The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Food processing => Topic started by: Beewyched on September 07, 2012, 02:22:13 pm
-
Got 3 pans simmering at the moment to make Rowanberry jelly :yum:
Just realised - our oven is broke (did email landlord about this a while ago, but not sorted yet ::) )
How are we going to sterilise the jars now?
We will be going into the village tomorrow for provisions, the mush will be straining overnight, so ...
:idea: could we use Milton (or similar own brand - cheaper ;) ) or will it taint the jelly ???
-
My OH uses tablets to sterilize beer bottles - we used to do oven sterilization but too time consuming :P
I suppose Milton (or similar) should be ok as long as you super rinse the jars afterwards. I'd say to use boiling water to rinse them, at least twice. I have not heard of it tainting baby formula ;)
-
My OH uses tablets to sterilize beer bottles - we used to do oven sterilization but too time consuming :P
I suppose Milton (or similar) should be ok as long as you super rinse the jars afterwards. I'd say to use boiling water to rinse them, at least twice. I have not heard of it tainting baby formula ;)
Thanks - of course :-[ Why did I not think of that :dunce: ::)
-
I just boil all mine in the jam pan these days (as recomended by pam the jam (river cottage preserves)). Alternatively she recons a hot dishwasher cycle (whatever one of those is ??? ;D ;D ;D ) is also sufficent. I DO miss my dishwasher, its no good pretending otherwise.
-
I use the dishwasher hot cycle and havent ever had any problems - and so easy! (if one has a dishwasher!). We only have a mini undercounter one in a cupboard but it is brilliant (bought secondhand)!
-
Thanks folks :thumbsup: - I'm usually better than this at lateral thinking for others - why is it that I don't seem to be able to do for myself ??? oh dear ::)
Dishwasher - even if we had one here, I bet that'd be knackered too :roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
-
is there a microwave avaialble? bout an inch in the bottom of the jar and nuke away.
-
My thoughts on this are that anything which can withstand the temperature of boiling sugar deserves to live 8) I wash my jars in very hot water but I don't put them in the oven to sterilise, and I certainly wouldn't use milton. Sodium metabisulphite which is used for winemaking might be ok but I really don't think it's necessary, except maybe if you are re-using lids. I never get any mould on my jam even if I keep it for several years........ :yum: Have fun :wave:
-
Thanks Juliet :wave:
-
My thoughts on this are that anything which can withstand the temperature of boiling sugar deserves to live 8) I wash my jars in very hot water but I don't put them in the oven to sterilise, and I certainly wouldn't use milton. Sodium metabisulphite which is used for winemaking might be ok but I really don't think it's necessary, except maybe if you are re-using lids. I never get any mould on my jam even if I keep it for several years........ :yum: Have fun :wave:
same here. I just wash my jars in as hot water as I can bear, then rinse in boiling water, turn over onto clean teatowel and fill very soon afterwards. Only had problems one year with strawberry jam going a bit mouldy, but patch was removed and jam consumed - we are all still here to tell the tale...
I wouldn't go over the top wrt sterilising. After all you fill the jam/jelly in while it is just below boiling...
-
Just to add to this, while we're on the subject :eyelashes:
Does everyone use the wax discs that you're supposed to put on top of the jam/jelly in the jar? I've always done it (coz that's how I learnt) but what does it do/is it necessary?
-
is there a microwave avaialble? bout an inch in the bottom of the jar and nuke away.
That's what I do if I dont need too many to save putting the oven on and Ive had no problems.
-
I wash mine in an ordinary bowl of washing up liquid and then put in the oven to dry out (sorry, i know you don't have an oven) rather than put a tea towel inside to dry them.
I then ALWAYS use the wax discs because thats how I have been taught too.
It will be ineresting to see the resulots without as I am sure some on here must do it that way.
Sally
-
I have never used a wax disc yet, and been making jams since being at Uni.... and that was more than 20 years ago....
