Topic: Thanks to "Ten" this tip

[busy_lizzie]

Read one of Tenuse postings about a book called "How to Store your garden Produce" which was on the recipe page.  I ordered the book at the end of last week from our Amazon Sponsor and it came today.  

What a useful little book.  Very good for the first time lottie holder about how to make the best of your produce.  It is just a small book by Piers Warren but I think it will be useful, for hopefully the glut of produce I hope to get this year.  Experienced Lottie holders will probably know all the info. but for us inexperienced lot its seems very handy.   :)  busy_lizzie    

[Tenuse]

It is going to be my Bible busy_lizzie, I just need a gigantic freezer now!

Ten x

[tim]

Bottling is prettier and tastier! = Tim

PS Later - of course, forgot that advice on bottling vegetables has changed since we used to use it as our favoured method. I'm checking with GH tomorrow.

[tim]

OK - checked and all's fine - continue pressure bottling - so long as you have a 15lb setting = 250deg. = Tim

[Mimi]

Can I just ask, do you need special bottles or will just old jars do.  The ones that I mean are the vacum jars that beetroot etc come in.  Have not got any produce to go in them yet but hopefully in the summer I will have :)

[tim]

Sadly - special- like Kilner or their French equivalent - Le Parfait. But we've had ours 40 years. Just new rings. = Tim

[Mimi]

Goodness me Tim :o will they be worth taking to the Antiques Roadshow?

[tim]

- just had a thought - don't see why old 1lb jars shouldn't work - so long as no damage to the rim, and new sealable lids from Lakeland?
But do check elsewhere. = Tim

[Tenuse]

Pressure bottling? Do you mean in a pressure cooker? I haven't got one of those :(

I have got a nice recipe book from America about making preserves and it talks about "canning" which I think is the same as bottling, but from the illustrations it looks like they use a special canning saucepan that holds the jar in the water.

Can I not, then, bottle preserves with an ordinary large saucepan??

Ten x

(want many preserves! as well as frozen things!  :P)

[tim]

To the best of my belief -
US/UK! For 'preserves' I read 'jam/ chutney'. We all know how to do that? 'Canning', I reckon, is fruit & veg- and, of course, veg must be done at a higher temp - hence the p/cooker which goes up to 250deg.  

And yes, the principles of both are the same, the main difference is the need for a 'can sealer'.

There are 5 main ways to 'bottle' - I quote! - slow or hot water, slow or med oven, and p/ckg. P/ckg is fast, but you can only do 3x2lb or 5x1lb jars.  Keep at it!! = Tim