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Place your sealed jars into a Kilner
®
Jam
Pan and cover with cool water. Slowly
bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
You will be able to see bubbles escaping
from the lids of the jars, this is perfectly
normal. Using Kilner
®
Jar Tongs, carefully
remove the jars and place to one side.
Leave to cool for 24 hours.
The next day you need to check a seal
has formed. For Kilner
®
Preserve Jars the lid
should not pop when pressed.
For Kilner
®
Clip Top Jars the lid should not
move upwards when the clips are undone.
Store your finished preserves in a cool dry
place away from the light in an upright
position.
If you would like your preserved food to last for up to a year then you need to process
your jars. This is a simple procedure and removes excess air and bacteria from your jars
by creating a pressure seal. Processing is similar to how commercial producers of food
remove air from jars.
PROCESSING YOUR
KILNER
®
JARS
Enzymes
These are proteins found in all living things,
animal or vegetable. They trigger deterioration
and are most active at temperatures between
29-50°C but will be destroyed when heated to
60°C and over.
Bacteria
Can cause food to rot so it is vital to kill off
bacteria during the preserving process. It
increases rapidly at temperatures between
20-40°C but will be destroyed at temperatures
over 100°C.
Mould
Mould spores form as a green/grey cotton wool
appearance on fruit and vegetables and thrive
at temperatures between 10-38°C. They can be
destroyed by heating to temperatures between
60-90°C.
Yeast
Will grow in food containing over 60% sugar
if covered badly, allowing air to get in and
can cause spoiling. Can be destroyed at
temperatures above 60°C.
SETTING POINTS
There are some quick signs which
will help you spot when your
preserve has nearly reached its
setting point.
• The fruit mixture will not rise
as vigorously in the preserving
pan as it has done earlier in
the cooking process.
• The fruit mixture will start to form
large bubbles on the surface.
Every recipe is different, and
some preserves will start to set
after only 3-5 minutes where
as others may take 15 minutes
or longer. It is therefore very
important that you start testing
for setting early to avoid over
cooking your preserve.
Testing the setting point
To test that the jam is of the
desired thickness, spread a
teaspoon amount onto a frozen
plate and smear with the back
of your spoon (or finger if it’s not
too hot!). If the jam ripples as you
spread it, it’s a sign that your jam
is ready!
If the setting point has not been
reached, return the saucepan to
the heat and continue to boil for
another 2-3 minutes. Then repeat
the test again with a fresh frozen
plate. (You may need to test it
several times, be patient, as this
testing is crucial to achieve the
correct consistency).
Poor Set
Problems with setting are the most
common issues in the process of
preserving. A poor set can occur for a
number of reasons: too much or too little
sugar, an insufficient amount of pectin, the
fruit used was either over ripe or under ripe,
or you may have over cooked the mixture.
Air Bubbles
This could be a result of adding your jam/
preserve into your jars when the jars are too
hot. If this is the case, the jam and preserve
could continue to cook. In order to rectify
this, use your Kilner
®
Spatula and Bubble
Remover and run it around the inside of the
jar, allowing the bubbles to rise to the top
and burst.
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
THE FOUR SPOILERS