Fruit bottling is a little old fashioned these days, however fruit crops have such a short season it is almost impossible to use the total crop therefore you will have a lot of waste.
Ingredients
- fruit of your choice
- 225 g sugar to 600 ml water
Method
- Bottled fruits are great for fruit flans and tarts during the winter.
- Use large heavy glass jars that can take the high temperatures of syrup.
- Melt the sugar in the water over gentle heat and then bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- This syrup can be flavoured with spice or lemon or whatever your preference is.
- Preparing the fruit:
- Fruit should be cleaned and trimmed of any blemishes.
- Fruit should be slightly under ripe. Soft fruits are not the best for bottling, eg raspberries.
- Orchard fruits are great. Pears and apples are best if cored and peeled before bottling.
- Bottling:
- The fruit can be sliced or whole, packed tightly into warm sterilised jars.
- Pour over the hot syrup and tap on a cloth or wooden chopping board, gently to remove any bubbles of air.
- Seal the lid and heat treat by submerging the jars into water and simmering at 88 Celsius for 30 minutes.
- Remove the jars and make sure the lids are tightened to seal.
