pickled

Hi all, I'm curious does anyone do their own pickles [onions or shallots] or am I the end of what once was a quite usual late summer/autumn habit. I grow shallots so I pickle a few jars.

 

And I thought this thread was about alcohol!

 

Don't like pickled onions, but still do baby beets for daughter. Home-made pickles and preserves seem to be going out of fashion, probably because there's such a wide variety in shops, and no-oneseems to have any time...Pity.
Talking about alcohol, I must go and do my daily sampling of the sloe gin

 

This is the first year my wife has not pickled some shallots, but the person who ate them has now got a house of her own. She still makes jars of various chutneys though, plum, beetroot, green tomato,apple, etc. And while typing this a sparrow hawk has just taken a sparrow off the bird table. Wow And no pickles to go with it

 

Sorry to say we don't make our own anymore..I love 'em but they hate me :eek:

 

Don't do pickles but for the last fews years I have made jam - mostly Victoria Plum - enough to last me through the year. Am shortly going to try Pumpkin and Apricot Jam with my large pumpkin.

 

I have a older friend who does marmalade I must call by with a jar of pickles, worth a try.

 

I used to pickle onions and make jam but haven't done so for several years. However, I decided a few weeks ago that I'm going to make preserves next summer/autumn and give them to my friends and relatives for Christmas. Having asked a few of the likely receipients I've had nothing but positive responses. The expensive bit is buying jars for jam at �£1.50 each if I can't get the horrible glue off jars I buy with other stuff in. For less than �£1.50 I can buy a jar with the jam in it! Anyone any ideas on how to remove the glue?

 

I usually soak the jars in very hot soapy water for a couple of hours then try and pick of the label and glue I sometimes have to soak again for a while the glue can be very stubborn.I buy jars of anything cheap and discard the contents if I can't use it.Buying new jars and lids is an expensive way of doing it.Hope this helps

 

I have collected loads of jars over the years [clip type preserving ones with glass lids]. I found quite a few in car boot sales, but some were bought new. In the long run they haven't been expensive, usually people will return them in the hope of getting more if they liked the contents! If I have anything in a pretty or unusual jar I try to save it.
For removing sticky residues of labels, First try soap and water, then white spirits, isopopyl alcohol, or Nitromors if all else fails.

 

I use "Sticky Stuff Remover" from Kleenzee, the people that come and put catalogues through your door!

 

Make my own jam with fruit from PYO farms and also from local hedgerows etc (bramble jelly & rowan jelly. Also have problems with sticky residue from labels and if soaking in hot soapy water isn't enough, I too resort to the white spirits - or throw that jar in the recycling bin and use another. That said, may have to persist as I think I'll need lots of jars next year - family and friends are putting in requests for jams and jellies already - and I already eat enough of the stuff myself ! I also plan to pickle some of my own onions and beetroot next year, and try my hand at chutney.
Rat

 

Petrol will remove most glues. wrap a rag round your finger & dip in the tank on the Lawn mower.
E.W.

 

Good advice Ewal, but we've still got a 'push-me /pull-me' mower that only uses hubby to make it work! :D

 

White spirit or parafin is safer than petrol and won't evaporate as quick, therefore the sticky gunge doesn't reform once the solvent evaporates.

From my home brew days; After cleaning off old labels, soak in thick bleach (Domestos or somesuch) to remove any mould or contamination, rinse well then give a final rinse in clean water with a little citric acid which will neutralise any traces of bleach. Finally, cold sterilise with sodium metabisulphate solution and you will aviod any problems with preserves or bottled fruits.