The Preserver's Year

Patchwork_Quilt

Hi Ceridwen. I use the 'false bottom' from my pressure cooker to stand jars on when I am sterilising by the water bath method. I have never used newspaper but did try cloths and one of them seemed to get a little charred. Also, I separate my bottles by just tucking dishcloths around them rather than using string too, which I am sure will save time.

Hope this helps you

ceridwen

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

Hi Ceridwen. I use the 'false bottom' from my pressure cooker to stand jars on when I am sterilising by the water bath method. I have never used newspaper but did try cloths and one of them seemed to get a little charred. Also, I separate my bottles by just tucking dishcloths around them rather than using string too, which I am sure will save time.

Hope this helps you

DUH! <slap head smilie> Sometimes it takes someone else to point these things out.....hmmm....

Thinks....goes off to investigate my pressure cooker....

champys

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

right, I have done 6 jars of what this web page describes as 'Solid Pack' bottled tomatoes ( http://www.allotment.org.uk/allotmen...ng-Methods.php ) - I.E. blanched, peeled and quartered tomatoes, packed into jars with some salt, and popped in the oven for an hour and ten minutes with the lids open, but resting on top, then took out and tightened the lids on.

They have created a lot of clear liquid, and there is about an inch air gap at the top of each jar - maybe I could have acked them tighter - will try that next time. Will eat some of these in a week or two and see how they are!

I have also done an experimental jar of Whole Tomatoes (cherry toms in my case), a different method from my 1950's Radiation Cookbook! You pack the whole, small tomatoes (washed and stalks removed) into jars, add 1 tsp salt per pound of tomatoes, and pour in boiling water to within one inch of the rim of the jar, then process in the oven, lid on loosely again, at gas mark 1/2 for an hour. Mine are in the oven now, will let you know if anything interesting happens with them!

The whole tomatoes are a lot less work, but I guess you may well end up removing the skins before you eat them anyway... the solid pack ones are probably more handy for using straight into recipes etc...

I do roast tomatoes (the HFW way), then roughly blitz them in the food processor, fill jars and sterilise - I acutally use the pressure cooker for the sterilising (under pressure). That way you end up with virtually no 'clear liquid' in your preparation, as it has mostly evaporated during the roasting, and a lovely concentrated taste. I use them all winter in any preparation requiring chopped tomatoes. Also it's easy, all you need to do is halve and core the tomatoes - no skinning necessary.

helyg

Have made 6lb of marmalade (using Mamade) this morning, which I think is the last thing for my Christmas gift hampers. Used some brown granulated sugar which I bought from Poundland and it has gone a lovely deep colour.

Going to make my mincemeat tomorrow.

ChocolateMonkey

I'm going to attempt to make rosehip and apple jelly this week. I went picking rosehips but have since realised I need loads more.
I'd also like to make rosehip syrup too. I'm hoping I am picking the right thing, i've google images it and it seems to show two types. No doubt i'll end up posting on here.

meerkatgirl

I'd really like to give some jars of chutney as Christmas gifts this year and I'm thinking I should get started now to give the chutneys time to properly mature by Christmas day.

Do you lovely people have any recipes I could make this weekend, ideally with stuff that might be in season (not much admittedly, I know... )

thriftlady_2

meerkatgirl wrote: »

I'd really like to give some jars of chutney as Christmas gifts this year and I'm thinking I should get started now to give the chutneys time to properly mature by Christmas day.

Do you lovely people have any recipes I could make this weekend, ideally with stuff that might be in season (not much admittedly, I know... )

Autumn is a great time for chutney making -apples, pumpkins, pears, root veg can all be used. Also dried fruit which is always around. Have a look at this recipe for 'Glutney' which makes use of whatever you have a lot of;)

missychrissy

ChocolateMonkey wrote: »

I'm going to attempt to make rosehip and apple jelly this week. I went picking rosehips but have since realised I need loads more.
I'd also like to make rosehip syrup too. I'm hoping I am picking the right thing, i've google images it and it seems to show two types. No doubt i'll end up posting on here.

I set off 5 galls of rosehip sherry 2 days ago. My hands are still very scratched from collecting them. It took me approximately 3 weeks to gather enough and kept having to freeze them but I hope it will be worth it.

I have bottled my jennyjelly Cranberry and Raspberry wine and also her Apple wine yesterday. Also recently bottled the Elderflower wine made with dried elderflowers. In the last couple of days I have also racked off several galls of Wheat wine, Rice and Raisin wine, Plum wine, Cranberry and Blueberry wine, Barley wine and Rice wine.

I bought a Harris Vinbrite wine filter kit recently and tried it out for the first time with the Apple wine yesterday. The difference between the before and after wine was amazing so will be using this regularly from now on.

I would like to thank jennyjelly for her fantastic recipe for Cranberry and Apple wine. The wine has gone from start to finish in about 6 weeks and tastes good.:T

Chris25

found some close-to-end-of-date tins of sweetcorn (5p each!) in the supermarket and made sweetcorn & pepper relish - doesn't look so wonderful as I didn't have any turmeric to colour it....but it tastes nice

missychrissy

Gigervamp wrote: »

Here's the recipe that we used to make eldeflower champagne.

3 gallons of water
4 Tbs white wine vinegar
4 lemons
4 kilos of sugar
About 20 elderflower heads.

I haven't got the method written down in my notebook but from memory, we put the flower heads, vinegar and juice from the lemons into a fermenting bucket. Heated the water and dissolved the sugar in it, then added that to the bucket. Left it for a few days before straining it into sterilised 2 litre coke bottles.
We had to make sure that we let out the gas from each bottle every day. We made 2 batches and that made about 16 2 litre bottles of very potent brew! :beer:

Our elders are just starting to get the flower buds on, so it'll be a while yet before we can make this years batch.

Don't you need to add any yeast to Elderflower Champagne?