Friday 29 July 2022

Preserving As A Social Activity

 One thing I mention a lot when I give my talks on preserving is how much I think it should be a social activity. It's far nicer to share the tasks and the harvests, it creates community, strengthens friendships and is just a down right productive use of your time. 

I'm lucky as I have a few friends that I can share this passion with. 


This week I did some of the social preserving I preach. My friend Lauren, who farms cherries and apricots, messaged me to say they had lots of fruit in need of preserving and did I fancy an afternoon working through it. 

Working from home like I do most things are very flexible so I packed up, gathered all my preserving things (including my new canner) and headed over to their farm (and huge kitchen).


That afternoon we got both my canner and lage saucepan boiling to do two batches of 9 pints at once. We stoned loads of delicous apricots and the same with cherries.




It certainly worked better than turning up late at night like I normally do, as we had enough time to put a second batch on as well. Making it 18 pints of cherries canned and 9 pints of apricots. 


Love having these on the shelves and it was such a fun afternoon. A great catch up with a friend and a productive use of our time where we'll be enjoying the fruits of our labour in the winter and spring with sweet delights like pies, crumbles and cakes. 

Who else likes preserving as a social activity? Do you have friends you do preserving with?

8 comments:

  1. I'm always preserving alone but when I first started pressure canning it was like my best friend, Tracy from @our_smallholding_adventure was in the room. Messaging back and forth to check I was doing it right! 🤣

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    1. That's a great way to do it. When we first pressure canned there was three of us there to make sure we did it right!

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  2. If I'm seeing things right, you are canning on a glass top stove? One of the reasons that I have not yet started canning is because we have one and I've always heard that it's not recommended to can with them because the weight of the canners, including all of the water and jars is too heavy and will break the glass top. Hmmm...

    It seems like it would be so much less of a chore sharing this activity with others.

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    1. The one is on a glass top stove. I don't trust my own hob as it's bigger and weighs so much, but this one is smaller and seems to take it just fine. The presto canner is on a heat plate.

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  3. Steve, I have canned several jars of peaches this year and 6 quarts of pickles so far. I am just getting started on my tomatoes as they have been very late ripening. Too much heat, I think, and I have to get them before the birds do. I love the results of canning as well.

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    1. My tomatoes have been slow coming in as well this year!

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  4. We have never known anyone that shared our passion for preserving summer's bounty to take us through the winter. For you (and us) it is a lifestyle coice. Everyone we know who makes jam for instsnce does it as a hobby, or to make a little change to their morning toast - a top-up rather than the main event.

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    1. I have a few friends that do luckily. This friend I've been teaching, from making no preserves she now cans fruit, makes jams and pickles. Her pickled cucumber was amazing!

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