Paule's Notebooks

Preserves

Jars, jams, lacto-fermentation, drying. Preserving without waste, knowing what you're doing.

Preserve without waste, understanding what you're doing.

Preserving isn't complicated — it's methodical. Sterilisation, lacto-fermentation, drying, freezing: each method has its rules, its advantages, its limits. We explain them clearly so you can choose the right one for what you have to hand.

Right now

September — the height of the preserving season

This month's tasks

Tomato passata Fig chutney Vinegar pickles Fermenting cabbage Quince jelly Apple compote Drying tomatoes Canning beans

Read in this notebook

Preserves articles

Preserves

How to Make Homemade Ginger Beer with a Ginger Bug

The ginger starter step by step, bottling without breakages, and lemon and apple variations.

Preserves

What to Do with All Those Chillies? 5 Ways to Preserve Them

Drying, powder, freezing, vinegar or hot sauce, plus two old recipes found in nineteenth-century cookbooks.

Preserves

Green Tomato Pickles: Saving the Last Tomatoes of the Season

Salting, spiced vinegar, a very short cook: the traditional recipe for a sharp condiment that keeps all year.

Preserves

Homemade Gherkins: Start with Cucumbers, Then Grow the Real Thing

Only grew cucumbers this year? No problem. Homemade pickles, a traditional vinegar recipe, and tips for moving on to proper gherkins.

Preserves

Why Steep Your Herbs in Vinegar?

Thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon: a simple and ancient method for preserving garden flavours for several months.

Preserves

Too Many Nettles? Try Mineral Vinegar

A jar, some nettles, cider vinegar and a month of patience: turning a weed into a useful kitchen condiment.

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Preserves

Preserve without waste, understanding what you're doing.

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