Pantries and Preparedness. Other ways to do things.

Recently we had  a post by Vicky on pasta making and a post by Rachel on Ravioli.  Both got lots of comments and the number one comment was that people thought you need specialist equipment to make pasta and it was tricky and this had prevented any attempts at all!  To find out no special equipment is needed has unleashed lots of new pasta makers amongst us!

This is true with many things. Yes there are new gadgets to make all kinds of things easier but our Grandmothers generally didn't have them and many generations before them didn't either but they got on just fine! In fact they probably produced very fine products!

Also across many areas I have noticed that different countries and cultures do things differently!   I have a funny story about this.  In my forties I ended up having to have a hysterectomy.  I fought that for years mind you.  Anyway after this I asked the specialist if I could have baths or not?  She said in Australia we say no, you have to have showers for three months.  But in England you can have baths. So if you want to have a bath just pretend to be in England.  No kidding, this was the specialist! hahaha!  Well I never could imagine I was in England so I had showers for three miserable months (as I hate showers).

Until I started this blog I never knew that in the US jams, relishes, chutneys etc are canned.  Generations and generations here have never canned these things!  This could make some people flip but this is just the truth of it.  If this is true for you and you are set up to can then keep doing what you are doing. It is not an argument it is just seeing how things are done in other countries.
But if you would love to make preserves and do not have the funds to do so or you think you don't have the funds or special equipment then this post could be like the pasta post!  You may be able to make many more things than you dreamed of!

Over to beautiful Rachel to go further:

     --  THE LIBERTY OF  ....  BOTTLING WITH RESCUED GROCERY JARS!  --

                                                        OR

                                --   BOTTLING FROM SCRATCH!  --

I firmly believe that we, as homemakers, can find ways to preserve our produce with little or no monetary outlay. I own brand name preserving jars, but have known the necessity of avoiding the cost of buying the accessories for these. Living in Queensland, I have also needed a way to keep kitchen products like choko pickles and jams (usually stored in recycled grocery jars, anyway) as long term provisions not reliant on refrigeration.

Bottling (an Australian term!) with rescued grocery jars  -- with metal lids -- is now a treasured concept of mine! Allow me to share my humble findings! .....

To this day, I remember an article, featuring a commercial kitchen, torn from an old magazine during my childhood. I can still picture the large recycled (grocery) jars of tomatoes nestled carefully in a large cooking pot, and protected against the buffeting of simmering water by using kitchen towels as packing! 

Jembella Farm also has preserving methods for such recycled jars (an example of their work shown at ....

http://jembellafarm.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/tomato-season-its-last-day-of-autumn.html

With these in mind, I referred to the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) data, which provides detailed preserving information (i.e. water bath processing time) for particular crops, jar sizes, and elevation above sea level.

I can summarise with a generalised method which levels the mountains of confusion! This is suitable for acidic foods that have a pH value of 4.6 or less.

I love to use the simple 'hot pack' method!! 

Firstly, I cook my preserves-to-be in my usual cooking pots, and, once cooked, keep them hot. (This means less wasted  jar space, compared to running the whole cooking process through the water bath method, which leaves space as the fruit cooks and compacts!)

Secondly, I have my olive oil can (with a protective false floor made using the base of another olive oil can - cut out with a can opener - elevated by egg rings [or canning rings, US]) containing gently simmering water. 

Thirdly, I use a two dollar op shop saucepan containing simmering water to heat the rescued grocery jars and lids. I use a saucepan lid, and roll the jars to distribute the heat from the simmering water! The jars and lids must be without damage, to facilitate a good seal. This step is not about sterilisation of the jars, but, rather, heating them!

What then?

Using jar tongs that one is comfortable with, remove the hot jars and lids from their saucepan, and fill with the hot cooking - to 6mm/quarter inch from the rim. Clean the jar rims with only dry cloths, to prevent sudden changes in temperature, and place the metal lids onto the jars. Then, using the jar tongs again, submerge each filled jar carefully into the olive oil can of gently simmering water so that the jar is covered with one or two inches of water. As an average (i.e. a typical pasta sauce jar), the processing time in the hot water bath is ten minutes. Remove the processed jars, and sit overnight on an insulated wooden board/thick towel/wad of newspaper out of any drafts! During the cooling process, the lids should "pop"! and form an effectual seal!

One tip -- if a jar seals too well (which means it cannot be opened by ordinary methods!), I turn it up-side-down in an enamelled cup of heating water (sitting on an egg ring would be safer if using anything more than gentle heat!) to allow the metal lid to absorb heat and expand. Then the lid can be opened as usual!

If you like what you see, I encourage you to give bottling with rescued grocery jars a go! 

Thank you so much Rachel.  As usual your photos are beautiful. And there you are preserving with what you have and doing a very good job! 

Jane sent me a photo of her preserves just the other day.  She uses the sterilisation method I do for jam and she water bath seals the relishes and chutney...

Your shelf of preserves look beautiful Jane! 

Most of my jam is made in the microwave, unless I have a particularly large batch to make.  For generations we have been big jam makers.  Both my Nan's loved having fruit!  Jars were saved always!  My microwave method is here: Easy Jam Making.   This is not canned.  Jars are sterilised and sealed when the jam goes into them boiling.  This keeps years.  I would have made well past the hundreds of jars of jam in my life time this way, I am probably into the 1000's by now! 

Also... I have never figured out why people buy pectin.  Many recipes I see contain pectin.  I have no understanding why.  I always add a little fresh lemon juice when jam making and jam always sets.  So this could be yet another expense that can be avoided.  It might also be another example of how things are done from one country to another?

Jam has so many uses!  I add jars to many of my hamper gifts but it has so many uses in the kitchen..

Take a Jar of Jam.  If you have too many jars just now take a look at some of the ideas in this post but also in the comments. 

In the same way I cannot consider buying a dehydrator.  The cost of electricity here and having anything run for days is not on my radar.  I do however have a blast furnace outside in summer and can dry almost anything for free!  Things can also be dried by the fire in winter then packed away.  So I do dry quite a few things but it has to be without electricity.

So if costs have kept you from preserving or the idea that it is complicated then try some simple preserves. You will be amazed and it is so much fun!  To me the sight of preserves lined up on your shelves is the most beautiful thing ever!  Both my Nan's and Mum would have whole days making jam or relish.  What a production!  Just fantastic!   Fruit season is beautiful and I have been known to stay up late still preserving rather than have fruit beat me and be ruined!  

I also do a lot of refrigerator pickles. These aren't canned either.  If you want to try this look up Jamie Oliver refrigerator pickles.   He is English so perhaps this is an English method... but if I have lots of cucumbers I will do this and Andy loves them.  This works with most vegetables.  Again, no special equipment, old jars and what you have, with wonderful results!

Then there are other preserves I have not tired i.e. fermenting. 

I hope not to start a debate on methods but instead encourage ventures into preserving.  I saw a UK lady was having difficulty even getting a canning kit (as they are not readily available there) but that you can use a pressure cooker to can as an alternative.  The wide variations in practices in each country are surprising.  Do your own research and investigate.  Many times the best information is from our Mum's and Nanna's.  
Another thing... ask around as sometimes the very goods you need are sitting idle in your neighbours shed or the back of someones cupboard just waiting for someone to use them again!

If you have any tips on getting started,  minimising expenses,  methods of preserving that are low cost or other ideas please share!

Thank you Rachel for a wonderful post and all your help!

Have a good week!  We are learning new skills, adding to our pantries and building up our preparedness in all kinds of ways! It all adds up! xxx