This is just an experiment from something I read on the Internet (I say that far too often) so don't try this until I find out if it works or not.
On Tuesday I preserved some of our "less nice" eating pears from a tree that I planted at my parents farm some years ago. I did this in a sugar syrup and it was relatively easy, but so much so I'm not sure if it will preserve them or not.
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| Picked the pears |
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| Help picking |
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| Peeled, quartered them and removed the core |
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| Boiled them in a sugar syrup made up of 2 cups sugar to one water (American measure but it was an easy way). |
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| Once they were poached I put them in some hot kilner jars (out of the oven) and then rested them upside down to check they were sealed and to sterilise the tops |
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| Trying the goods - they tasted pretty good! |
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| Bottled up ready to go in the cupboard - I hope they last as I made up three jars! |
So that was simple but quite time consuming. I know it's not "proper" bottling but I think they should last and the website I found it on (which I can't seem to find now!) said they should last for six months like this.
I like your jars, similar to the antique ones that I use only the metal bail is a different arrangement. The government tells us not to can like that but that is how people used to do it much of the time with fruit and tomatoes. Government tends to tell us what we can't achieve these days instead of what we can accomplish so I ignore them most of the time. The other way it used to be done is to put the jar under water and boil the whole thing for 20 minutes with the bail on but not locked down and then lock down when it comes out of the water. That would keep for several years if all goes well.
ReplyDeleteYeah I might try that method next year if I get set up a little better. the main trouble is our kitchen is so small it's tricky to do aything very major in there!
DeleteIf it works can you do this post again in early October next year!
ReplyDeleteYeah - I'll let you know!
DeleteI have 2 pear trees that usually yield about 30 pears between them. Unfortunately most of them suffer insect damage way before they are ripe so this year we harvested about 12 pears but most of them were mangled and spoiled before they were ripe enough to consume.
ReplyDeleteTry to get the pests? put up traps or grease band trees that might help?
DeleteWorks even better with the addition of some brandy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big drinker and I'm not sure my little girls would take to that one!
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ReplyDeletealways used this method until I got a proper boiler. Now I just peel and cut, add to the jar, fill with water and a spoonful of sugar, put the lid on and boil 45 mins ( or go away and forget them for an hour or so :) Tighten the lid when they come out and leave to cool. Those that don't seal get eaten or frozen. Only other thing to remember is to pre warm anything going into boiling water when doing more than one batch.. An extra is that all the boiling water then gets poured on those weeds which are hard to get out - cooked weeds don't grow :)
viv in nz
You guys in NZ are the masters in canning! Mum came back from a holiday there and kept on about all the amazing fruit she ate from bottles! Good tip with the boiling water as well!
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