preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

Does anyone do this (apart from freezing)?

If so, could you recommend somewhere to buy the equipment? I have been
to the website of Lakeland, who have some items, mostly just jars, but I
wonder if anyone knows anywhere else?

TIA

Brian MItchell

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"brian mitchell" wrote in message
...
Does anyone do this (apart from freezing)?

If so, could you recommend somewhere to buy the equipment? I have been
to the website of Lakeland, who have some items, mostly just jars, but I
wonder if anyone knows anywhere else?
TIA
Brian MItchell

These people might be of help - they have a list of UK suppliers - looks
like wholesale but they could perhaps point you in the right direction :~)
http://www.machineryupdate.co.uk/indexes/processing.htm

There's these two, which seems to come up all over the place, but are in the
US: http://www.canningpantry.com/ and http://www.home-food-processing.com/

General canning info - recipes etc http://www.canningpantry.com/

Might be easier to preserve in glass? My mum used to do this to great effect
:~)

HTH Jenny

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"brian mitchell" wrote in message
...
Does anyone do this (apart from freezing)?

If so, could you recommend somewhere to buy the equipment? I have been
to the website of Lakeland, who have some items, mostly just jars, but I
wonder if anyone knows anywhere else?

TIA

Brian MItchell

I 'canned' lots of tomatoes last year. They looked beautiful but it was a
long and energy consuming process and, to be frank, we were disappointed
with the result. might just as well have frozen them. The jars take a lot of
space too.

My favourite preserving method, apart from freezing, is drying. Which
reminds me, I have a box of apples to do ...

Mary

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"JennyC" wrote:

Might be easier to preserve in glass? My mum used to do this to great
effect

That's what I meant, not actual tins. 'Canning' is the American term for
it, even in glass, and there's many US sites selling every conceivable
preserving aid or utensil but very few here in the UK as far as I can
see.

Thanks for the links.

Brian Mitchell

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote:

I 'canned' lots of tomatoes last year. They looked beautiful but it was a
long and energy consuming process and, to be frank, we were disappointed
with the result...

Do you mean disappointed by how they tasted when you eventually ate
them? Had they lost flavour, or acquired an unpleasant one?

. . . might just as well have frozen them...

Maybe so. Do you ever worry about power cuts and losing a year's
produce? And to keep things frozen for a year or more also consumes
energy. Anyway, I'm interested in some of the alternative, old-fashioned
ways of preserving foods, including drying. What do you dry your apples
in?

Brian Mitchell

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"brian mitchell" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote:

I 'canned' lots of tomatoes last year. They looked beautiful but it was a
long and energy consuming process and, to be frank, we were disappointed
with the result...

Do you mean disappointed by how they tasted when you eventually ate
them? Had they lost flavour, or acquired an unpleasant one?

Neither, they just didn't taste like fresh ones - not that I expected them
to.

. . . might just as well have frozen them...

Maybe so. Do you ever worry about power cuts and losing a year's
produce?

No. For a good reason.

And to keep things frozen for a year or more also consumes
energy.

Canning takes a relatively large amount of energy for a small amount of
produce. In our very well insulated and high rated chest freezer I can store
a huge amount of food - half a cow, a whole pig, a whole ram, milk, bread (I
make a large amount at a time mostly in my wood fired stone bread oven) etc.

Anyway, I'm interested in some of the alternative, old-fashioned
ways of preserving foods, including drying. What do you dry your apples
in?

An electric dehydrator. I'm concerned about the power it uses but I only use
it for a large amount of produce at one time and of course when it's being
used it's contributing to the house heating so cutting down that use of
energy. It has trays and the heat is blown over the produce by a small fan.

I used to use my highly insulated thermostatically controlled wax oven but
the dehydrator is more effective. I have dried things in the sun but it's
not usually dry enough - and the hens tend to help themselves to anything
left in the open :-(

Mary

Brian Mitchell

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

In article ,
says...