-
I do the same as Juliet, and I use the wax discs and the cellophane tops and rubber bands, then the correct lid for the jar as well. Belts and braces - auditor instinct I guess :-[
-
Thanks for all the tips folks - will get the mixture boiled-up with the sugar & into the jars (with discs) tomorrow :thumbsup:
-
No, no, no!
You need either the wax discs (put on while the jam is HOT and then cover with the cellophane tops and elastic bands) OR metal lids - not both!
I have been judge of preserve making for many years and it's a matter of one or the other!
IMOH your best bet is to use the pop-up lids - you know, the ones with the funny bit in the middle that goes 'pop'when you have a seal. Re-use what you've got after bleaching them..........
A microwave is good for sterilising but, if you haven't got one, boiling water will do............ Whatever you do, jam/jelly will only keep well for a year. Yes, I know people will say they have kept grannies jam for umpty-ump years...............
-
I use the wax discs - shiny side down. It used to be that jam makers poured a thin layer of wax on the top of the jam to seal the jars ie keep any air out. The paper discs were made to be more convenient, but the idea is still for the wax to soften on the hot jam, spread over the surface then make a seal to keep the air out - that's why you need the correct size for the jar.
I used to use cellophane covers, and take pride in getting them to suck down properly, but they really only work on jars without a threaded top. Now all jamjars seem to be threaded for lids so I use Lakeland lids, or re-use the marmalade ones (I tend not to make marmalade as it takes forever and never turns out as well as bought stuff :o ) Lakeland lids are lined so do for chutney as well as jam.
ps - I AM the Granny, and my jam does last for several years :innocent: :yum:
-
Fleecewife, slightly off the subject but since you mentioned marmalade...
I couldn't get seville oranges earlier this year so I bought the tinned fruit from Lakeland to make marmalade. OH said the marmalade was very good. (I don't like marmalade myself).
At the moment they have it on special offer too so I bought 2 tins this week. You only need to to add sugar and water and one tin makes about 6 lbs. This time I am going to make some Oxford marmalade with mine by adding some whisky or rum.
Sally
-
Hi Sally. I've used Ma-made tins, which sound pretty similar. In fact I have one in the cupboard...... They are good. I will try the Lakeland ones to compare. It's all that chopping up of peel which takes forever then for some reason I can never get the set right which puts me off marmalade from scratch. I've had better success with grapefruit or lemon marmalade, which both make a pleasant change from orange.
I'm a very lazy jam maker - I like to stick it all in the pan straight from the garden, add the sugar, boil, pot and forget it til it's time to eat it :hungry:
-
Oh that's a relief, I always get in a tangle with those wax discs and end up jumping about like a deranged hippo with them curling up on my fingers. Just the metal lids it is then!
Oh and what are you supposed to do with the gingham fabric? cut it into circles to go over the lids? have never done that but thought it might look pretty one day :) [size=78%] [/size]
-
I have never used a wax disc yet, and been making jams since being at Uni.... and that was more than 20 years ago....
My mother always used wax discs and cellophane and I was brought up on a healthy diet of penicillin-rich jam because a good proportion had mould within the year. I don't think it did me any harm though my mums larder would be condemned by health and safety these days!
In the 30 years we've been making jam we have never used either wax discs or cellophane and I reckon the number of jars with mould has been less than half a dozen. OH buys in jars and lids for her honey production and is extremely careful to ensure a vacuum seal. Dodgy lids get binned.
-
Perhaps it is preference,I have always used waxed discs,it does not seem the same without them for me,I made some yesterday as I have the most wonderful crop of blackberries this year,they just keep coming,I made my 40th jar last night! ;D
I might add,I honestly have never had one jar go mouldy.I do boil them and then dry them in the oven,I fill my jars immediately upon reaching a set and the lids always make a lovely seal.
Marmalade,well,for some reason I just cannot get it right,one batch out of around 20 which was really nice,the other was either way too runny or you could not get a spoon or knife in!-would have been better using it as cement :o :-\