New, New Thirfty Gifty for Christmas and All Ocassions 2011..Santas Challenge...

kelda_shelton

mary-op. best of luck with the physio.

Girls.. for those of you that make food stuffs, I'd be interested in some advice.

I'm thinking of making jam apple cheese, relish and so on for Christmas gifts. But I just wondered about storage.

Do you guys just save empty jam jars and reuse and then relabel and whatever? And these jars are okay to use? How do you make them look pretty and not obviously reused jars!?! i saw last night on someone's blog via here about blackboard paint and painting over the label and then using dressmakers chalk to say what it is. i thought that was cute but I wodnered about the lid. I could buy pinking scissors and do the material thing but that will only last looking pretty until they actually open the jar up to get the stiff and then youve got th tescos apricot jam jar lid underneath!!

My same question was about what people decant their sloe gin or Vodka into, and again make it looks nice the lid and so on?

Also, you know when you shop buy something and you get that pop as you open a jar lid becasue its been vacuumed packed. How does it work when we wont have that? Just screwing on a jam jard lid as you would at home, how long can the contents actually last?

Sorry! Lots of questions!

happycrafter_2

I save all my jars and my neighbours and family do the same for me, you can buy new jar lids off the internet.

I sterilize mine the usual way in the oven, and strange as it seems (and it really impressed me) when I use a popping lid once the contents have cooled down it pulls down the centre of the jar and pops only when you open it again.

not sure on the length of storage as mine gets given away or eaten pretty quickly.

kelda_shelton

Ooh! Thanks Happy Crafter! Where on the internet can you buy jam jar lids? And how do you sterlise in the oven? Just by doing this?

Sterilise the jam jars - first wash the jars in soapy water and rinse in clean warm water. Allow them to drip-dry, upside down, on a rack in the oven set to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Leave them there for at least half an hour while you make the jam.

happycrafter wrote: »

I save all my jars and my neighbours and family do the same for me, you can buy new jar lids off the internet.

I sterilize mine the usual way in the oven, and strange as it seems (and it really impressed me) when I use a popping lid once the contents have cooled down it pulls down the centre of the jar and pops only when you open it again.

not sure on the length of storage as mine gets given away or eaten pretty quickly.

happycrafter_2

yep thats how I sterilse them and for the lids I think there are sellers on ebay and lakeland sell them, there might be other places as well i just came accross those places while looking for bits and pieces myself.

susan42

Mum2one - that was so funny, thank you for giving me a laugh, but must have been a nightmare at the time, perhaps we should write a book witht hem all, as I can think of loads, why do men seem to think we have to put up with them

kelda, jam apple cheese relish sound ace have you any recipes (drooling)

mary - i hope you get better soon, i know how bad backs are

cdsmiler - im off to merthyr for the weekend ...lol , HAving lived down there i`m amazing myself staying there....

kelda_shelton

Susan42 It was one here I found it last night in this thread......

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/570647

naturally wrote: »

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/article2569447.ece

This is the apple cheese recipe I think I will be using.

susan42

Thxs kelda for the linky

can i ask you all a favour and vote on the site for me, it only takes two minutes and I want woohoo to win .....sarah cm

you can vote for anysite you want,

cdsmiler

esmer wrote: »

You can make one out of zipped bags, reinforce the corners with lots of tape, then cut a jaggy shape out of it.

Made these last night.

.

You can also pile the icing on and smooth off with a spatula. And put sprinkles on.

esmer, that's gorgeous!!

mum2one - you made me laugh! Can you imagine his face if he'd worked out who you were?! lol And the bloke with the bottle of wine over his head - brilliant!!

kelda - I just reuse jar lids have to be honest! But all my makes go to friends and family. I think if I was going to start selling anything like that (after getting the right permissions to do so!) I'd probably buy lids.

susan - what on earth you going to Merthyr for?? lol

Busy day here, and then I'm not in work tomorrow so doubt I'll get online, so everyone have a lovely weekend and I'll probably talk to you all Monday!!

Clare x

mary-op

Hello all :j
Back from physio (ouch!!:eek:) Exercises to do then back again next Thursday !!
New bed arriving for us on Monday so OH will have to grab his mate for some 'bed shifting'
Our old bed going into big spare room.....single from there going into our lads room, his old bed being stacked up in little back bedroom with mattress !!(honestly........we've more beds that bedrooms !) Must mention to OH that surplus bed would be better chopped up and used for shelves.

Clleaner coming tomorrow but stuff the cleaning............back bedroom needs all the christmas stash sorting into ''charity shop/bin bag/drawer to keep'' so there's room to stack surplus bed if OH insists on it going there !
Oh eck.........worn out at the thought of it all........still, once its done that'll be that.
Oh lor.............got to empty drawers in our current bed..........no storage drawers in new one...........where am I going to put all the ''stuff'' ??:eek: Some is bedding......no problem there, some is sons art work from his first college -can't part with that and OH's side is full of jeans and jumpers I think............they can probably all be chucked as he dooesn't even know whats there................lol
Oh well, thats tomorrow............:)

Hope you're all ok:)

pennib

Semer. That cake looks amazing, bet it tasted delicious.