Bottling is a method of preserving best used for fruits only. You can bottle any fruit but it makes sense to choose fruits like pears, plums and peaches, which do not freeze successfully. Bottling works on the basis that the fruit is sterilized then hermetically sealed. Bottled fruit keeps indefinitely and is ready to serve or use in pies and puddings, just like canned fruit, only bottles look prettier on the larder shelf.
The only initial expense is the jars, but if you take care of them (see they don’t get chipped or cracked) they will serve you well over and over again. I use the traditional Kilner jars with a lacquered metal lid (washer is attached) and a plastic screw band to secure the lid during sterilization. Proper preserving jars have nice wide necks that make it easy to pack in the fruit. For family servings the medium-sized 1 lb (500ml) jars are the most useful.
For bottling you need good quality sound fruit which you prepare according to type, just as if you were going to poach or stew it. Fruits that discolour or turn brown are best dropped into water with a little lemon juice added as they are prepared. You will find that fruits keep the best colour and flavour if they are bottled in a sugar syrup. Make this by dissolving S oz (225g) sugar in every 1 pint (600ml) water and boiling the syrup for 2 minutes. Have a panful of syrup ready-made before you start preparing the fruit so you can get on with the job quickly once you start. For every 1 lb (500ml) jar you will need to allow a generous ‘/4 pint (150ml) prepared syrup, but if you don’t have quite enough it’s easy to make up a little extra at the last minute.
For the home cook, using the oven is the best method; this way you can prepare a few jars in a relatively short space of time. All you need is a sturdy baking tray that fits 4 x 1 lb (500ml) jars the maximum to process at one time. Line the baking tray with folded newspaper to catch any overflow of syrup. You can process more bottles by preparing the next batch while the previous one is in the oven.
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) or Gas no. 2. Rinse the jars in hot water but do not dry them (fruit slips in more easily) and pack the prepared fruit very neatly so you fit in as much as possible.