really old style living?

[Deleted User]

ceridwen wrote: »

I'm on a shout-out here for Lakeland - COO-EEEEEEEE.....alll these potential customers here for a canner and you arent darn well stocking one yet....get yer business brains in gear Lakeland.

Oh...it just goes SO against the grain any time I see good business opportunities being missed ....coming, as I do, from a family where businesspeople predominate ....

I e mailed them three months ago requesting a canner. People powere folks!

mardatha

Does anybody know how we did bottling etc before the days of canners ? ie the Victorians or Edwardians must have done this. But how ?

stitching_witch

mardatha wrote: »

Does anybody know how we did bottling etc before the days of canners ? ie the Victorians or Edwardians must have done this. But how ?

I remember my granny bottling fruit and vegetables using a big pan on the range. Unfortunately I was far too young to take it all in, but I wish I had been older as I'd love to do it now.

This year I have bottled cherries and plums in a brandy syrup, so maybe it's a similar process?

Off to look through my numerous books.........

annie123

My nan used a big deep saucepan with a metal trivot in the bottom, put glass jars on that and cover with water so that the jars are a good inch or 2 below the water, need a couple of inches extra to allow for the water to boil without going over.
She used the same pan that her mum used, so would go back to 1910-20 time.
Haven't seen her do it since the 70's, wonder if she's still got that pan in her house? I would ask her but she has dementia.

mardatha

It's me you're talking to Annie. So tell me how you do it, in wee short words You boil the fruit then fill the sterilised jars? I followed you on the big pot/water/jars bit....but what do I put in them? LOL excuse me I had a long day

ChocClare

Mardatha, you should only bottle fruit (or possibly tomatoes but start with fruit, it's easier).

So, there are two ways. You could say, I have a load of apples - and yea, I shall bottle them.

Or you could say, so* it, I'm going to put these in a pie when I'm finished, so I might as well do that bit now.

First method: Slice your apples and put in acidulated water (bowl with water and a squirt of lemon juice) till you've got a load.

Take apples out of bowl and CRAM into sterilised jars.

Cover with a syrup (ie sugar dissolved in water). Apples will float. Shove 'em down with the end of a wooden spoon and add more until the jar is really full (fruit will shrink dramatically). Seal jars. Wrap in newspaper or old teatowels to prevent them knocking together. Put in large pan. Fill up with water to cover the jars completely. Bring to boil and boil ABOUT 30 mins. You can do this in the pressure cooker too.

OR

Make up apple pie filling (ie sliced apples and sugar stewed together for just a few minutes). Cram into jars as before. Wipe tops of jars to make sure there's no apple pie filling to prevent a good seal. Bung in big pot as before and boil as before. Lift out carefully when the time is up and leave to cool.

I have a very good book (one of those tall thin Sainsbury's books) on bottling various fruits using various methods (you can also do them in the oven for example). If you let me know what you want to make, I'll give you proper timings for the method you choose.

ginnyknit

Do you have to have the proper bottles for bottling the fruit or will the good old jam jar do? I like the idea of preserving the apples so they don't get wasted - I have a bowl of stewed fruit lingering in the fridge now :eek: bad Ginny, wasting food!

As for my day off, I may do some crafts as I have a pile of stuff on the table waiting to be finished but may have a wander to my local Charity shop first. Or may just follow Mardatha's advice and sit on the sofa and eat sweeties :T:T:T

annie123

mardatha wrote: »

It's me you're talking to Annie. So tell me how you do it, in wee short words

:rotfl:

CC explained it better than I could. I've never done it myself, but will have to try it this year, especially as I only have a fridge/freezer so my freezer always struggles to house as much food as I would like it to.

Ginny....My nan used kilner jars I think, they're the ones with the rubber seal and screw top aren't they? Don't know if thats the only type of jar you can use.

Nan used to preserve anything and everything, she was a good gardner and cook (shame my mum never was) but as soon as they got a 6' wide chest freezer she turned her allotment garden back to a flower garden and shopped at Iceland
Wasn't as much fun going round there after that.

Mar..........has your chicken house arrived yet?

mardatha

Brilliant CC, many thanks. I will try it with apples, just wanted to know HOW to do it in case one day I had to. Don't like depending on freezers for everything.
Watched the Edwardian farm last night, the last one. Was lovely but I didn't enjoy it as much as the Victorian one. Loved the ladies' dresses at the tea party though

mardatha

but as soon as they got a 6' wide chest freezer she turned her allotment garden back to a flower garden and shopped at Iceland
******************************
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: She probly thought thank god I can stop all that bloody faffing around now and get a life !
Am imagining a whole generation of hard-worked, stressed and knackered women, over on the "other side" all rolling around helpless aand wondering why we are trying to turn the clock back ! :rotfl::rotfl: