In this article, we share a guide to canning, preserving and bottling. Plus, ways on how to do this at home using utensils and equipment that are regular household items. Make the most of the last of summer’s fruit and veg and join the growing group of foodies who are bottling things up (in a good way).  

How to sterilise glass jars  

To prevent any bacteria growth, it’s important to sterilise your glass preserving jars. This can be done by boiling them and their lids in water for 10 minutes, then drying in a hot oven for another 5 minutes. Once cooled, fill the jars and seal tightly. This will create a vacuum and barrier to prevent anything from spoiling. Store jars in a cool place and out of direct sunlight.   

Pickling  

Foods like onions, peppers, beetroot and cucumber (of course) are often pickled in jars. A brine is made using water, vinegar, sugar, salt and seasonings and is used to cover the vegetables. The vinegar kills the bacteria around the main ingredient and preserves their quality.  

To pickle veggies, chop, slice and prepare them before placing in sterilised jars. Experiment by adding spices such as cloves, chilli cinnamon sticks, mustard seeds and fennel seeds to your pickling liquid.   

Add spices to the liquid and boil before taking off the heat and filling your jars. Seal jars tightly and allow to cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 24 hours. Pickles will keep for up to a month.  

 Top Tip: Don’t ditch the preserving oil! Add it to vinaigrettes or toss through veggies and meats before frying or roasting.  

Fermentation  

This process starts when the microorganisms found in food, usually yeast and bacteria, convert sugar and starch into alcohol or acids. This gives fermented food their signature ‘funky’ taste and smell.   

The probiotic health benefits of fermented foods are very popular right now. All you need to ferment your veggies is a jar, water and salt.   

Chop, grate or slice your vegetables, cover with water with a generous layer of salt. Cover and soak for 8 hours, then drain the brine (make sure to save it) and rinse. One of the most popular fermented foods is the traditional Korean dish, kimchi. Its main ingredients are cabbage, spring onion and radish.  

If you want to make kimchi, then you’ll need the Korean seasoning paste, Gochujang, which can be found at most Chinese supermarkets. Mix the paste with ginger, garlic and spring onion. Coat the vegetables in the paste and tightly pack them into a glass jar.   

Fill with reserved brine until just covered. Use a weight or cabbage leaf to keep the veggies submerged. Allow to ferment at room temperature for 5 days until you see bubbles start to form. Loosen the lid and place jar in the fridge to ferment further. Kimchi will keep for months in and add a tangy kick to your dishes. 

Salting  

Has your lemon tree just produced a bumper crop? Or maybe you’ve seen a recipe calling for preserved lemons? They’re made by placing quartered lemons in a jar with salt. Over time, the salt dehydrates the lemons, preventing bacteria from growing on them.  

To preserve lemons, add two tablespoons of coarse salt to the bottom of a glass jar. Cut both ends off washed and scrubbed lemons and make an `X’ mark through each, keeping all the wedges attached.  

Add salt to the centre of each lemon and pack them firmly into the jar, adding more salt as you layer them. Make sure the top of the jar is covered in lemon juice and seal tightly. Set aside for a week, shaking every few days, until the lemons become translucent.  

To use them, remove a wedge of lemon from the jar and wash thoroughly, then cut away the flesh and pith. Slice up the salty sweet rind and use as instructed. Other common foods preserved in salt are meat (like biltong), fish and even egg yolks!  

Words by Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography: Fresh Living Magazine

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The sunny season is here, and that means some of the most delicious fruits and vegetables are in season. But it also means food spoils quicker. Make your favourite summer ingredients last longer and reduce wastage by trying these preservation methods.

Canning

Canning is no longer only associated with something our grandmothers used to do – this method for preservation has been used for hundreds of years and is still popular today. Canning is the perfect way to preserve seasonal fresh fruit and veggies, allowing you to enjoy these ingredients for months to come. To do this at home, we recommend following the water-bath canning method as minimal equipment is needed.

Water-bath canning is quicker than pressure canning, and entails filling sterilised jars with your ingredients, sealing them with a lid and then boiling vigorously for long periods of time. This method is perfect for high-acid fruit used to make jams, chutneys and other preserves.

Freezing

Your freezer is your best friend. Freezing food is not only cost-effective, but will lock in the nutrients from the day you place the food into the freezer.

