The Preserver's Year

Sallygirl · 23 August 2020 at 6:53PM

arwenelf77 what is fire cider please? And is it a cider to drink? Thanks : )

Sallygirl · 24 August 2020 at 9:14AM

arwenelf77 said:

wow that is impressive!!! I will have a look out for that book thank you. I have pickled some onions and cabbage and made fire cider so far but visited the parks this afternoon and have a load of elderberries so will be making cold and flu syrup with those!

What is fire cider please?

C_J · 24 August 2020 at 10:02AM

Ooh I have filled-glass-preserving-jar envy, Si! Thank you for the info on the book you use, I’ve just ordered myself one for £2.50 from eBay.

PipneyJane · 24 August 2020 at 4:43PM

@Si_Clist, that cupboard is impressive. Thank you for the details about “the book”. I will look for it. Most of my preserving knowledge comes from reading the companion book to Yorkshire Television’s Farmhouse Kitchen. It’s always the first place I check, followed by Marguerite Patton’s preserving book.

If I grow enough tomatoes, I’d like to try bottling home-made tomato sauce. It won’t happen this year - despite growing five tomatoes, I reckon I’ll get fewer than last year’s haul from one plant.

- Pip

PipneyJane · 3 September 2020 at 8:36PM

Good evening All

This week feels like I’ve been running to catch up. I’ve just spent 2.5 hours making Rose Hip Jelly, after processing the hips in two batches. (I froze the juice from the first batch for a couple of weeks and did the second batch on Monday.). 2.5 litres of juice and 1.9kg of caster sugar plus a huge amount of stirring later...and this is the result:-

As usual, I’m worrying that the damn stuff won’t set. However, as advised by my “Jam Aunties” here on MSE, I boiled it all for over 10 minutes before testing for set AND I used my sugar thermometer, with it’s jam marking (which it took forever to reach). I’m certain that cooled jelly was set on the side of the preserving pan (aka my pressure cooker) before I washed it up, but I still worry. This is only the 7th or 8th time I’ve ever made jam or jelly.

- Pip

Nargleblast · 3 September 2020 at 8:56PM

Sallygirl said:

arwenelf77 what is fire cider please? And is it a cider to drink? Thanks : )

Fire cider is a concoction of organic apple cider vinegar, garlic, spices and herbs left to sit for a few weeks before straining the liquid into sterilised bottles. You take a spoonful every day during the winter months to ward off ills, and up the dosage if you are unwell. I have never made it myself but there will be lots of recipes online.

Sallygirl · 3 September 2020 at 9:11PM

Oh fire cider sounds interesting! Thank you Nargleblast. I shall look into this. I must admit l like a teaspoon of my homemade apple vinegar in a glass of water. If it is doing me good then l shall keep that up while l investigate fire cider : )

Nargleblast · 4 September 2020 at 7:22AM

I think the "fire" bit comes from the fact it contains chillis. Ouch!

PipneyJane · 4 September 2020 at 10:54AM

PipneyJane said:

Good evening All

This week feels like I’ve been running to catch up. I’ve just spent 2.5 hours making Rose Hip Jelly, after processing the hips in two batches. (I froze the juice from the first batch for a couple of weeks and did the second batch on Monday.). 2.5 litres of juice and 1.9kg of caster sugar plus a huge amount of stirring later...and this is the result:-

As usual, I’m worrying that the damn stuff won’t set. However, as advised by my “Jam Aunties” here on MSE, I boiled it all for over 10 minutes before testing for set AND I used my sugar thermometer, with it’s jam marking (which it took forever to reach). I’m certain that cooled jelly was set on the side of the preserving pan (aka my pressure cooker) before I washed it up, but I still worry. This is only the 7th or 8th time I’ve ever made jam or jelly.

- Pip

Annnndddd...... Just as I dreaded - it hasn't set. I got up this morning and tested it by tipping a half filled bottle onto its side. I've even compared it to a successful bottle of jelly from 2018, so I know it really hasn't set. What went wrong? Did I overboil it or did it just not reach setting point? I don't know. I had tested it for set before I bottled it and it wasn't perfect, so probably the latter.

Tomorrow, I'll bung in a bottle of Certo just in case, reboil it and try again.

< sigh >

- Pip

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The Preserver's Year

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