WELCOME TO THE PRESERVES PAGES OF THE RECIPE BOOK. Home-made preserves are economical if you grow your own fruits and vegetables or if you can buy them cheaply in bulk. Preserving fruits and vegetables will make them last beyond their normal season so that they can be eaten year round. There are many types of preservation methods. The most common ways of preserving fruits are as jams, jellies, marmalades and chutneys. Vegetables can be preserved in vinegar or bottled with salt. Basic Rules For Making Jams and Jellies 1. Follow recipes exactly as to the amount of sugar to fruit. To produce a good jam or jelly, the right proportion of sugar, acid and pectin must be present. Fruits vary in the amount of acid and pectin they contain. Fruits that are rich in both are easy to gell. There are fruits rich in pectin, low in acid and vice versa. Therefore combinations of juices are sometimes good. Where a fruit has little natural pectin, you need more fruit than sugar, and in addition it helps to add acid in the form of lemon or lime juice or commercial pectin. Where a fruit is rich in pectin, you get a better jam if you use more sugar than fruit. 2. Fruits must be fresh and ripe. Bruised fruits should never be used. Always wash fruits well before using and cut off bad spots and ends. 3. Always steam or process your bottles. Wash and sterilize in boiling water for 10 minutes. Keep hot. Wash lids and place in a small container. Cover with boiling water shortly before placing on filled jars. Always use new lids. 4. Select a large pot so there is plenty of room for the jam to boil hard - without splashing or boiling over. 5. Stew fruit slowly. This will:- a. extract pectin b. softens skin c. keeps jam a good colour 6. Do not squeeze the bag when straining to extract juice for jelly or it will be cloudy. 7. Stir until sugar has dissolved. When the sugar has dissolved boil jam rapidly without stirring. If jelly is added, the pectin may break down and mixture becomes syrupy. 8. Test early for setting. Some jams are ready within 3-5 minutes, others take 10-15 minutes or more. Many fruits lose their setting qualities if boiled too long. Ways of testing:- a. By temperature: If you make a lot of jams or jellies, it is worth investing in a sugar thermometer. Stir around in pan. Hot jam should be 220°F - 222°F (104°C - 105°C) and jelly 220°F - 221°F (104°C - 105°C). b. Forming a skin: Put a little jam on a saucer. Allow to become quite cold, then see if it forms a skin and wrinkle when pushed with a spoon or finger. If it is not ready continue boiling and test again. 9. Remove all scums from top while cooking, before bottling. 10. For maximum protection against mold growth and to obtain tight seals, use jars with 2-piece lids. Paraffin seals are not recommended for jams, particularly in warm and humid climates where molds grow readily. 11. Fill jars leaving a 1/2 inch at the top. Remove air bubbles seal. Let jam stand to cool. Check seals. Jar lids should be slightly concave or remain so when pressed. Store jam in a cool dry place. PROCESSING PRESERVES For fresh fruits and vegetables that you have bottled: 1. They should be sealed well. 2. Then process by placing in a boiling bath for: Soft Fruits - 20 minutes Other Fruits - 25 minutes Vegetables - 35 minutes