Preserving Your Surplus
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To share ways of preserving what you've grown such as bottling, freezing, dehydrating.
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Latest Activity: 16 hours ago
SealsI have another small pot of water boiling on the stove, before I get a jar out of the oven I place a perfit seal in it (to sterilise). Once the jar is full to overflowing and placed on wooden surface, using tongs I place the seal on top and screw on the ring. I tighten it using a teatowel as it gets hot. As I fill jars and place them on the wooden surface I make sure they do not touch each other as I've been told this can also make them crack. As the jars cool the perfit seal should bow in the middle rather than being slightly raised, this shows It has successfully sealed.
Basic Fruit Bottling
Water I usually add as little water as possible just enough to cover the bottom of the pan well and bubble up through the fruit as a lot of juice comes out of the fruit.
Sugar i add sugar to taste after fruit has cooked slightly as I understand this gives more sweetness for less sugar added. Also I barely make it sweet as the longer the bottled fruit is stored the more the sugar content increases.
Discussion Forum
Raw storing your harvest 8 Replies
Started by Isabell Strange. Last reply by WIC Garden Project Nov 12, 2012.
The Best Preserving Your Surplus Book You Know 4 Replies
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Swap eggs for preserves?
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Comment Wall
Comment
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Comment by Lynn on May 2, 2012 at 10:04am -
My diabetic neighbour switched to using stevia when I told her about it (and she learned of the risks with some artifical sweeteners). She still uses the gelatin and apples method for setting, the stevia helps with the sweetness, but it does have a slight after-taste that some people find takes a bit of getting used to. She did use the powdered stevia - I don't know if the liquid stevia would be any different - but I do know it would be more expensive.
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Comment by Steph Clout on May 2, 2012 at 9:26am -
Hi folks, curiosity forces me to ask: has anyone tried making jam using stevia instead of sugar? (stevia - the sugar plant)...apologies if misspelled! if yes, how did it work out?
;-) steph
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Comment by Lynn on May 2, 2012 at 8:41am
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Hi Franzi. I know diabetics who make their own jam. They use gelatin to help 'set' their jam. Most of them add apples to their fruit, as tart flavoured apples (like Granny Smiths) have good amounts of natural pectin in them to help the setting process. Some of them use artificial sweeteners, while one friend will not touch them, as she prefers 'au natural' - and has gotten used to her jam being a sharp tart flavour. I will see if I can get some recipes from them for you. Oh, they all keep their jams in the freezer too.
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Comment by Jude on May 2, 2012 at 7:15am
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Hi, yes, I'd be really keen too to hear of any recipes for jam and for preserving fruit that don't use sugar.
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Comment by Isabell Strange on May 2, 2012 at 7:10am -
My sister inlaw puts all her sugar made jam in the freezer as she says it keeps better and somehow doesn't freeze solid. perhaps you could try that and if it does freeze solid you could freeze it in ice cube or cup cake portions to get out a bit at a time.
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Comment by Franzi on April 24, 2012 at 6:50pm -
Hello there. Wow that membrillo sounds awesome! Can't wait for ripe quinces now :)
I am new here and was wondering if anyone has any ideas about making jam without sugar? How do I make it so it doesn't grow mold? I have tried it with strawberries but all of them developed mold (I did sterilise the jar and filled in very hot..) any tips would be greatly apreciated! Oh and if anyone is having heaps of figs right now, chop them up small and mix them with almonds and sugar (if wanted), cover with water and boil it for about 45 minutes until it has reduced about 1/4th then fill it into the jars, this is an AWESOMELY delicious jam. Just got that recipe from my neighbor and it is so yum. So I thought was worth sharing!
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Comment by Lynn on March 30, 2012 at 8:19pm
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I can empathise with that, Megan. I usually give some of the solids to the birds and the rest into the garden. It's nice to be able to use it for something, though I will admit, it took more work to cut the cores (I don't usually...I just chuck the lot in the pot!). Not something I would want to do every day, when my hands don't work so well with fibromyalgia. Oh well...I got through it, and it's lovely!
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Comment by Megan on March 30, 2012 at 5:30pm -
Quinces won't be ready until the end of April down this end of the world - getting plenty of inspiration from you Lynn. I have to confess that I've always been very wasteful and put the pulp into my bokashi buckets. Will try making a batch of paste this year. The last time I did it, got bored stirring it and because I didn't add lemon juice or rind, it tasted far too sweet.
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Comment by Lynn on March 30, 2012 at 9:01am
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Thanks Nick...nice recipe
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Comment by Nicolas Santini on March 30, 2012 at 8:44am -
Lynn, with all that membrillo you can look into baking a Pasta Frola , I use to love eating them back home (im from Argentina btw)
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