Getting ready to make home-made jam and chutney - please help!

annie-c

Hello All

I'm looking forward to harvesting, in September, my first ever crops of home-grown produce and I'd like to make to most of the soft fruit and tomatoes and onions by making my own jams and chutneys. :T

I've found some good websites with recipes, but am hoping for advice from the Old Stylers about how I can best prepare myself for the actual bottling process.

For example, are the kind of glass jars/metal lids that you get pickles in any good for preserves, or do I need special lids???

I was quite jealous of all the gardeners on here in Spring, who had saved up their plastic cartons/loo roll inners to use up for planting seeds - while I had to go out and buy the overpriced equivalent from the garden centre. :rolleyes:

I'd love to hear your tips for how I can start recycling now in order to be ready to make my own preserves in a few months' time!!!! :A

Thanks All,

Annie

Noozan

Ask your friends and family to save their empty jars for you.

The jars that pickles come in (with the metal lids) are fine for home made pickles and chutney, but I wouldn't put jams in them as they still whiff faintly of vinegar.

I wash my jars in hot soapy water and then dry in a low oven for 30 mins as this also sterilises them. If you have a dishwasher, just run them through and they'll be sterilised whilst drying in the washer.

Bottle the jams and chutney whilst the jars and chutney/jam is still hot (being very careful!), place a wax disc over which seals and prevents mould. Pop the lid on and label when jars are cold. You need to fill the jars to the brim to prevent mould growth.

annie-c

Thanks Noozan - so I presume I need to collect jam jars for my sweet preserves? I don't actually eat shop-bought jam - I only ever buy it if I go to a food fair, so I'll have to ask around for people to save them for me.

Do I need to buy wax circles that are specially cut, or can I make my own, and if so, does anyone know how?

Thanks again!

katieowl_2

The plastic jam pot covers, that you fix on damp and hold with an elastic band, come with the little waxed discs ready cut! Try the pound shops, sometimes they sell them!

Also if you are in an area where recycling is collected, perhaps you can pinch some jamjars out of somebodies recycling bin!

It's worth getting a mixture of size jars too, as little jars are good for the last couple of spoonfuls!

Regards
Kate

culpepper

You can also use coffee jars for jams and pickles.

annie-c

culpepper wrote:

You can also use coffee jars for jams and pickles.

Ooh, I hadn't thought of that - would I need to replace the screw on caps with the special preserve seals? Or would they be OK as is with wax paper?

culpepper

For jam you can just use the wax circles and cellophane over the top with a rubber band or the circles and the plastic lid.

Nicki

Last time I made jam I didn't have any waxed circles, so I cut some out from the inner bag of a cereal packet, and this worked fine. I have a feeling I read this tip in Tightwads Gazette, or maybe on here.

annie-c

Excellent tip - I don't eat cereal but will ask my mum to save me her liners!!

Noozan

My local 99p shop sells a packet of 60 wax circles in 2 sizes for, er, 99p, lol. We don't eat cereal so I'll have to ask someone for am empty cereal bag to try.....

annie-c

99p is excellent! Which section of the shop are they found in?

And am I right in thinking the circles have to be exactly the same size or slightly bigger than the top of the jar, for hygeine reasons?

Thanks again!