"brian mitchell" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote:

I 'canned' lots of tomatoes last year. They looked beautiful but it was a
long and energy consuming process and, to be frank, we were disappointed
with the result...

Do you mean disappointed by how they tasted when you eventually ate
them? Had they lost flavour, or acquired an unpleasant one?

Neither, they just didn't taste like fresh ones - not that I expected them
to.

. . . might just as well have frozen them...

Maybe so. Do you ever worry about power cuts and losing a year's
produce?

No. For a good reason.

And to keep things frozen for a year or more also consumes
energy.

Canning takes a relatively large amount of energy for a small amount of
produce. In our very well insulated and high rated chest freezer I can store
a huge amount of food - half a cow, a whole pig, a whole ram, milk, bread (I
make a large amount at a time mostly in my wood fired stone bread oven) etc.

Anyway, I'm interested in some of the alternative, old-fashioned
ways of preserving foods, including drying. What do you dry your apples
in?

An electric dehydrator. I'm concerned about the power it uses but I only use
it for a large amount of produce at one time and of course when it's being
used it's contributing to the house heating so cutting down that use of
energy. It has trays and the heat is blown over the produce by a small fan.

I used to use my highly insulated thermostatically controlled wax oven but
the dehydrator is more effective. I have dried things in the sun but it's
not usually dry enough - and the hens tend to help themselves to anything
left in the open :-(

Mary

Brian Mitchell



My mother used to dry sliced beans in the airing cupboard. They were
spread out on sheets of newspaper. After drying she put them in Kilner
jars. They kept for well over a year, but seldom lasted that long. They
needed soaking before cooking and never quite swelled back to their
original size, but were still surprisingly tasty.
--
David in Normandy.
(The free MicroPlanet Gravity newsreader is great for eliminating
rubbish and cross-posts)

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"brian mitchell" wrote in message
...
"JennyC" wrote:

Might be easier to preserve in glass? My mum used to do this to great
effect

That's what I meant, not actual tins. 'Canning' is the American term for
it, even in glass, and there's many US sites selling every conceivable
preserving aid or utensil but very few here in the UK as far as I can
see.
Thanks for the links. Brian Mitchell

OH !! Yet another British/American one I did not know about !!

Preserving is glass is still popular in the UK. Think of all those WI ladies
:~)))

Jars:
http://www.freemanharding.co.uk/preserving.htm

http://www.jbconline.co.uk/acatalog/...dE MAodkQrx8A


Various preserving equipment (probably everything you need!) :
http://www.justpreserving.co.uk/

Links to more stores:
http://www.bizrate.co.uk/cooking_bak...--645390-.html

Jenny

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...



My mother used to dry sliced beans in the airing cupboard. They were
spread out on sheets of newspaper. After drying she put them in Kilner
jars. They kept for well over a year, but seldom lasted that long. They
needed soaking before cooking and never quite swelled back to their
original size, but were still surprisingly tasty.

Drying beans in a warm cupboard would work - we don't have an airing
cupboard though :-) I think that drying very wet fruit, such as tomatoes,
wouldn't.

We've been eating our runner beans (unsliced) every day for a few weeks now,
I've just come in from gathering tonight's ration. We can't get enough of
them fresh. I've tried salting and freezing them but never drying - we don't
tire of them.

Mary

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

In article ,
says...
We've been eating our runner beans (unsliced) every day for a few weeks now,
I've just come in from gathering tonight's ration. We can't get enough of
them fresh. I've tried salting and freezing them but never drying - we don't
tire of them.

Mary


I expected a bumper crop this year due to last years beans surviving
Winter and coming up again, in addition to those planted elsewhere this
year. Despite all the rain we've had a fairly poor crop. I think it was
due to the cold weather and lack of sun.

The big winner this year has been the Spring greens/cabbage which I
planted last Autumn. We are still eating them! Normally the Summer sun
makes them run to seed. It is only now that some of them are starting to
run.

