Preserving, it has started

[Deleted User]

I have a pair of heatproof double layer gauntlets from Lakeland Plastics, wearing them I use a small pyrex jug to transfer the hot jam to the jars which have a wide mouthed funnel sat on top of them one by one. I have the hot jars on a newspaper on a tray and start in one corner and move the tray along the side of the maslin pan as I fill them so the one I'm filling is always under the lip of the pan to catch the drips and it keeps me and the work surfaces and also the jam jars relatively clean!

Chillis go in at the beginning of cooking of chutneys along with all the other spices, we like 'warm' chutneys so I chop fresh chillis and they stay in to mature, yum!

mumf

Started dehydrating tomatoes.Looking good.

Thrice

Hi all, I'd love to join in please!

Me and DH are new to preserving this year. He's made jam using loads of berries from the garden, and we have frozen stewed apples from last years glut, but that's all we have ever done.

I bought a book years ago with loads of recipes in it, think it's a good housekeeping one? All jams, preserves etc etc. So far I've tried zero recipes

We have recently bought a dehydrator as I wanted to dry fruits etc to use as toppings for porridge, cereals etc throughout the year. So far I've dried our overgrowing basil, but thats it as I really don't know how to store foods properly

We are only a few weeks away from starting to take the apples off the two trees in the neighbours garden, one is a cooking apple and one is an eating apple. I give the neighbour what they want and we keep the rest, last year I used the flexible buckets (like a bricklayer would use?) and for ourselves we had in total 9 bucket loads :rotfl:

Floss

We have had a less productive year on our plot this year, but have gooseberries, strawberries & rhubarb in the freezer for wine, blackcurrants, redcurrants & blackberries stashed for jam, the plums will be cooked in brandy and the apples will be made into wine too.

I need to check my secret locations for sloes and crab apples, and check the elderberries too

We have a stash of dry chillies to be made into chilli jelly and DHs chilli sauce, and a dish of tomatoes ripening on the kitchen window sill for passata

rallp54

Oakdene wrote: »

Hope no one minds me asking but I made some chutney last winter & sealed the kilner jars & they've been in a dark cupboard since. I went to open one the other day but physically couldn't open it!! I even tried prising it open with a flat head screw driver.... any tips on safely opening?

Pull the rubber seal sideways until it breaks the vacuum.

toastrack_2

Buy yourself a jam funnel. They rest on the top of the jar going into the jar just enough. The top is wider than the spoon or ladle you are using.

toastrack_2

If you are looking for jam recipes try the Certo website http://certo.co.uk/ You can download their recipes as a pdf for future reference.

MisterT

top tip - if you don't have a jam funnel or don't want to buy one use a plastic milk bottle, 2 litre are best, just cut around it a few centimetres above the handle and use it as a funnel. Nice and wide to avoid spillage and a quick rinse and into the recycling when done.

Floss

MisterT wrote: »

top tip - if you don't have a jam funnel or don't want to buy one use a plastic milk bottle, 2 litre are best, just cut around it a few centimetres above the handle and use it as a funnel. Nice and wide to avoid spillage and a quick rinse and into the recycling when done.

I'm not sure a plastic milk bottle would stand up to much jam at 105 deg.C...

mushypeaman

Would like to buy this book, 'home preservation of fruit and vegetables by AFRC institute of food research', but can't find it on Amazon. Could you possibly post the ISBN number please?