Preserving
fruit in a liquid is called fruit bottling (or canning fruit). Depending on the
type of fruit, fruit will be packed into the jars whole, halved, sliced or diced (either raw or
warmed then packed). Berries, grapes and other small fruit may be packed raw (whole),
whilst apples, stone fruit and pears are sliced or diced and warmed for a
minute in the syrup before bottling. The hot liquid used in fruit bottling is
commonly water, fruit juice or syrup – you can also use wine. The syrup sugar
percentage varies with different fruit, too – sweet fruit may be in water,
juice or light syrup, whilst other fruits are packed into medium syrup for
example.
Fruit
bottling, like freezing, retains the natural taste and shape of fruits – unlike
jams and other preserves where fruit is chopped, simmered down and cooked with
other ingredients. Fruit bottling can also have spices and other ingredients – i.e.
strips of citrus peel, vanilla bean, peppercorns, etc.
Once fruit
is packed into jars, the liquid added and the lids on, the jars are immersed in
boiling water and boiled for a certain time – this processing stage is called
boiling water canning (or pasteurisation). The time the jars are boiled for
(processing time) is different for fruit varieties: the denser the fruit is,
the longer the processing time. This boiling stage creates a strong vacuum seal
and ensures your fruit will keep for up to 12 months without spoiling. You can
preserve the season’s bounty and enjoy all year long!