The Preserver's Year

floyd

These are the ones I use http://www.towelsrus.co.uk/products/plain-white-tea-towels-100-cotton-12-pack/10457
The only downside being that they are slightly more absorbent than muslin so you lose a little more juice. I have been looking for a jelly bag but none of the ones I found are big enough and I would have to keep going back to load on more pulp . For now I will stick to my tea towel hanging off the kitchen wall-cupboard knob over a bowl on the worktop, works for me

If you use them, I always wash, iron then scortch in boiling water for 5 mins before using them (make sure to wring it out with clean hands as you dont want to dilute the juice woth too much excess water)

Chris25

I bought some value t/towels from one of the supermarkets for 35p each. Would have been useless to dry anything but works well as a strainer as the weave is a bit more open than an ordinary cotton/linen one:D

After using, I rinse the goo off and boil it in a saucepan (the t/towel ) with a little washing powder to clean.

I store them in a ziploc bag in the kitchen drawer with my jam labels so they don't get accidentally used. Although, I'm not sure why I bother because no-one else but me seems to wash or dry around here

thriftlady_2

ceridwen wrote: »

Okay - stupid question of the year here - but I have seen the mention of using tights before - but then got myself a bit tied-up wondering about the details of just how-to use said tights? Does one pour the foodstuff into the leg of the tights or lay the tights across the base of a colander? - Well I did say 'twould be a "stupid question":D

If I were using them I'd cut off a leg about half way down the thigh. Then fill the leg with whatever you want to strain. You obviously need to rig it up so that the open end of the tights leg is easy to fill. Honestly it really is a lot easier to buy a bag plus stand. I bought mine years and years ago and have never regretted it. I'll be getting it out again soon when I make quince jelly.

nanokitten

nopot2pin wrote: »

Can you reuse vinegar from a jar of pickled onions/beetroot ?
I would use like for like, but wasn't sure if it would work.

Yes pickled onion vinegar is brilliant, either use it in pickles relishes for extra zing or save it for salad dressings / put it on your chips. It is normally just malt vnegar with spices added.
I recently bought a jar of picked onions just to get the vinegar (I can't eat the actual onions) to make a low fibre picalilli, I used the vinegar for flavor and put the onions in whole so they' be easy to pick out but would still flavour the sauce.

Confuzzled

nopot2pin wrote: »

Can you reuse vinegar from a jar of pickled onions/beetroot ?
I would use like for like, but wasn't sure if it would work.

i reuse vinegar for making my own pickles of sorts but i've never cooked with it before to put something away in the cupboards, the things i use them for just get shoved back in the fridge

i'm curious to know about this one too!

nanokitten

Ok, went to the organic nursery yesterday and was seduced by 'half price organic plums, ideal for jam making' I bought all of them (about 3 lb I think) as they are low-ish in pectin I also bought 1 lb damsons and a couple of cooking apples.
I'd like to make a jelly rather than jam (as I can't eat the skins) and am wondering if I should use jam sugar / extra pectin or if i'll get away with just the damsons and cooking apple

Chris25

nanokitten wrote: »

Yes pickled onion vinegar is brilliant, put it on your chips. It is normally just malt vnegar with spices added.
I recently bought a jar of picked onions just to get the vinegar .

The lady in what used to be our local chippy used to save all her bottles for me once all the onions had gone :T

I don't like the onions but love the vinegar!

aligator_3

Hi everbody i have been lurking in the background for quite a long time and have learnt so much from this forum,
now i need some advice,
i roasted our home grown tomatoes then blitzed them, then put them through a sieve all whilst still hot.
I then brought them to a boil and put them in to very hot sterile jars with button type lids, these went down on cooling, this is the method i have used before when making chutney and had no problems.

i have since read that you need to use a water bath after you bottle or run the risk of food posioning when bottling pure fruit.it also said not to do veg as you can not get it hot enough to be sterile,
should i throw the stuff away or can i open jars boil contents and re bottel using water bath,

thriftlady_2

aligator wrote: »

Hi everbody i have been lurking in the background for quite a long time and have learnt so much from this forum,
now i need some advice,
i roasted our home grown tomatoes then blitzed them, then put them through a sieve all whilst still hot.
I then brought them to a boil and put them in to very hot sterile jars with button type lids, these went down on cooling, this is the method i have used before when making chutney and had no problems.

i have since read that you need to use a water bath after you bottle or run the risk of food posioning when bottling pure fruit.it also said not to do veg as you can not get it hot enough to be sterile,
should i throw the stuff away or can i open jars boil contents and re bottel using water bath,

You can't preserve something simply by cooking it and putting it in a sterile jar. To preserve something you need sugar/vinegar/alcohol/oil or salt or a combination. These will provide an atmosphere which is inhospitable to bacteria and moulds. Chutney contains a large amount of sugar and vinegar which is why you've had no problems with it. Ketchup is a way of preserving tomatoes which also uses sugar and vinegar. Hot water processing will also do the job but far easier if you have the room is to freeze your tomato sauce.

fluffybunnies

nanokitten- if you boil the fruit then strain to make jelly should be fine