The Preserver's Year

looby-loo_2

Happyroly wrote: »

Advice please - I am intending to buy the River Cottage book BUT if you were only allowed to have one book on preserves which one would you choose/recommend?
Thank you.

When I was 14 I decided preserving was my hobby and it still is

floyd

lbt wrote: »

Thank you for all this - that's great. Are the waxed discs for keeping the jams fresh?

Generally speaking, you only need to use waxed disks if you cover your jars with cellophane and a rubber band as it isnt airtight so needs a second line of defence to stop mold spores growing.
If you use glass jars with metal screw top lids then you don't need wax disks as well because putting hot preserve into a hot jar will form a vacuum when the jar cools down so less chance of mold growing.

Also, you can't use cellophane and wax circles for chutney as the vinegar evaporates (tip from Thriftmonster on another thread)

lbt_2

Thanks floyd - so it sounds like jars with proper lids are the way to go. Do you buy muslin squares or is there a cheaper alternative? They are sold for just under £5 for one at Lakeland!!!!

Also, for anyone who is as much of a novice as I am, you might like to look at the tips and recipes for jam making on the lakeland website - click here, or for Delia's ten point plan, click here

On reading these, it should help to avoid some of the common problems that can occur

floyd

In the past I bought 3 from EBay but can't seem to find the same seller with any products up (Compassion-At-The-Plate was the person I used). They ones I bought from them were lovely hemmed large-size cloths that washed really well.
I also tried the lakeland ones that Delia recommends where you get 10 for around £5 http://www.lakeland.co.uk/F/keyword/muslin/product/7011 they are smaller and the edges fray very slightly but they do the job.
Does anyone know if the white muslin squares sold in Mothercare can be used for the same purpose? They are much larger and washable

thriftmonster

Rosieben - the blackberry ketchup recipe I just got by googling it - due to major surplus of blackberries from a friend.

The blackberry chutney came from a 1970s WI Book of Preserves and Pickles which I found in Bargain Books in the mid 90s - it has a green cover with a still life on the front - ISBN 1 85152 618 8 - first published as "Preserves and Preserving" in 1978. It is my bible for preserving as it covers jams, jellies, marmalades, curds,chutneys, relishes, sauces, vinegars,freezing, bottling, pickling, drying, salting and crystallising.

lbt - the onion relish is adapted from one in this book - but bears very little resemblance to the original now.

Penelope_Penguin

While I was eating my breakfast toast with HG anf HM cherry jam, I was wondering if that's on here, and I can't see it

I picked Morello cherries in July and made this jam I'm considering making some this year with the addition of the cherry brandy DH picked up in a Schipol stop-over :beer:

Penny. x

gailey_2

This intrigues me?

Is jam,marmalade and chutneys easy to make?
how long they keep in jars?
as for do they have to be glass?
iea had some cheapish ones with clasp top would they be ok?
wheres best to find recipes?

Say I made lots of berry jams in july/august and sept when they in season would they keep as xmas presents?

thriftmonster

If the jars are clean and sterilised they should keep for years - in fact there was a thread about how vintage some of the stuff we were still eating was - we're still eating crab apple jelly from 2000 (last jar) and it's fine.

Any pasta sauce jar, mayo jar etc is fine as long as the lid has a plastic coating over the metal on the inside. If you want to give chutneys as pressies for Christmas you would need to make them at least 2 months in advance as they have to mature - freshly made chutney is vile.

tiff

Well, on saying that we made spiced plum chutney and ate it straight away and it was absolutely fab. No doubt if we'd kept it longer it would have been even better lol.

I warmed my glass jars (old jam/chutney jars) in the oven before filling with the hot chutney. Fill to the top and once you put the lid on, it creates a vacuum seal, like shop bought ones. It will keep for years like thriftmonster said.

thriftlady_2

Gailey check out our Complete Jams, Chutney and Other Preserves Collection I think you'll find answers to all your questions there

Jams made in the summer will certainly last until Christmas and beyond.

This thread will be useful for recipe books. There are loads of recipes on the internet.