Jam it, jar it, bottle it

I love this time of year, getting ready to hibernate. Or at least retreat to the indoors for a bit. Which means that we’ve been busy converting our harvest, not to mention foraged treasures into all sorts of preserved wonders.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Lakeland and John Lewis for my preserving supplies, but I now have a new favourite: Jam Jar Shop. Whether you’re into serious quantities or just knocking a few jars out from the end of the blackberries, they’ll have what you’ll need. I’ve just been in to pick up some Lucca swing top bottles, ready to make gifts of sloe gin to our friends, and some new seals for Kilner jars (which have been a so and so to track down in years gone by).

There’s good bottles if you’re going to make your own ketchups and things, which may end up being a good use for our tomato glut! If you’re being really frugal, then they have great labels to cover up properly printed lids from other brands, which gives you some more great options. Or take the big bargain route with the mystery box!

They’re also one of the sponsors of the WI Real Jam Festival in November. There’s still time for you to enter your jam, across a range of classes and flavours. There’s classes for children, and I am guessing man made jam is made by men, rather than being jam made from plastic. For jam with a difference I would be raiding Christine Ferber’s fabulous book as a starting point. The event culminates in a two day festival of jam at Denman College along with the prize giving!

Good luck, let’s get preserving! Fabulous photo from Lisa Clarke over on Flickr.