When I announced I was writing an article on how I make my homemade preserves, you were all really excited—it’s clearly a highly anticipated topic!
But I also received a lot of warnings of all kinds. So, I’ll start by reminding you that homemade preserves can carry risks. I’ll describe my method here, which has never failed me. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any failures in the future using the same method.
Without a pressure canner, there will always be a potential risk of botulism, and it’s important to keep that in mind.
Now that I’ve thoroughly scared you, let’s move on to my method!
There are several types of jar preservation; here are the ones I use:
•Preservation with sugar:
Jams, fruits in syrup, relish, ketchup… Example of a jam recipe on page 28 of my recipe book “The Harvests.”
•Lacto-fermentation:
Sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi… this is fermentation in an airless environment (like in brine). The production of lactic acid in this environment will eliminate certain bacteria. Example of pickles on page 26 of my recipe book “The Harvests.” You can also lacto-ferment many other recipes: a hot sauce, slices of radish, beets, carrots… Example of lacto-fermented carrots on page 30 of my recipe book “The Harvests.” These jars will last about 3-4 months in the fridge after fermentation and are very safe. It’s even an environment where botulism can’t survive. However, you can choose to sterilize them to store them in a pantry. In that case, you lose some nutrients, but it extends the shelf life of these jars.
•“Classic” jars:
These don’t contain salt, sugar, or lactic acid to eliminate risks, so they’re the most sensitive—tomato sauces, ratatouille, preserved meals, etc. These jars are sealed through sterilization. The preparation must be well cooked for at least 40 minutes at boiling point to kill bacteria. Then it’s poured, while still boiling, into a sterilized jar, sealed hot, and turned upside down. Then it’s sterilized in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes. I recommend using Mason jars that allow you to check if they’re sealed: by pressing on the lid, if it gives, the seal wasn’t done correctly!
This check doesn’t eliminate the risks of botulism, so you may want to invest in a pressure canner if you wish.
Here’s my method for tomato sauces, marinara, tomato purée, ratatouille:
1.I thoroughly wash all my vegetables. I cut them and cook them in a pot with a splash of olive oil. I let them cook over medium heat, usually for two hours, to get a nice sauce. For tomato purée, I make it plain, without onions or salt, and blend it afterward. This serves as a base for other recipes, so I like it neutral. For the rest, I season to taste.
2.Meanwhile, I sterilize my jars: in a large pot of boiling water, I submerge my clean jars and their lids for 15 minutes. The jars need to be fully submerged, and the water must be boiling. I remove them with clean tongs and place them, upside down, on a clean cloth so nothing can contaminate the inside. With the heat from the water, they dry quickly on the cloth.
3.When my jars are sterilized and my sauce is cooked and still boiling (it’s important not to stop its cooking before the jars are ready; you don’t want it to cool down), I pour the sauce into the jars. To do this, I turn over one jar at a time, always to limit contamination. And I fill each jar, one by one, neatly, using a clean ladle and funnel. I immediately close each jar and place it upside down to create the vacuum seal.
4.Once all the jars are filled and sealed, I sterilize them: in a large pot filled with boiling water, I submerge them to boil for 30 minutes. They must be fully submerged, and the water must remain boiling the entire time. I remove them with tongs and leave them upside down on the cloth overnight. The next day, I check that the vacuum seal has formed by pressing on the lid: it shouldn’t be able to press down. At that point, I store them in my pantry, and that’s it! I consume them within the year until the next harvest.