Perfectly Preserved
ask an expert: preservescanada
(Aug.03.10)
I'd like to try my hand at preserving this year. Any tips and tricks I should be aware of?
Lynn H. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and Yvonne Tremblay, author of 250 Prizewinning Preserves answered:
Tips for successful preserving:
- Always follow guidelines for food safety and sterilization of jars and utensils.
- Select ingredients of the best quality. Fruit should have a strong, pleasant aroma (for example, peaches should smell very peachy). Avoid overripe fruit. Some slightly underripe fruit is actually good, as its natural pectin levels are usually higher.
- Prepare fruits as outlined in the recipe you're using: wash, stem, pit, chop well, etc. If the peel of a fruit is not normally eaten — as with kiwi, mango and pineapple — remove it. For other fruits, peel if the recipe tells you to do so.
- Follow product instructions for commercial pectins, and do not swap liquid pectin and powdered pectin (pectin crystals) in recipes.
- Use the exact amount of sugar called for in the recipe; otherwise, your preserves may not set.
- Track cooking time carefully, preferably using a digital timer or the second hand on a clock. When the time is up, immediately remove the pot from the stove to stop the cooking. For preserves made without added commercial pectin, test for doneness or the setting point at the minimum time given. If the mixture is not ready, return it to the heat, bring it back to a boil, begin timing for another minute or two and test again. Repeat until ready.
- Stir to prevent floating fruit. This helps suspend all the bits of fruit throughout the mixture and keeps them from floating to the top of the jar. You can fill a test jar to see if it's ready. If not, pour the mixture back into the pot and continue stirring.
- When filling the jars, make sure to leave the correct amount of headspace (the space between the top of the mixture and the rim of the jar) as specified in the recipe.
- Do not over-tighten jar rings, either before or after processing.
- Let jars rest undisturbed at room temperature until set. Do not invert jars.
- Remove rings and wipe away any stickiness, especially from jar threads and under rings. Store jars in a cool, dark, dry place. Use within a year for best quality.
Yvonne Tremblay is a professional recipe developer/tester, food stylist, cooking instructor and television spokesperson. Her recipes have appeared in various cookbooks, and she is the author of 250 Prizewinning Preserves, Thyme in the Kitchen, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jams, Jellies and Preserves.
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