All About Home Preserving, Bottling, Freezing and Making Sauces, Chutneys, Jams and Jellies

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Looking for All About Home Preserving, Bottling, Freezing and Making Sauces, Chutneys, Jams and Jellies in 2024?  Scroll down this page and  follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to preserve, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated preserving, freezing or bottling directions. There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above.

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All About Home Preserving, Bottling, Freezing and Making Sauces, Chutneys, Jams and Jellies

All About Home Preserving, Bottling, Freezing and Drying Foods in the U.K.

(Recipes and illustrated directions to make applesauce, jams, chutneys, salsa, jams and jellies and many more!)

Save money, eat healthier, with no additives or chemicals... and with much better taste! This page provides the links to our illustrated recipes and canning* directions - so easy ANYONE can do it, along with a multitude of other recipes, guides and canning instructions from government food authorities and many universities. I'm busy converting each page to UK standards, equipment and units, so if you encounter a problem, or have a question, just email me!

The recipes were originally developed using U.S. jars and equipment, but they work perfectly in the England, Scotland and Wales, with the following changes:

  • Wherever it calls for a "Water Bath Canner", use the largest pot you have, in which the jars can be submerged by 1 to 2 inches of water.

  • Wherever it calls for "Pressure Canner", any pressure cooker will do, as long as the jars fit inside and it seals properly.

  • Instead of the separate ring and disposable lid "Ball jars" used in the use (which are rare in the UK), you can buy single piece lid canning jars at many farm shops and pyo's OR use the Weck jars (glass lid with a rubber ring) OR wash and re-use jars of sauces, like Patak's curry jars, Bolognese sauce, etc. The lids are intended for single use, but I found during my years in the UK, that they'd actually work a few times. Many farm shops (like Garson's in Esher) sell just the lids.

  • If you are looking for equipment and jars for the U.K., see this page. And this page has some excellent and inexpensive cookery books specific to the United Kingdom.

As time permits, I am re-writing the pages below to be specific to equipment and measures used in the UK, so if there's one that interests you, write to me and I'll move it to the top of the list!

Recipes and directions

 

General bottling/canning know-how

Picking tips

Blake's Easy and Illustrated bottling/canning, Preserves and Jam Directions

Jams, Preserves and jellies:

You can use a Water Bath Canner OR a Pressure Canner for all of these recipes:

Fruit Honeys

Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbets with your own fruit

Sauces, Salsas, Syrups, Butters and Chutneys

You can use a Water Bath Canner OR a Pressure Canner for these (except for spaghetti sauce with meat!):

bottling/canning miscellaneous fruits and vegetables

Some of these require a pressure canner to prevent potential spoilage and food poisoning, due to the low acid content of the food. For others, you can use a Water Bath Canner OR a Pressure Canner. I've noted what's required for each, below, following each entry, with
W for water bath,
P for Pressure canner, and
W, P for either may be used!

Juices: bottling/canning fruit and vegetable juices

Pie Fillings

Pickling Recipes - Including Peppers, Okra, Beans and more

You can use a Water Bath Canner OR a Pressure Canner for these:

FAQs: Click here for the page of frequently asked questions (with answers) about pickling and making pickles.

Freezing instructions

Other Recipes

for fresh or frozen use

Did I miss a recipe?

  • And write to me, if you want directions for something I've missed.

Easy Dehydrating Instructions

See the photos and links at right for a good and inexpensive food drier.

 
Click here for this and related items on Amazon

 
 

Bottling/canning, Freezing and Drying Equipment and Supplies

Trivia

Other Detailed Bottling/canning, Freezing and Drying Guides and Recipes

 

Bottling/canning, Freezing and Drying Equipment and Supplies

Trivia

Other Detailed Canning, Freezing and Drying Guides and Recipes

 

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

     

Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars? Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes? Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store!


Glass Jam Jars with Gold Twist Top Lid, 370ml, Pack of 12. Perfect for Home Made Jam, Pickles, Sauces, Veg, Fruit and Chutney


Instant Pot DUO 60 Duo 7-in-1 Smart Cooker, 5.7L, It is a Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Sauté Pan, Yoghurt Maker, Steamer and Food Warmer


Home Preserving Starter Kit for Home Bottling, Canning Accessories, Everything but the pot, 6 pieces


Water Bath Canner for Gas or Glass Top Stove w/9-Piece Canning Supplies, 20 Quart Canning Pot, Rack, Lid, 6-Piece Canning Tools


Home Canning Kit with Blancher, Enamel-on-Steel




Water Bath Canner for Gas or Glass Top Stove w/9-Piece Canning Supplies, 20 Quart Canning Pot, Rack, Lid, 6-Piece Canning Tools


Ninja Air Fryer, multiple sizes, 4-in-1, Uses No Oil, works GREAT as a fruit and veg dehydrator, as well as an Air Fry, Roaster, Reheats, and it's Non-Stick