Although my bottled fruits and tomatoes get used fairly quickly, I was just wondering how long these would actually keep and be edible for.Just a curious thought.Thanks.
lilyfield,
Nov 11, 8:45pm
I have eaten some after 2 years- they might discolor a bit tho. A lot depends how stringent the sterilization process was followed and storage place
hazedaze,
Nov 11, 10:24pm
Thankyou lilyfield for your advice.Just wondered if it might stretch longer than 2 years as in the case of a tin of something!
I always do my bottling in a pressure cooker (and store in a dark cupboard).So much quicker and easier in the long run albeit a bit fiddly doing two at a time.If we ever get Summer, it will be another round of bottling before we know it :)
korbo,
Nov 12, 3:44am
we did peaches march 2010, so many and still ploughing our way thru them. the first top ones are a bit discolured, throw them out and eat the rest.yummmy.
uli,
Nov 12, 4:42am
I have eaten bottled fruit (although properly bottled as in boiled in the jar for 45 minutes, not just hot packed) after 9 years - they were apples with quince and they were wonderful. Kept in the cool dark cellar - or as cool as we get it up here .
hazedaze,
Nov 12, 5:40am
Thankyou korbo.Just love peaches.And thankyou Uli for letting me know of your 9 year taste test.Fantastic they are fine after that time.I had a feeling that, provided rigid hygene and bottling procedure was adhered to, the shelf life would be quite long.but didn't realise it would that long :-)Regards.
purplegoanna,
Nov 12, 8:17am
im eating tomato relish made 4-5yrs ago, best brew yet.
hazedaze,
Nov 12, 8:34am
Fantastic purplegoanna.Like a fine wine :)
Judging by the 'keepability' discovered here, maybe we should just bottle, jam and pickle etc. 'jars by the score & more' one season's glut, and then have a bottling break for the next 5 or 6 years LOL. !Mmmmm.
nauru,
Nov 12, 8:49am
My Feijoa Jelly is 2 years old and is still very good, just opened another jar today. It has not changed in taste, colour or crystalised at all in that time. I am also using Mustard Pickle, Feijoa Chutney and Gherkin relishwhich was made 2 years ago and they have kept well too, taste, colour and texture has not changed.
cgvl,
Nov 12, 9:02pm
Just finished some marmalade that was dated 2006 and it was fine. Properly done it will keep for sometime. Have Chow chow made around same date I'm still using and apart from some shrinkage (normal) it tastes great. I'm bad because I don't date stuff, so often its a guess as how old its is. I do the look for mould, smell for off notes and finally a little taste just to be safe. If it passes all 3 then its still edible.
uli,
Nov 12, 9:08pm
I always bottle on glut years, as often the little plum tree I have is laden one year, then nothing the next year (called biennial bearing and to be remedied by taking small plums off in spring - which I never do) and the third year when it all looked great again it rained and they all split before being ripe (the pigs were deliriously happy for days! They even cracked the stones in their spare time!). So yes bottle when you have a glut. And bottle before cutting back the trees too - which I have finally done last year - after a 7 year break in pruning.
The main thing to remember is bottle properly - no hot packs - and have everything extremely clean. Then store in a very dark cupboard or you will have light pink faded plums after a year - which happened with 3 jars that wouldn't fit into the dark a few years back.
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