Instructions for Waterbathing

If you are worried by instructions in a recipe to 'waterbath' the preserve you have made it may put you off making the recipe at all.

That is a shame as there are many lovely things to be made that should this process and it is really easy.

Let's start with a cordial - Elderflower for example. So, follow the recipe up until the stage of putting the cordial into your bottles.

Line a large pan with a cloth, tea towel or even
​newspaper

Fill the bottles to just 2cms/half an inch below the top

Put on the caps but turn back 1/4 turn. Put into the pan, onto the cloth, and the pour in water as high as possible. If your pan is big enough it can come over the top

Turn on the heat and bring the pan to a simmer. Maintain this heat for 20 mins. Carefully lift out the bottles/jars and, using a cloth, tighten the caps. You will see that the contents have expanded with the heat and the bottles are full. ​

Leave until quite cold, then label and store. As the contents cool they will shrink again and leave a gap. 

During the expansion stage it will have pushed all of the air in the gap out through the loosened cap, once you tighten the cap and the contents shrink you will be left with a vacuum which will not allow yeasts, moulds or bugs to grow.  

​You will now be able to keep your preserve for at least a year at ambient temperature - not in the fridge.

This method is suitable for cordials and things like sauces that have already been cooked and are still hot.

You can use the same process for various fruits which may need a longer time being sterilised - follow the recipe.

​Be careful with low acid ingredients like tomatoes and most vegetables - they usually need to be pressure canned which is a different process.