats it but can I still use celophane or does it have to be proper lids?

Does it? I've always used them and they've never been eaten. I'm not sure they're strictly necessary though.

Patchwork_Quilt

misskool wrote: »

I'm making apple butter from the windfall apples and following the recipe (see link)
http://elise.com/recipes/archives/000119apple_butter.php

It's an American site so they do the canning in a hot water bath at the end. Can someone look at the recipe and tell me if I can keep it like normal jam? It's basically 1/2cup of sugar to every cup of apple pulp.

thanks!

I believe you could. My American canning book recommends sterilising/canning ordinary jam before you put it away too

ceridwen

I've got an American canning book en route from Amazon as we speak - the "Idiots Guide" or summat - and I have a feeling, from the excerpt that I read, that us Brits are up for condemnation for not doing this hot water bath thingie or whatever-'tis-called. I think I'm going to be hearing a little voice in my ear - with an American accent - saying words to the effect of "y'all watch out for botulism now - have a nice day" every other page
(only metaphorically speaking of course - the men in white coats ARENT coming for me as we speak:D).

I am wondering if this style of preserving is something we need to do on the one hand - or whether its one of those "protect yourselves from getting sued" things and isnt necessary for practical reasons, as long as one maintains good hygiene on the other hand. What do people think? (at the moment I am contemplating making stuff for my own use by traditional British methods - but "upping the ante" in case for anything thats meant for other peoples consumption.)

I think maybe there are two distinct strands of thought in America as far as I can see - the "nuke things to within an inch of their life" in case strand of thought on the one hand and the "I want my milk UNpasteurised and to try fermenting all sorts of foods" on the other hand. I tend to fall more into the second school of thought - and my "how to ferment" all sortsa food book has just turned up now from Amazon.

thriftlady_2

Water bath canning is entirely unecessary for jams, jellies, chutneys, and pickles due to the amount of sugar and/or vinegar in them.

It is only necessary if you are bottling fruit or veg without anything else.

I've no idea why the Americans process their jam in a water bath.

Chris25

These lovely jam pot covers and labels are downloadable and great to use if you're giving jam as presents http://www.domestifluff.com/ (scroll down to 24th August)

powershopper

oh thriftlady, at last, the voice of sanity and reason calling in the wilderness of U S over protectiveness!!!! I have long wondered WHY you would wreck the flavour of home-made straw/raspberry jam by nuke-ing it for another half hour in a pan of boiling water................

powershopper

.........another thing, if you hot-water process pickled onions, you get onions cooked in hot vinegar.....blerrrggghhhhhh

Patchwork_Quilt

Just pickled some nasturtium seeds in with my onions. I'll let you know ...

ceridwen

thriftlady wrote: »

Water bath canning is entirely unecessary for jams, jellies, chutneys, and pickles due to the amount of sugar and/or vinegar in them.

It is only necessary if you are bottling fruit or veg without anything else.

I've no idea why the Americans process their jam in a water bath.

Thanks for clearing that up. So - thats me sorted then - doing things to "conventional" recipes - just proceed as per standard British practice. I am reckoning in trying to bottle some fruit in water (rather than sugar syrup) - so will do water bath stuff on that then (apart from the rhubarb I seem to recall confuzzled told us the other day we could do in water without that faffing around with water baths - because its so acid of itself) - but, for everything else, I'll forget about the water bath thing.

Right - got that...thanks..

I think we'll just take Thriftlady as being our "resident expert" round here on matters of a "preserving" nature.

Penelope_Penguin

ceridwen wrote: »

so will do water bath stuff on that then (apart from the rhubarb I seem to recall confuzzled told us the other day we could do in water without that faffing around with water baths - because its so acid of itself) - but, for everything else, I'll forget about the water bath thing.

I'm really not sure that will work Rhubarb is acidic, but that in itself won't preserve it indefinitely. At the very least, it'll need sterilising and sealing in a jar.

Penny. x