Your glass storage jars must be without chips or cracks. Just before use, they need to be sterilised and dried, using clean hands. Hygiene is important so use clean tea-towels when holding or moving the jars. Place the cleaned jars on their sides in a large boiler or saucepan; cover with cold water.
Cover the pan and bring to the boil over high heat; boil for 20 minutes. Carefully remove jars from water; drain. Stand, top-side up, on a wooden board. The heat from the jars will cause any remaining water to evaporate quickly. As soon as the preserves are spooned or poured into the sterilised jars or bottles, they must be correctly sealed to prevent deterioration.
Fill the hot dry jars right to the top - preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot.
This rule applies to all jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys. Plastic lids must be well washed, rinsed and dried, or put through the dishwasher. Some older preserving outfits have glass lids; these can be sterilised in the same way as the jars. Do not use aluminium foil, cellophane or paper covers for preserves; acid in the preserves will corrode foil, while paper and cellophane are not airtight enough for long-term keeping. This peach and passionfruit jam makes the perfect heartfelt gift.
To seal jars the old-fashioned way with paraffin wax available from chemists :. Melt wax slowly in a small saucepan over low heat.
It is important not to overheat the wax or it will shrink on cooling, giving an imperfect seal. Pour a thin layer over the top of the cooled preserve, about 2mm thick, just enough to cover the surface. Leave until almost set, then pour another thin layer on top of the first layer. Insert small pieces of string in the wax just before it sets to make it easier to remove wax. Where can I find a "cool dark place"? Most modern homes have heating in every room, so if a recipe tells you to "store in a cool dark place" consider the garage, cellar or under the house where it's cool and the temperature is constant.
If you live in a wet or humid climate, then use the refrigerator. For some brilliant jams, conserves and chutney recipes, check these out:. Recipe Rhubarb and strawberry jam Test Kitchen.
Recipe Kiwi fruit and apple jam Australian Women's Weekly. Recipe The best Anzac biscuit recipe of all time Nov 11, It is available in liquid form and solid block form. The Upside Down Method Pour the tomatoes squash, pumpkin, etc directly into the canning jars. Fill them leaving about 1 to 1. Once filled you will place the lid around each of the jars. Now, tighten the lid and seal sufficiently to prevent spillage. If you don't boil it long enough the pectin network will not form properly.
Boil it too long you risk not only losing the fresh flavour and colour of the jam but having a jam with the texture of set honey.
Put the lids on really, really tight, then flip the jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, put the jam jars in the refrigerator, right-side up. Your jam is ready when it's cold, and you are going to freak out because it's so delicious! Do no stir jam once boiling , but use a wooden spoon to check it is not sticking on the base of the pan.
Stirring lowers the temperature and delays setting point being reached. It is wasteful to remove scum too often. Do it at the beginning and at the end. It is absolutely essential that you prepare your jars correctly if the jam is to keep. Seal the jars with a disc of waxed or greaseproof paper that you have cut earlier.
As soon as the preserves are spooned or poured into the sterilised jars or bottles, they must be correctly sealed to prevent deterioration. Fill the hot dry jars right to the top - preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation.
Seal the jars while still hot. Use a double boiler to melt the paraffin wax. If you don't have one available, use a large pot and smaller pot inside. Fill the larger pot halfway with water, place the smaller pot with a chopped-up bar of paraffin wax inside, on top of the water in the larger pot. Bring the water to a boil, as the wax melts.
I always tell my canning students that you turn just until the ring meets resistance.
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