You may have some fruit and veg laying around from the months picking or just too much freshly grown produce to know what to do with it.
For this age old problem, we have a solution… preserving your fresh fruit and veg in jars to last months on end.
Useful tools:
Preserving pan;
Preserving jars;
Dehydrator;
Labels;
Hessian or paper sacks;
Wooden crates;
Chutneys
Use sugar, vinegar and spices to transform any glut. Chase whatever flavour combination you fancy - from a spicy fig chutney to a rich tomato and onion one.
Pickled vegetables
Use vinegar too, but preserve the crop in a simpler state, such as pickled onions, cucumbers, run beans or Florence fennel. It's especially good for vegetables that return poorly from the freezer.
Bottling fruit
Involves making a sugary syrup to ensure you have plums, peaches or figs for spooning into puddings. Once the jars are filled, sterilise them by simmering in a water bath.
Fermented foods
Such as sauerkraut and kimchi are proving popular thanks to a surge of interest in gut health. Fermentation lids allow gases to escape through a one-way airlock.
Fruity liqueurs
Are utterly delicious. Tempt your taste buds with sloe gin and sloe vodka, bramble whiskey, rhubarb vodka and damson gin.
Jams, jellies and pastas
Are firm favourites for making fruit last, from raspberry jam to bramble and crab apple jelly. Cooked even further they make thick, sliceable pastes, such as quince membrillo - the perfect partner for cheese.