Preparing for Winter V

PipneyJane

@boazu, how do you sterilise your jars, please?   The reason I'm asking is that, when I make jams, etc, I always feel that this is the week spot in the process.  (I usually just heat mine in the oven.)

- Pip

[Deleted User]

I put them through the dishwasher on high heat wash and then store them with the tops screwed on until I need to use them.  I put the oven on low 120deg and pop the jars in as I start to make whatever preserve it is that time.  The lids I put in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over them as I put the jars in the oven.  They stay in for as long as it takes for the jam to set or the chutney to show me the bottom of a pan when I pull the spoon across it. I pot up and put lids on as I go and they usually click down as they cool.  Hope that's some use?

LameWolf

boazu said:

Plums easy, I used mirabelles but any small plum will do.  wash well and destalk but leave whole and then use a needle or fine skewer to make holes all over each plum.

The lazy way to do this is to use a staple remover - you get four holes at once. I use this method for preparing sloes for sloe gin.

Laura_Elsewhere

LameWolf said:

boazu said:

Plums easy, I used mirabelles but any small plum will do.  wash well and destalk but leave whole and then use a needle or fine skewer to make holes all over each plum.

The lazy way to do this is to use a staple remover - you get four holes at once. I use this method for preparing sloes for sloe gin.

Even lazier: use a grater! 
My friend who is a farmer's wife in Northumberland nearly did herself an injury  laughing when I referred to my childhood memories of pricking sloes with a darning needle for Mum's sloe gin - she just puts her sloes on a big tray and rolls one of those cylindrical graters over them, prickly side down! 

-taff

Thanks boazu, saved to computer for future use.

PipneyJane

boazu said:

I put them through the dishwasher on high heat wash and then store them with the tops screwed on until I need to use them.  I put the oven on low 120deg and pop the jars in as I start to make whatever preserve it is that time.  The lids I put in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over them as I put the jars in the oven.  They stay in for as long as it takes for the jam to set or the chutney to show me the bottom of a pan when I pull the spoon across it. I pot up and put lids on as I go and they usually click down as they cool.  Hope that's some use?

Thanks @boazu.  Yes, it is.

LameWolf said:

boazu said:

Plums easy, I used mirabelles but any small plum will do.  wash well and destalk but leave whole and then use a needle or fine skewer to make holes all over each plum.

The lazy way to do this is to use a staple remover - you get four holes at once. I use this method for preparing sloes for sloe gin.

Now THAT is clever!

- Pip

silver-oldie

Been reading along but hope you don't mind if I ask
Wondered if anyone on here buys dried egg powder.
If so is it as good as fresh eggs in cakes and where do you buy it from
Many thanks

[Deleted User]

Funnily enough I'm on the point of ordering dried egg from Amazon this afternoon.  I've not used it but people who do say it's OK and I think if we get dried powdered egg we'll not have to worry about eggs going off because it will be shelf stable and will keep until I run out of fresh.

silver-oldie

Googled and found these

https://internationalegg.co.uk/product/powdered-egg-for-baking/
https://www.bacarelexpress.co.uk/products/free-range-whole-egg-powder-igreca-edible.php

Laura_Elsewhere

Presumably they've improved the process since the 1940s? I know it was not terribly well-beloved during the war!