Preserving/pickling/brewing costs - Tips welcome

compforus wrote: »

Hi

I have a glut of the fruit and veg but it is the rest I am struggling with!

Is the cheapest place to get sugar in the supermarket? They seem to be around 6.8p per 100 grams in most of them.

I have bought some kilner jars from Lakelands (for bottling) but it is starting to cost a lot. I am out of jars and never seem to be able to get to the freecycle ones in time!

There is a thread about vinegar which I have read and am now wondering if Tesco Value vinegar is the same as the normal vinegar. It is a lot cheaper and has the same acid content.

I also want to make wine but cannot afford all the fancy equipment. Does anyone do it without it? What used to happen before the likes of Boots with the big buckets/tubery and tablets etc existed etc?

Anybody else have any experience in sourcing the best basic ingredients/equipment etc and any good tips and advice?

Thank you!

I pay 69p a kilo for sugar from poundstrechers but use a lot of brown sugar in my chutneys which adds to the overall cost. I beg for jam jars off my neighbours and for every 4 jars I get I give them a jar of whatever I've been making. If this is out of the question and you have an Ikea nearby they sell kilner type jars from 90 odd p which works out cheaper. I've also been known to empty out the contents of smaller jars into big mayo jars when I've been desperate. I can't answer on the vinegar because I got 3 gallons from approved foods when it was on offer at a bargain 99p per gallon.

As for the homebrew, I bought loads of gallon bottles of water from Sainsburys. I bought grommets from ebay and got my OH to drill holes in the tops to fit the grommet and bubbler. I bit the bullet and bought 5 fermentation buckets from Manor Pharmacy for about £8 each but Wilkos do the same sort of thing if you don't have a manor pharmacy near you. You can order stuff from there online and get it delivered to your local shop. Likewise I buy all my tablets and chemicals from Manor Pharmacy but they are mostly available at Wilkos too. Charity shops are the best place to look if you want the fancy demi johns but I've not had any problems using the homemade ones from the water bottles.

I did post this on anothe thread but I've not had any replies, so I'm trying this one instead!

I bought the Dummies book of canning and preserving which appears (I now realise) to be American in ethos if not in production and as a result have have frightened the life out of me about canning.

It states categorically that a pressure cooker should not be used for canning, but I see that many of you are doing this successfully. Is that any sort of pressure cooker and what sort of foods does it allow you to can? I've got an American Canning Bath as I thought it was essential to can anything so I should be okay for stuff that needs water bathing, but I'm confused as to what that would be.

Any help greatly appreciated.