One of my favourite things about cooking is learning new techniques that let me make even more fun food for my family. We all have our favourite dishes but sometimes I want something specific that I haven’t yet learned how to make, or I have a surplus of a certain fruit or vegetable and want to use it in a new way.
Canning is easily one of my favourite ways to preserve extra fruits and vegetables, but it’s something I’ve only attempted for a few years. Part of the reason was that I didn’t really know what equipment I needed and so if recipes required that jars be processed in boiling water, I didn’t attempt the recipe. I mastered a delicious plum jam that the boys absolutely love but I didn’t know how to progress from there.
They are great for fresh eating but once cooked, the skins become bitter, so after years of piling sugar onto cakes, pies and tortes made with the frustrating fruit, we finally resigned ourselves to just eating as many fresh plums as possible and letting the rest spoil on the ground.
