GUIDE TO PRESERVING THE HARVEST

*In my new cookbook – The Homemade Table– find a chapter on preserving and fermenting. Including, troubleshooting for my most asked questions. The Homemade Table is available in bookstores around New Zealand and personally signed copies HERE.

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Every year I like to fill our pantry with the excess from our summer garden harvest. This includes apricots, black boy peaches, omega plums, yellow plums, granny smith apples, figs, tomatoes, zucchini, and berries. I also look out for boxes of second fruit and tomatoes at the produce markets. By the end of autumn, our pantry will be full of fruit preserves, stewed fruit, conserves, chutney, pickles, jams, and plum sauce. On a good year (when the garden has been generous) this will last us until the end of the year, coinciding with the beginning of next summer’s fruit. And so the cycle continues. At the end of this post find a list of preserving recipes on this website.

First Jars – you will need lots of them!

I mostly use 1 litre Agee jars for preserving fruit pieces (as pictured) while if I am preserving stewed fruit I use smaller jars (600ml) as the fruit goes further when it is stewed. Gherkin and tomato passata (puree) jars are my favourite for smaller batches. As long as the rubber seal on the inside of the lid is in good condition it can be reused. For jams and chutney, I use small 300ml size jars as I like to use less sugar. And less sugar means shorter shelf life, once a jar is open always keep it in the fridge if you use less sugar. Always store sealed jars of preserves in a cool dark place i.e. pantry, cellar, laundry, shed etc.

*It is essential the lids are correctly vacuum sealed before storing. The best way to tell is to check the ‘button’ on the lid is down or if there is no button (such as Agee lids) the lid will be concaving (curving) into the jar. If the lid is not sealed properly then do not store the jar.

Sterilising Jars

If you use the ‘water bath’ method explained below you can use scrupulously clean jars straight from the dishwasher or hand washed. The jars will be heated to a boiling point during the process to kill any bugs. If you are using the ‘hot jar, hot sauce’ method, often used for smaller quantities such as chutney and jams, then properly sterilising jars before using is essential. There are several options here;

1. Place cleaned jars and lids onto an oven tray and place the tray into a cold oven. Heat the oven to 120C, and once the oven reaches heat time for 10 minutes then remove one hot jar and lid at a time to fill with hot sauce/jam/chutney.

2. Boiling Method: Place jars and lids in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Carefully remove with tongs and air dry on a rack. [Do not use a tea towel to dry as lint can contaminate the jar.]

*Note: The methods I explain below are only for temperate fruits and tomatoes (with the addition of lemon juice or citric acid for tomatoes). Preserving non-acidic vegetables, meat or fish requires more attention to acidity and high heat processing. Note: when preserving tomatoes it is recommended to add, per litre jar – 1 teaspoon salt, plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar, or 1/2 tsp citric acid.

1. Water Bath Method (for large jars and high quantity preserves)

This is my favourite way to preserve and the one I use the most. However, you need a proper ‘water bath’ preserver to do this successfully. I have a Fowlers Vacola (pictured above) that I picked up brand new from a secondhand market for $20 (I know the score of a lifetime!). If you are serious about preserving it is worth the investment (new they are about $150). You can also fashion your own water bath using a tall large pot with something in the base (a wire rack) to hold the jars off the bottom of the pot – the jars need to be completely submerged in the water so it needs to be a tall pot.

HOW TO:

1. Either fill jars with stewed fruit OR pack the jars snugly with raw fruit, halved or quartered, and cover with a light sugar syrup. Use a butter knife or chopstick to remove any air bubbles and top up the liquid to within 1cm from the top of the jar.

2. Screw on the lids (not too tight) and place them in the water bath – ensure there is a little space (1-2cm) between each jar for the water to circulate.

3. Fill the water bath with cold water to cover the top of the jars by 1-2 cm.

4. Secure the lid of the water bath and switch it on / or heat over a moderate heat.

5. Once the water just reaches a boil, about 30-60 minutes (this depends on the size of your pot and the height of your jars), time for a minimum of 10 minutes for jars of pre-cooked fruit/sauce, or 20 minutes for large jars and fruit pieces. After this time use jar tongs to carefully remove the jars and cool. Once cool, check the lids, making sure they have vacuum sealed. Remove the rings if using, and store jars in a cool, dark pantry or cellar. Once open store in the fridge.

2. Hot Sauce, Hot Jar (for small batch preserves)

I use this method when I make a small batch of jam or chutney and it isn’t efficient to fill up the water bath preserver. Use for small 200-300ml jars, and ensure everything is hot and sterilised – jars, utensils and sauce/jam.

HOW TO:

1. Prepare your jars using one of the sterilising methods explained above.

2. While the jars are hot fill them with steaming hot chutney or jam to within 2-3mm from the top of the jar.

3. Screw on the lids tightly and leave them to cool completely. As they cool the lids will concave into the jar, or the button will pop down indicating the lid is vacuum sealed. Store jars in a cool, dark place and keep them in the fridge once open.

*This is similar to the overflow method (where you fill jars right to the top of the jar so the jam is just overflowing). This method is less messy, filling to just within the top of the jar to allow room for the lid to suction into the jar as it cools.

LINKS to more preserving/fermenting recipes.

Plum & Tomato Sauce

Spiced Slow-Roasted Plum Jam

Slow-Cooked Fig & Lemon Conserve

Preserved Lemons

Cortido: South American Sauerkraut