For meats, fruit and vegetables, it is one of the most versatile preservation methods to extend the shelf life of food. Remember that you are reliant on electricity to use your freezer, so make sure your freezer works effectively to avoid food from spoiling.

Top tip

To keep food fresh, wrap and seal it tightly before freezing. Label and date it, and make sure you use it within six months.

If freezing cooked food, make sure the food is completely cool before placing into the freezer. Warm food placed into the freezer will cause the surrounding frozen items to thaw and then refreeze, which can ultimately cause food spoilage.

Dehydration

Dehydration has been a successful preservation method since ancient times. But with so many appliances to speed up the process of drying your food, sun-drying is not the only way to do it anymore. Ovens, electric food dehydrators and freeze-drying methods can now be used to make delicious biltong and your favourite dried mango slices in no time!

Top Tip

If using an oven to dehydrate your food, place it at a low temperature (100°C – 120°C) on lined and greased baking trays to avoid them sticking to the tray.

Pickling

The process of pickling is simple, and the product is zesty and delicious! According to Eugenia Bone, author of Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods, the most important thing about vinegar is its 5% acidity, which causes changes in flavour and texture and acts as a preservative.

You can pickle almost any vegetable, and it’s a terrific way to add a punch of flavour to any dish. The process is so easy. Simply heat the vinegar, salt and sugar and add to the fruit and veggies you would like to pickle. Pour into a jar, seal with a lid and let it cool completely before storing in the fridge. Homemade pickles can last up to two months from their pickling date. Note that while the flavour will intensify the longer the jar is stored, over time, the pickled ingredient will start to lose its crunchy texture.

ALSO READ: Savoury biltong churros with chilli sauce

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Now here’s something we love. We especially love them in Middle Eastern and North African dishes, but they also add some lovely zesty freshness to meat dishes, salads and drinks alike.  Remember to slice them very thinly as their taste can be quite overpowering when adding big chunks of lemon to your meal.

COOKING TIME 30 mins // PICKLING TIME 3-4 weeks

INGREDIENTS
Lemons,
Coarse salt
1 sprig rosemary or 1 bay leaf
Lemon juice

METHOD
1. Sterilise a glass jar and lid by submerging it in a pot of rapidly boiling water for a few minutes.
2. Thoroughly wash the lemons. Cut them almost into quarters (leaving the bottoms joining the four pieces together). Fill the insides of the lemons with coarse salt, then pack into the sterilised jar.
3. Add a sprig of rosemary or a bay leaf or two, then cover with extra lemon juice and seal. Store in a cool, dark place for 3–4 weeks until the rind has softened. (Only the rind of preserved lemons is eaten; discard the flesh and seeds).

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Sometimes time just gets away from you and it’s at moments like these when a cooking shortcut becomes your saving grace. Having this recipe in your arsenal will take dishes like sandwiches or salads from mediocre to magnificent in a jiffy.

By Jana du Plessis

The steps
The basic recipe for any pickle would be to mix an acid with water, salt and a sweetener. From there you can add spices or herbs for flavour, and then adapt the ratios to your liking.

The flavours
The flavours in your pickle are completely up to you. If you like plenty of zing, go for lemon or lime as your acid, or use apple cider vinegar if you want something sweeter. Regular white or brown vinegar will work just as well, but if you’re feeling fancy, grab the red wine or grape vinegar.

A sweetener isn’t compulsory, but it does help to balance out the sourness of the acid. Sugar, honey or maple syrup will all add a different flavour dimension to your pickle.

The fun part is choosing which herbs and spices you want to use to jazz up your pickle. Mustard seeds are a oldie and a goodie, but why not experiment with exciting additions like orange zest or cumin, cinnamon or chilli flakes? There are also peppercorns, turmeric and herbs like rosemary, basil, mint or coriander.

The time
Letting your pickles stand for 2-3 hours would be preferable (2-3 days would add even more complexity to the flavour), but if your time is very limited, half an hour to an hour will suffice.

Stuck on what to pair your pickles with? Try our roast chicken with pickled red onion on sourdough < https://mykitchen.co.za/2016/12/roast-chicken-pickled-red-onion-sourdough/> and share your creations with us on social media.

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