There haven't been that many slugs and caterpillars this year either,
though there have been lots of toads around. So the leaves haven't been
as full of holes and livestock as usual.
--
David in Normandy.
(The free MicroPlanet Gravity newsreader is great for eliminating
rubbish and cross-posts)

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
We've been eating our runner beans (unsliced) every day for a few weeks
now,
I've just come in from gathering tonight's ration. We can't get enough of
them fresh. I've tried salting and freezing them but never drying - we
don't
tire of them.

Mary


I expected a bumper crop this year due to last years beans surviving
Winter and coming up again, in addition to those planted elsewhere this
year. Despite all the rain we've had a fairly poor crop. I think it was
due to the cold weather and lack of sun.

Ours were very late to blossom but there was lots of foliage. Neighbours'
beans haven't been as good. Once they started fruiting they've gone at full
belt - I'm pleased to say. The same happened with the tomatoes.

The big winner this year has been the Spring greens/cabbage which I
planted last Autumn. We are still eating them!

Lucky you!


There haven't been that many slugs and caterpillars this year either,
though there have been lots of toads around. So the leaves haven't been
as full of holes and livestock as usual.

We've had few caterpillars but lots of slugs. I've formed a theory that you
only ever get one slug per cabbage. Well, that's been my experience :-)

Mary

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

Martin wrote:

You only need one chain selling preserving jars. Isn't Lakeland enough?

For jars, yes, but there are a number of other useful accessories which
they don't seem to carry, such as replacement seals, filling funnels,
and so on.

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

Mary Fisher wrote:
"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
We've been eating our runner beans (unsliced) every day for a few weeks
now,
I've just come in from gathering tonight's ration. We can't get enough of
them fresh. I've tried salting and freezing them but never drying - we
don't
tire of them.

Mary

I expected a bumper crop this year due to last years beans surviving
Winter and coming up again, in addition to those planted elsewhere this
year. Despite all the rain we've had a fairly poor crop. I think it was
due to the cold weather and lack of sun.

Ours were very late to blossom but there was lots of foliage. Neighbours'
beans haven't been as good. Once they started fruiting they've gone at full
belt - I'm pleased to say. The same happened with the tomatoes.
The big winner this year has been the Spring greens/cabbage which I
planted last Autumn. We are still eating them!

Lucky you!

There haven't been that many slugs and caterpillars this year either,
though there have been lots of toads around. So the leaves haven't been
as full of holes and livestock as usual.

We've had few caterpillars but lots of slugs. I've formed a theory that you
only ever get one slug per cabbage. Well, that's been my experience :-)

Mary


I still have the Kilner jars my mother used, the problem now is getting
the lids and rubber bands to fit. Most fruit preserves well, got a nice
collection of blackberries this year. during the war Mum preserved
apples by slating and drying, a good soaking after and they were fine in
pies, how she did it though I do not know.

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

"Broadback" wrote
I still have the Kilner jars my mother used, the problem now is getting
the lids and rubber bands to fit. Most fruit preserves well, got a nice
collection of blackberries this year. during the war Mum preserved apples
by slating and drying, a good soaking after and they were fine in pies,
how she did it though I do not know.

I used to dry mine by peeling, coring and cutting into rings. these were
then hung on a wooden pole in the sun to dry. they used to keep fairly in an
airy space.

http://www.nsapples.com/teacher/t5fdryap.htm
http://www.electricscotland.com/gard...ing_apples.htm

Jenny

preserving (canning) fruit and veg
 

brian mitchell wrote:
Martin wrote:

You only need one chain selling preserving jars. Isn't Lakeland
enough?

For jars, yes, but there are a number of other useful accessories
which they don't seem to carry, such as replacement seals, filling
funnels, and so on.

They sell replacement seals, filling funnels, muslins, everything you need.
I know this because I was in one of the shops yesterday buying jars, lids
and various other bits myself.
--
Linz
Wet Yorks