There is a local berry farm who is selling frozen boysenberries straight off his berry farm from earlier this season. He sells them for $8 per kg. I also purchased from a local fruit shop golden peaches $0. 99 per kg. Ok they weren't in perfect condition so needed a little work when chopping them up for bottling. So Countdown flier has watties peaches 400g tins for $1. 33 each. I bought 10kg of peaches and bottled about 20 jars - so they are 500g each. Mine cost $0. 50 per jar. Countdown have McCain's frozen berries 450g for $5. 49 saving $1. 46 - so usually approx $7. 00 for 450g. My berries cost $8. 00 for 1kg. A little bit of work with having to bottle the peaches and bag down the berries into smaller quantities. A saving of about $35 and no preservatives or additives. I am very pleased with my purchases. Now just watching out for some apples to stew and I have bags of plums in the freezer which I bottle a few bags at a time. I am set for fruit for puddings and breakfasts through the winter now :)
aphra1,
Feb 15, 7:14am
Well done, so you don't put a dollar value on your time?
raewyn64,
Feb 15, 7:19am
No I call it a labour of love :)
wilson16,
Feb 15, 7:52am
And I bet they taste alot better too.
melford,
Feb 15, 8:27am
well done raewyn64 - I have been doing the same thing. At least you know what you are getting in them too, no preservatives, flavourings , colours. I have been baking bread tonight for my son for the same reasons, cheaper, nicer and no preservatives and other gunk.
alebix,
Feb 15, 8:29am
Homemade stuff is always better... .
duckmoon,
Feb 16, 3:18am
I made some strawberries into jam... Didn't cost my time. but then again, we had a day up the coast strawberry picking, and a day in th ekitchen with the kids cooking - so that is priceless
beaker59,
Feb 16, 4:54am
This year so far from this tiny little suburban section I have made 25 jars plum jam 25 jars marmalade I have frozen about 10Kg of runner beans (and eaten them til they come out my ears :)) bottled beetroot and frozen tomato paste from my garden(add it to stews etc through winter).
blossom115,
Feb 16, 5:00am
runnerbeans? beaker, how did you get them to grow with the spring we had this year? I been growing them for about 15 years. . but this year? no show... much too cold...
charlieb2,
Feb 16, 5:10am
My 'labour of love' today was four lots of baking... ... I'm the "star" wife and mum tonight! ! lol
lythande1,
Feb 16, 6:08am
$8? ! ! Rip off. Peaches seem a good price though.
donnabeth,
Feb 16, 10:19am
Big box of cherry plums Free.
Sugar $5. 00.
Up till midnight last night after work sorting and sifting stalks and leaves then boiling the fruit- labour of love.
Rush home from work tonight to make the jelly-love.
Washing and sterilizing jars- drudgery, there must be a quicker way, but I need small and large jars as most will be given away.
Jelly boiled over and ran down cupboard fronts-frustration
Jelly didn't set-boiling mad
Two hours later, jelly unset, stove top, bench and floor cleaned- Now I remember why I stopped preserving. Where's the gin?
$2. 99 at the supermarket for a jar of jam that will last us 3 months-Bliss
P. S I now have 5 litres of unset cherry plum jelly. It doesn't have enough flavour for cordial or ice cream topping. What can I do to make it all worthwhile? My expert MIL reckons I used too much water and over ripe fruit that already held a lot of water and reboiling will destroy the flavour.
skippie1,
Feb 16, 10:54am
donnabeth, maybe mix in a packet of jelly, plum or berry flavour, for 5 litres, I would split the volume into 1 litres and try adding the jelly to make it set. Worth a try.
donnabeth,
Feb 17, 8:48pm
I have dozens of jars of sloppy jam now. One lot tastes burnt even though I didn't burn any of it. It's gone from cordial texture to 'collapsed jelly' texture.
I divided it into 3 portions. I reboiled, added more sugar, added another fruit to one and jam set.
I should have tried your jelly idea skippie1. My husband is quite excited about my disaster because he came up with his perfect solution. I can bake lots of chocolate cakes and use the jam in the middle.
waswoods,
Feb 17, 9:03pm
I never add water to jam so maybe that was the problem?
donnabeth,
Feb 17, 9:19pm
Yes waswoods I used too much water and over ripe fruit.
It is a mistake I'll never make again; that's if I ever make jam again. In hindsight I can admit that my MIL was right when she suggested the fruit was over ripe and I shouldn't add too much water. But what did she know, after all she's only been making perfect jams and jellies for 70 years.
daleaway,
Feb 18, 12:03am
It won't be wasted. Next time you make an apple pie, pre-cook the apples, strain off the juice (can be reused) and mix in a jar of the dud plum jelly instead. Apple season is coming... Also, I would add plum jam to casseroles or stews as an enricher. Your husband's cake enhancement idea is also a starter!
seniorbones,
Feb 18, 12:08am
I too have runner beans overload! ! they are my favourites so dont mind having them everynight also have given lots away, I dont like frozen beans. Oh and the chooks get some too. I did heaps of jam/bottling/sauces last year but just have the time this year unfortunately.
buzzy110,
Aug 15, 11:01pm
I have already made on 10ltr crock of sauerkraut and then put into sealed jars in my fridge. Have lacto-fermented all excess runner beans, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, and chillies. Have about 10 jars of courgettes in oil. Am going to bottle up some tomato, onion(bought), celery, chilli and basil sauce for winter stews. Have 12 more cabbages that will be ready in another 6 weeks and today will put down another 10ltrs of red cabbage sauerkraut. My carrots are ready for lacto fermenting now. Should have put down some salted lemons but still have heaps from last year. Have a ton of apples so want to juice and make either vinegar or cider.
There is just so much work to do and not enough time to do it in.
The only cost to me has been my time, a few onions and spices, a large packet of sea salt and boiling water (sterilising jars and water in fermentation process.
The best thing is these foods can be used as stand alone vegetables and not just as condiments.
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