My grandmother has a beautiful cherry tree at the bottom of the garden. As summer approached, tradition required us to go pick sultana cherries with my cousins. It was crazy that there were so many! Everyone in the neighborhood used it, our neighbors, friends, my mom even sent it to me at work via Colissimo once! But we still had many on the left….
So if someone asks me, how to preserve fresh fruit, they answer me! I did this my entire childhood. We’re not complaining, but after a while we just have to eat cherries all summer. Ah, grandma’s famous jars… Let’s discover all the tips and tricks for better preserving fruit and vegetables.
How can you enjoy the sweet flavors of summer all year round? Don’t have the annoying habit of throwing even a small rotten plum into your fruit basket. Food waste is very present in our homes. Remember to constantly check the expiry date of your foods to intervene at the right time.
Especially if you are lucky enough to have a vegetable garden and grow your own fruit and vegetables, it is a shame to throw the fruit of your hard work in the garbage.
There are several tips, it’s up to you to choose based on your tastes and above all based on the fruit you have at home. All preservatives have the same objective: to prevent the development of bacteria.
The freezer
According to British garden designer Mark Lane, freezing is the easiest way to preserve fruit and vegetables. It’s also a great way to enjoy ripe fruit all year round.
From berries to legumes, in small pieces or whole , most can be frozen, except for root vegetables like potatoes or sweet potatoes.
The only drawback is that some fruits, such as raspberries, become softer when thawed, but this process is even more ideal for making fruit juices or smoothies. In the freezer you can store fruit for 10-12 months.
Storage in boxes or jars
Storing fruit in jars is another trick to make it last longer.
Steps to follow:
- First of all, you need to choose fresh, seasonal and ripe fruit.
- Hygiene is very important in this trick to prevent bacteria from multiplying in the glass boxes.
- Choose 3 airtight jars that have been sterilized previously (a very important step).
- Boil enough water to fill them.
- During this time, remove the stems from the cherries and wash the fruits several times without having to dry them.
- Place the fruits in the jars until they are completely filled.
- Pour the boiling water up to the brim and put the lid on without unscrewing it, and leave for 10 minutes.
- Once the time has passed, empty the water from each glass without letting the fruit come out.
- Boil the water again and in the meantime pour 2 tablespoons of sugar into each glass.
- This time, use a ladle to fill the glasses with boiling water.