Microwave Bottling

 

The summer harvest is in full swing at my place and my kitchen has been a fruit processing centre for some weeks. One of the new things I have tried is microwave bottling rather than the usual Fowlers Vacola water bath bottling.

With some trepidation I followed the instructions in the microwave bottling book. I used a tiny amount of liquid and sliced the fruit into sterilised Fowlers bottles, added new rubber rings and clipped on the metal lids and zapped them for the time prescribed according to the power of my microwave.

I fled the scene on the first attempt but nothing untoward occurred and the result was cooked fruit in a vacuum seal so all looks well for long keeping.

I recommend the process.  Isabel Webb wrote 5 Minute Microwave Bottling and More Microwave Bottling (both published by The Five Mile Press).  They provide full directions.

The local library has several books by this author on the topic. I have now successfully bottled tomatoes, peaches and nectarines. Quinces are next.

The advantages are you can do a bottle or two at a time.  It is fast and healthy, no added sugar required, just fruit.

Happy bottling!

(this is a copy of a blog post written by Marg M. in February 2012 on the Food Garden Group blog)