What are you preserving?

[thesunflowergal]

I am going preserving mad here, I try to make sure that we are as stocked up for over the winter as possible. Made 15 jars of jam yesterday (peach, peach and rasp, rasp and blackberry). Still got 1kg of rhubarb (stew and freeze) and 3kg of rasps (jam and some freeze whole) to sort out tonight.
But I also have 2kg green beans, what can I do with these other than freeze them?? thanks xx

[snapdragon]

Lots of yellow cherry plums (more plum size this year)

you could bottle the beans if you don't want to freeze them

[green_pea]

I've been making preserves if that counts, not because of a glut though unfortunately, just cause I like them and I'm quite good at making them! Made green tomato chutney, rhubarb and ginger jam, mustard, and honey mustard.

[wabbit955]

just finished garlic and chilli pickle
plum jam , strawberry jam, blueberry jam
plum pickle, plum chutney, plum sauce, spiced plum squash all from wild yellow plums
cherry sqush, cherry jam
piclked beetroot

bean pickle
500mls white vingar
100gms sugar
mustard seeds
1 tsp turermic
slice bean thinly cover with 2 tsp salt leave over night
boil the rest (you can add what ever other spices you like)
add beans boil until beans tender
jar up
hope this helps

[Millymollymandy]

Delia's spicy pickled runner beans (recipe on her website) can be made with French beans too - but is better with runner beans.

I was just going to say that I hadn't started preserving yet this year then remembered I've already made 2 batches of strawberry jam and raspberry jam, so that's 3 lots so far, duh! (oh and I did the raspberry twice, so maybe that counts as 4 )

[boboff]

Energy!

Well, I am holding on this year, until the apples come. I have frozen most of the fruit, and want to make Jellies and apple included Jams, as it sets better and you get more for your pound of fruit.

The thing I did make this year which I have been very impressed with is Blackcurrant Jelly. Just boil the blackcurrants, sieve, add sugar etc, but the really good bit???? The pulp that is left over, stick in a bucket, add water sugar and yeast, and you have blackcurrant wine ish. Seems to be working well, and smells great. The other time saving thing here is that as its a jelly you can just boil up the fruits, twigs, earwigs and all! Seems like a great way to save time and effectively use "derivatives" as we used to call them in the trade!

[Millymollymandy]

Blackcurrant and earwig jelly, yummy yummy! Hope you are giving this out for crimbo pressies.

Try blackcurrant and apple jelly Boboff it's great. We've got tons of apples this year so freezer is groaning waiting for apples to make more jellies with.

[contadina]

It's mostly about tomatoes for me at the moment. I've already processed around 80 kilos of tomatoes to make around 60 bottles of passata and I jarred enough concentrate to last the year yesterday after sun-drying passata for a couple of days. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be making another 100 or so bottles of passata to last the year and sun-dry tomatoes to put under oil. I'll also make some "it's better than Branston" pickle (if the plums are ripe enough) and start drying figs.

[boboff]

Absolutely, when the rain comes!!!!
Oh the Irony!

[Hernaic Tom]

I'm very excited as I pickled my first jar of beetroot last week!!

[boboff]

I froze a lb of Naturtium flowers today, I have in mind either Jelly or some sort of colourfull chutney. They taste grrrrrrreat!

[patR]

Ive been roasting tons of toms with garlic and basil for puree, plus making tons of passata. And have managed to sundry a large jar (5 kilo) full. I dont put them in oil I keep them dry till the night before I want them.

Marrow and apple, chutney,
Blackberry and apple jam, blackberries in syrup.
Peach compote.
Veg & tomato pasta sauce,
Sweet pckled Beets.
Fig Jam
And today Im going to put my latest picking of aubergines in to oil with garlic and herbs...

[Millymollymandy]

Well since last posting I've also made damson jam and greengage jam, and Delia's pickled runner beans with beans I was given by a neighbour. Also several large Le Parfait clip jars of beetroot.

I also did your puree thing Pat with roasted big toms this time plus shallots and garlic, which I've frozen as it makes a fabulous sauce for pasta!

[patR]

Hi MMM.
Im making tons of it right now, if you leave it in the oven longer, it will go very gloopy then blitz it with a blender and put into hot jars cover top with oil and it keeps all winter, saves freezer room... such an intense flavour too...

[liskeardjane]

I've made mincemeat for all those lovely pies, damson chutney (google delia smith damson chutney for her recipe and how to, it's really tasty), sloe gin, blackberry gin and sloe jelly. sloe jelly is lovely with our crimbo turkey, a real must have and lots of family want it - cranberries are interlopers from afar! sloes are local! i've also made blackberry jelly all summer for cake and tart filling. plus lots of stewed apples in the freezer for another day.