Jam Today...
Autumn is the perfect time to start preserving. You can use home grown fruits or those you’ve foraged amongst the hedgerows. Preserving is relatively easy. Once the fruit has been picked, washed and prepared, you just need some simple equipment to turn it into marvellous produce.
You can get lots of advice from your local cook shop on what’s required, but some basics are: a large heavy based saucepan, spoons and funnels, a sugar thermometer, containers and jars, lids and labels.
The concept of preserving foods has been around since the earliest humans. To survive, ancient man had to harness nature. In frozen climates he froze seal meat on the ice. In tropical climates he dried foods in the sun. Food by its nature begins to spoil the moment it is harvested. So the ability to preserve food enabled ancient man to make roots, and live in one place and form a community.
Preservation with the use of honey or sugar was well known to the earliest cultures. It was commonplace for fruits to be kept in honey. In ancient Greece quince was mixed with honey, dried and packed tightly into jars. The Romans cooked the quince and honey producing a solid texture. As there’s not enough sunlight in Northern climates
to successfully dry
fruits, housewives learned to make preserves, heating the fruit with sugar, and this is the
68 method we know today.
Whilst there is no longer a pressing survival reason for preserving, it can be very rewarding. As well as providing delightful food and drink for you to consume, you could also make your preserved fruits into lovely Christmas gifts. There are many possibilities including jams and marmalades, chutneys and pickles, and beverages such as sloe gin. Many places run evening classes which can help you create these and many other fabulous recipes, such as fruit butter or fruit cheese.
When preserving, you should use fruits
that are sun ripened, as the process will not improve green tasteless fruit. Using fruit that has a high acid content is recommended, as it less likely to harbour bacteria. When filling jars, you should ensure they are hot as temperature drops will increase the likelihood of bacteria forming. For the same reason, always cover your jars straight away and when the jars are cooled, you should recheck the seals and tighten lids to prevent any air entering and causing mould to form. Or you could use a waxed disc of paper and cellophane to act as a cover.
Keep your preserves in a cool, dark, dry place. Chutneys and pickles can last for around a year, and fruit liqueurs and fruits in alcohol up to two years. Once opened, store in the fridge and use quickly.
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