Do you do your own preserves?

[Rosyrain]

@lili , why not post the recipe for vanilla pears?

I totally agree with you, vanilla pears sound like they would taste delicious and I would like to try them out too. Preserving is kind of a scary realm that I have not tried yet because if you do not get your canning jars just right, you could ruin and poison the food inside. What scares me the most is the thought of canning my own meat. I would love to do it, but way to scared at the moment.

 

[lili]

@lili , why not post the recipe for vanilla pears?

I would, but I made it up as I went along. I tend to do that a lot when it comes to things like that. I had a basic recipe for some sort of preserves and just replaced one fruit with another and added whatever spices or extracts sounded tasty to me at the time. I decided to try vanilla and pear because i had a tea with those ingredients and it was so tasty.

 

[L_B]

I just got back from my sister's and she gave me six bottle s of her various preserves. The best Christmas gift ever. I was so happy when I opened it. There was jam, beets, pickles and relish.

 

[niemela23]

I just got back from my sister's and she gave me six bottle s of her various preserves. The best Christmas gift ever. I was so happy when I opened it. There was jam, beets, pickles and relish.

Yum! A lucky one, you are. Santa was good to you this year.

 

[niemela23]

I have never made my own, but have helped others make theirs, as well as eat them. This year, I am going to give it a try. Looking forward to doing a salsa.

 

[L_B]

Yum! A lucky one, you are. Santa was good to you this year.

Yes Santa was really good to me this year! I must have been extra good this year!

 

[swalia]

I have never preserved food. But my mom used to make different kinds of pickles- mango, green chillies, carrots, turnips, cauliflower and lemons. She also used to make delicious mango and apple jam. She would also make tomato sauce at home. I used to help her in a ll this but now we don't do it as it takes too much time and a lot of work.

 

[Sue Veed]

I have never preserved food. But my mom used to make different kinds of pickles- mango, green chillies, carrots, turnips, cauliflower and lemons. She also used to make delicious mango and apple jam. She would also make tomato sauce at home. I used to help her in a ll this but now we don't do it as it takes too much time and a lot of work.

Maybe a lot of work, but it's worth it!

 

[Sue Veed]

I would, but I made it up as I went along. I tend to do that a lot when it comes to things like that. I had a basic recipe for some sort of preserves and just replaced one fruit with another and added whatever spices or extracts sounded tasty to me at the time. I decided to try vanilla and pear because i had a tea with those ingredients and it was so tasty.

That's my kind of cooking - keep a store of herbs and spices and use whatever main ingredients are cheap at any given time!

 

[Sue Veed]

Sadly, mangos are rather expensive here so buying 20 would be beyond my budget. But I guess I could scale this recipe down. Many thanks.

If you go out looking for mangos, they're likely to be expensive, especially in mainstream supermarkets. Look in independent greengrocers, Indian corner shops, street markets and car boots. Be patient. I never know when the main harvests are due (maybe I should investigate!), but when I find them at less than, say, 40p each, I feel tempted (average price in supermarkets is ~80p, probably more in Waitrose ). Since I've laid in a decent supply of home made mango chutney, I've not been searching, but I bought a rather nice one purely for dessert use, from the superb Salad Bowl greengrocers in West Bridgford, for 29p last weekend. Probably the best value I've found was a box of ~15 for £2, some of which were a bit iffy but still usable - the bargains are out there, so long as you rely on serendipity!
Apologies to readers outside the UK - some of this will be incomprehensible!!! I have drink taken, and will now go back in front of the TV to watch rugby.