Newbie help with preserving

[Morphious]

Morning all, please bear with me.

After taking on an allotment late last year, this year has been the first fully rewarding year with regards to growing my own.

I'm keen on preserving and picking but after looking up on Google, so many different process methods pop up and now I dont know what to do

I made my first ever jar of strawberry jam last night (only a small jar to see if I could do it) following the recipe on the side of the jam sugar I bought.

Strawberries, sugar, boiled, set and put in the steralised kilner jar. Happy days. Or so I thought.
No mention of canning, water bath or pressure canning but after looking on the internet today, all recipes call for a water bath for jams. Now I don't know whether to throw my jam away for the risk of botulism.

Any wise words to help would be much appreciated.

[Nicos]

Have you been looking at American sites?
They tend to part cook the jam then finish it off in a waterbath. I think it's to do with altitude.

If the jam was 'set', does that mean you let it cool down completely before putting it into the kilner jar or that it was wrinkling nicely on a cold plate?
If it was the latter , and still very hot, then your jam will be fine.

[veggiechicken]

The way you've made jam is exactly how I do it and have been doing it that way for more years than I care to remember.
Don't worry about it - and don't confuse yourself by reading about "canning".

[Nicos]

I have kept small amounts of 'left over' jam in glass yogurt pots in the fridge for a few weeks and those only had clingfilm on them...and I'm still here to tell the tale

[Morphious]

Thanks guys for the replies.

I boiled the strawberries and sugar (no lemon juice which a lot of recipes call for)then done the set test with the frozen saucer, the set seemed good so I put the jam straight into the jar, popped the lid on and the lid has depressed whilst it was stood cooling down in the jar.

Next I want to pickle some beetroot but this preserving research is proving to be somewhat of a mine field haha

[Snoop Puss]

The trouble with preserving is that Americans use different canning methods. So a lot of the recipes you see on line could be American and they will be very different to British recipes, which are safe. Not sure what everybody else would suggest, but me, I think a book might help you. Then at least you're following consistent methods.

Can anyone suggest a good book?

[nickdub]

If you don't have someone you know who can help then the best alternative is to do what you are doing .First do a bit of research by reading stuff, then do some small batches of different fruit and veg to see how things go, ie experiment

BTW for a lot of fruit there's no harm in freezing it and then making a bit of conserve with less sugar when you want it for your toast a jar at a time - cuts down on your sugar intake, but doesn't keep so well.

[veggiechicken]

My bible is the Good Housekeeping book of Preserving https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Housek.../dp/071264718X
My copy is jam spattered and annotated but I always use it in preference to any other info.

[greenishfing]

Any older recipe book in England will follow the method you used. These recipes contain enough sugar to preserve the fruit. Yes, I also have ended up with little pots of "leftover" jam in the fridge for a week or too. My husband loves my jams and pickles and eats them daily. He is very nearly ninety and they have never made him ill .

[Nicos]

The jam sounds perfect to me!
Well done

[roitelet]

I make am Jam the others describe. I am currently finishing up jam 2yrs + old and I’m still here. Beetroot, cook the beetroot slice if they are large pack into jars, pour over hot spiced vinegar seal with vinegar proof lids. If you haven’t got these cover with jam skins begore you put the lid on. Keep for several months before eating.

You need to protect metal lids from vinegar fumes as they will eat through the metal. You can use ordinary vinegar and add your own spices, I find that the S****sons spiced vinegar too strong. So long the vinegar is 6% your pickles will keep.

[Scarlet]

I boiled the strawberries and sugar (no lemon juice which a lot of recipes call for)then done the set test with the frozen saucer, the set seemed good so I put the jam straight into the jar, popped the lid on and the lid has depressed whilst it was stood cooling down in the jar.

If those jars were sterilised ( hot water/warm oven/straight out of the dishwasher) that jam will keep for months if not years. I'm just finishing off black currant jam that is 3 years old

[roitelet]

I do agree Scarlet. The jars and lids must be sterilized. I put the jars in the oven and boil the lids. Use the jars as soon as they are just cool enough not to crack and the lids straight from the boiling water.

[Scarlet]

My bible is the Good Housekeeping book of Preserving.
My copy is jam spattered and annotated but I always use it in preference to any other info.

Everyone has their favourites
My favourite book is a small paperback, no photos, just recipes for jams, jellies, marmalade's, pickled foods,chutneys and curds. I love it.....mine is a bit more expensive than VCs at 7.99. But simple easy recipes

Basic basics Jams preserves and Chutneys by Marguerite Patten
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Basics-Pres...gateway&sr=8-1

[Morphious]

Thanks all, roughly how long will jam keep once in the jars?

Think I'll have to invest in a book