Making and preserving jams and sauces

So I'm starting to explore the world of jams, preserves, condiments. Starting with jams. Planning to do some tomato sauces and relishes soon, when the tommys start going cheap at the markets.

My questions are thus.

How do you preserve your preserves? What method do you use?

How do you store them? What sort of jar do you use?

And where can I get jars from? I've tried some from my local with not much success... I tried to make a vacuum seal by pouring the jam in, putting the lid on and turning it upside down, as advised somewhere and it has only worked on half the jars :(

What are your favourite things to make???

Mine so far has been a strawberry vanilla bean jam. Yum!

For jams and relishes I just use the method of the hot liquid going into hot sterile jars. I just make sure the pop top lid is still looking good. Have not had an issue with them sealing. Never tried turning them over, I just occasionally push down on the pop part (not sure if that helps).
I read you can get three uses from the pop top lids, you can buy more online if required.

I do have a Fowlers Vacola set-up, but I only use it for pasatta and other preserves that do need the full on hot water bath technique.

How do you make your pasatta, Astrid??

So you don't worry about getting the pop top to go down?

Oh, I do worry about the pop top going down, they go down as the jars cool, I just have never turned them upside down to get it to work. Sometimes they will stay down if I press them, otherwise I will just hear a popping sound as they seal.

Forgot I have also used the cellophane seals an elastic bands with success on quince jelly.

For pasatta, I just put the tomatoes through the fruit/vegetables strainer attachment on the kitchen aid, then simmer on the stove for awhile to get rid of some of the water. (My first batch separated in the jar). I then bottle in Fowlers jars with some citric acid.

Ok... I think my jars are dodgy... They won't stay down...

Jars, where can I get half decent jars for without paying a mint?

I brought jars from big w they range from about $25 to $35 depending on size. Can't remember how many you get though but I think it's about 12.

I boil a big pot of water and pop the jars in there leave them for about 5 mind at boiling temp then pull them out while the jar is hot I pour the hot liquid in seal with the lid then turn upside for a few minutes. Then turn them ride side up.

try gumtree for jars, also op shops.

I've seen mason jars at cheap shops which DH uses when he makes jam

Have you got any existing jam jars with good lids?

Woolworths now have some american brand of preserving jars, the smaller ones looks quite nice. Otherwise I have seen some jars at reject $2 style shops.

I just collect jars from pasta sauce etc and keep the lids. I use them all the time and I've never had a batch fail because it didn't seal properly. I do have a few vacola jars but I save them for doing preserved fruit. I make jams and pickles mostly because that's what we use the most. But I also preserve fruit and vege to freeze for use later on. I used to put hot liquid into hot jars and then I read on Maggie Beer's website that you don't need to do that - you just put the hot jam etc into a clean, dry jar and then turn it upside down and it works a treat! I have never had it fail on me so long as the lids are on tight. so much less labour intensive. I did a huge post on here years ago about the basics of preserving - I will see if I can find it and bump it for you.

My grandmother just uses a jar and seals with wax and then covers with plastic. She's done it that way for over 50 years and her preserves are heavenly! So that's another option too if you are having trouble finding jars.

ETA - the other way of checking is turn the jar upside down and tap it with the edge of a spoon. If it sounds high pitched and tinny, then it didn't work. If it sounds dull and low, then it did work. Like Astrid said, sometimes you just need to push the top of the lid down and it will stay there and your preserve is fine.

Wonder why I have no trouble when I don't turn over the jars? Would it be due to using hot jars and hot lids? I keep the lids in a saucepan of hot water whilst I am bottling.

Yeah it's because you are doing it that way. I used to do it like that and never had a problem with it sealing either. I just changed to the upside down thing because it meant I didn't have to faff around with hot jars and hot liquid. I can have my jars all set up ready to go and then pour straight into it and seal.

Trill that's what I've been trying. Not the tapping thing but the clean dry sterile jars, pour in the liquid, seal and turn upside down. Two of them yesterday leaked when I turned them, I sealed them tighter (ow on my poor fingers) and turned them upside down again, they didn't leak but they didn't vacuum. One only had a small amount of jam so i figured maybe there wasn't enough heat to pull it down or something, but the other one was almost full and didn't pop down. I think the jars are just cheap and nasty, I got them from a $2 type shop. So I might check Big W next time I'm there, or gumtree in the mean time.

I wish I'd been saving jars... :( I will from now on, but my 3kgs of strawberries need to be used before I will have enough jars...

The jams will still be ok won't they? Unsealed? The ones I did yesterday, that didn't pop down? Just means I have to use them now and not keep them?

They will be absolutely fine, but yeah you will need to use them now and not store for later. Keep them in the fridge too if you have room. I leave mine till they are 100% cooled down before turning back over too.

DH is our jam maker - he uses the bread maker to make it. He got jars from a wholesaler. He had to buy 36, but they are huge and only $1 each. We also preserved olives, so we've made use of a few jars. No issues with sealing here either - we use cooled, hot water sterilised jars, hot jam and seal straight away. The jar is only ⅔ full and still seals fine without upending. Doesn't overly matter though as we eat it straight away and store in the fridge.

We've made various berry jams (with frozen berries), pineapple jam and our latest is orange and lemon marmalade.