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Last site update

15/03/2010

Preserving

Making Jams, Chutneys and Pickles is quite easy to do, although they can take a bit of time to complete.  With basic cooking skills you can be turning produce that you have grown or bought, into delicious home made preserves.

Jams and Marmalades are usually made from fruit boiled together with sugar.  The sugar acts as a preservative.  Jellies are the same as jam, but the bits have been sieved out before setting.

Chutneys are chunky mixtures of fruit, vegetables and spices boiled together  with vinegar.  The vinegar acts as the preservative.

Pickles are vegetables and other produce that has been preserved in vinegar or brine.  The vinegar or brine acts as the preservative.

What equipment do you need?

Not that much.  The most important thing is to be able to handle large quantities of chopped vegetables or fruit, and to be able to boil it without burning the bottom of the pan (voice of experience here !).  We invested in a maslin pan.  This is a large stainless steel wide mouthed pan with handles.  It has a thick base to regulate the heat through it allowing a steady reduction in the contents without burning.

Maslin pans can hold up to 9 litres of produce.  It has a graduated scale on  the pouring side so you can keep track of quantities.  The sturdy handles give a feeling of safety when lifting, carrying and pouring hot fruit/sugar mixes to jars etc.  They can cost up to £40 but if you put it to good use and make lots of jam, chutney and pickle, you will recover that cost during the life of the pan.

Other equipment is minimal.  Jam Jars kept from previous shop bought products and encouraging friends and relatives to collect their jars for you can soon result in a good collection.  Then its down to regular kitchen items:- knives, plates, spoons and of course the ingredients.

Think of all the fruits and vegetables that any one can grow or buy.  Tomatoes, Marrows, Apricots, Apples, Blackcurrants, Gooseberries, Redcurrants, Strawberries, Oranges, Onions, Rhubarb and Rose hips from the hedgerows.  All of these, and more besides, can be turned into either jams, pickles or chutneys.   

Here are some that we have had success with.:-

Crab Apple and Rose Hip Jelly

Rose Hip syrup

Green Tomato Chutney

Bramley Apple Jelly