Recent news articles ( in the Daily Mail and on the BBC) have highlighted a Food Standards Agency regulation regarding safety criteria for food packaging. It has come to light that selling homemade jams and chutneys in reused jars may be punishable by local authority environmental health officers with penalties reaching £5,000  or six months in prison.

So should we be concerned about this?

Recycling glass jars by reusing them is a good way of keeping costs down, and of course helps save the energy used to recycle them through the bottle bank.  Jars can be used again and again, and after some time you can end up only having to replace a few each year.
Think of it as milk bottles for jam.

There are, however, some precautions to take to make sure that your jam or chutney stays sealed and uncontaminated.

Edible gifts are always popular at Christmas, especially if you've taken the time to make them yourself. Jams, chutneys and other preserves make great presents and can be made well in advance.

A nice gift idea is to make a selection and package them up in small jars.

Downloadable labels, wrapping and presentation ideas can be found in the labels section above.

How to store jam is often a concern, and space can sometimes become an issue if several types are made.

The traditional advice is to store jam in a cool, dry, dark place such as a larder or cellar. In modern houses under the stairs, or in a garage or shady shed may be the best option.

How to store chutney is often a concern, especially as most recipes suggest the preserve is best left to mature for several months before eating.

The traditional advice is to store chutney in a cool, dry, dark place such as a larder or cellar. In modern houses under the stairs, or in a garage or shady shed may be the best option.

Pectin is a naturally occurring carbohydrate found mostly in the skin and core of fruit, when combined with acid and sugar it forms a gel, the essential process for setting jam.

Different types of fruit have different levels of pectin content, and it is at it's highest levels in slightly under-ripe fruit.

Sterilising jam jars in the dishwasher is a good option if you have a large number to process.

Reusing jam jars keeps costs down and is much better for the environment than using new jars.

Reusing jam jars keeps costs down and is much better for the environment than using new jars.

First off it's important to carefully check the jars for cracks or chips, don't be tempted to use these as they can be hiding places for bacteria. Put these to another use such as making hanging tea light holders.

The wrinkle test is often referred to in jam making recipes, but can be difficult to actually visualise unless shown.

Generally, after adding sugar to stewed fruit, the jam is boiled vigorously until it has reduced (water has evaporated) enough to set when cool, a point known as the setting point.

It's not essential to have a lot of equipment for preserving, much of the items suggested are standard in most kitchens, but a few specialist bits of kit will make life easier.

Essential