Preserving foods is a great way to save garden produce whilst it is in season and be nourished eating it for months afterwards. It’s a wonderful option to freezing fruit and saves a lot of food wastage.

Here are some tips for preserving fruit & vegetables:

• High heat – Destroys any bacteria that may be present in the food.

• Clean – Wash hands, boards and utensils so that they are squeaky clean and ready.

• Fruit & Vegetables – make sure you don’t use any rotten parts of the fruit or vegetables from getting into the mix.

• Lemon – Makes the mix slightly acidic and therefore less likely to harbour germs.

• Sterilise – your jars at the same time you are cooking up your recipe so that both at hot at the same time. To sterilise jars wash in hot soapy water and rinse with clean hot water. Then place the jars in oven heated up to 110 degrees celsius for 5 mins. Leave plastic seals out of oven but metal seals can go in the oven. Wash throughly in boiling water for a few mins. Once you pour the hot food into a hot sterilised jar, get a skewer and run it down the sides to release any air bubbles or thump the jar on the bench.

Place lids on and seal. As the food cools a vacuum will be created causing the metal seal to be sucked in. This means your preserving has worked!

• Shelf life – make sure your date all of your preserves, most James and pickles will last about 18 months.

• Storage – Keep in a cool dark place like a pantry.

• Stainless steel –  try stainless steel cookware as other metals can effect the flavour when cooking the food.

• Sugar – is a preservative, don’t be tempted to replace it with another substance.