The benefits of preserving fruits

Traditionally, once the harvest was in, the next job was to make sure nothing went to waste. Today, preserving is less a precaution against shortages, and more a method of enhancing the flavour and uses of certain foods.

In season, fruit is abundant. Out of season, the bounty diminishes. Preserving lets you take advantage of seasonal excesses by enabling you to stock the pantry shelves with colourful rows of gleaming jars full of jams, jellies, preserves, chutneys and pickles. These can be called upon the year round for added zest in meals.

With a well-stored bumper crop, the bounty can be shared with others, too; preserved fruits are deservedly popular as gifts. Even if you do not grow your own fruit, in times of over-supply you can find bargains at the markets and at roadside stalls in fruit- and vegetable-growing areas. Alternatively, keep an eye out for "pick-your-own" farms and orchards where you can buy fresh bulk produce at reasonable prices.

Common fruits can be preserved in a variety of ways; for example, peaches can be dried, pickled, made into jams and chutneys, bottled in syrup or, for a luxurious dessert, steeped in brandy. The home preserver also has the opportunity to grow (or seek out) uncommon fruit and stock the pantry shelves with preserves not normally available in the supermarkets. Jams, preserves, chutneys and pickles have a good shelf life if they are stored in a cool, dark, airy place, but they will be at their best if used within 12 months of canning.

Different fruits mature at different times of the year. Cherries and berries are plentiful in spring; midsummer brings peaches, apricots and plums for canning and jam making; and winter sees the appearance of citrus fruits for marmalades. Whatever (and whenever) you're preserving, be sure to use only best quality, fresh, ripe produce and preserve as soon as possible after picking.

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