The most common ways to preserve your garden fruits and vegetables [Canning, Drying and Dehydrating tips]

Canning and drying of your Garden Harvests..

Canning and drying are great ways to process a glut of fruits and vegetables into food that can be stored for months, providing you with a supply of nutritious, vitamin-packed preserves when fresh garden produce is scarce.

In this video we'll take you through some of the most common ways to preserve your garden fruits and vegetables.

Jams and jellies 

Jams and jellies can be made from fruits such as raspberries, blackcurrants or apples, or even food foraged from the wild  like brambles, elderberries or rose hips. Jams and jellies rely on how much pectin the fruit naturally has in it in order to set. Fruits with little pectin can be combined with other fruits that have lots of pectin or specialist preserving sugar containing pectin can be added. To make jam, you need good quality unblemished fruit, washed and cut up into pieces of about the same size. Simmer it with the specified amount of water from your recipe and then add the required amount of sugar and boil until the setting point.

To check for fruit set, you can use a jam thermometer, but to be doubly sure put a blob of jam on a cold saucer - one that's been chilled in the fridge first is ideal - and let it cool a little. If it's runny, it's not ready, but if you can push it with your finger and it wrinkles then it has set.

Jelly Making Process:

Making jelly is a great way to use up fruits to make a seedless preserve. Cut up ripe fruit roughly, and mix it in a pan with the specified amount of water from your recipe. Cook as directed, then strain through muslin or a jelly bag overnight into a bowl. Add the strained liquid to your sugar and boil until a set is reached. Jars are reusable but lids are usually not. Both need to be sterilised, either by putting them in the oven for about 20 minutes at gas mark 1 (which is 275 degrees Fahrenheit or 130 degrees Celsius), or in boiling water, again for about 20 minutes before use. Fill the jars and remove any air bubbles with a non-metallic spatula, and make sure to wipe the rim and threads of the jar to remove any food debris.

There are different types of lids but the most popular is the screw top. Place the disc onto the jar, then tighten the screw top band and pop the jars into a boiling water bath for about 30 minutes to kill off any potential contaminants and to ensure a tight seal. Then, leave them to cool.

Pickle

Almost any vegetable can be pickled. Cucumbers are probably the most popular, but beets, onions, cabbage and peppers also work well. Cucumbers or other vegetables can be left whole or cut into chunks, spears or slices, but it's usually best not to slice too thinly.

The thicker the slice the more crisp it will remain once pickled. Like jams and jellies, pickles and chutneys will need to be processed in a water bath. The exception to this is if you're making pickles that will be used within a few weeks, and will be keeping them in the fridge. Chutney is usually made using a mix of vegetables and fruit washed, cleaned and chopped into small pieces to make it easy to spread. It's useful for using up vegetables such as green tomatoes or onions - what could be better than a caramelized red onion chutney paired with a good quality sharp cheddar and some rustic oatcakes?

Near the end of cooking, you can test to see if your chutney is ready by making a channel with your spoon in the mixture. If it doesn't backfill with the mixture, it's ready. Chutneys do need acetic acid adding through the addition of vinegar so that they can be preserved, as they're made from lower acid foods. It's important to follow a tried and tested recipe to ensure you have the correct amount of acid in your preserves, as this prevents harmful bacteria from forming. Pickles and chutneys are best left to mature for several weeks or months before using for best flavour, and the unopened jars will store for up to 2 years.

Drying and dehydrating

Drying and dehydrating is an excellent, easy way to store fruit long-term. Drying changes the texture of fruit without compromising the flavour. You can buy specialist dehydrators, but it's easy to dehydrate fruit in your oven. Wash and thinly slice your chosen produce, and arrange it in a single layer on a baking tray. Set your oven to its lowest temperature and leaves for several hours until the pieces have shrunk and dried out. Then, store in a sterile, airtight container and consume within a few weeks.

Apples and pears are great candidates for drying, but it's a good idea to soak them in a mildly acidic solution to preserve their colour first. You can use citric acid concentrate, or equal parts water and lemon juice if you only have a small batch of fruit to dry. Canning and drying is a great way to ensure you have tasty produce for months to come when fresh food in the garden is scarce.

For more tips on what to do with your gluts, our video 'Don't Let Your Excess Fruits and Vegetables Go To Waste' has lots of ideas. We'd love to hear your favourite canning and drying tips. You can share them by leaving a comment in the box below..
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