I have just had delivery of this book as recommended by Beccy and must say that it is very informative and will be very useful when the glut times come, or indeed when preserving at any time. It keeps things simple and concentrates on techniques with a few recipes thrown in. A very useful addition to my already burgeoning "cookery book" shelf.

I bought my copy via Amazon online store

www.Amazon.co.uk

Thanks for the recommendation Beccy

You are welcome, although will you still thank me when you are spending all day growing stuff and all evening preserving it and your friends never see you except when you want to give them a new preserve to try?

My wife is PA to a Consultant psychiatrist and, after she raved about some Damson jam I made, we have become her official supplier of jams and breakfast conserves.

You are right about the evenings sat over a maslin pan but isn't the hard work justified when somebody tells you how good your jam, pickle or relish is, but not a justified as when you try some yourself and realise that yes, it is good.

I do agree really, it's just sometimes (usually when I am feeling particularly fat) I wonder why I am making all this delicious stuff that I am then going to have to eat. And I am actually obese, so chutney that is perfect with cheddar and crackers isn't really very helpful!

On the other hand the preparation does give me an excuse to watch TV I would otherwise disdain. And it is lovely being told yours is the best someone has ever tasted isn't it?

Presumably you charge for the preserves? Would you be prepared to say how much? and how you arrived at a price?

Hi Beccy & Piglet,
I to do a lot of home prevservation mostly of veg pickles and chutneys,I give away a lot to famley, friends,neighbours and they all say you should charge, but you do'nt do you it does not seem right If one was to charge I like Beccy would like to know how one would arrive at sensible price.

Kevin

Kevin & Beccy,

most of my stuff is for family and friends also, but mainly family. I have never charged either, but my sister in law wants us to do her a veggie box every week for which she has offered to pay, but even that goes somewhat against the grain for me. I think that I will keep that informal and take stuff as and when otherwise my hobby could become a chore and I dont want that to happen.

We took on one allotment originally which is now laid down to soft fruit and raised beds, mainly for our own consumption and that of our daughter but have taken on a second for a polytunnel and extra capacity to broaden our crop range but also I suspect with subconciously feeding the rest of the family.

I think that an ideal compromise is to not be bound by their requests but accept any donations gratefully and without embarrasment as jars and suger etc do cost money.

My neighbour has a weekly stall at a nearby Farmers Market, selling preserves, cakes and other goodies, some of which are made from my veg and fruit - swopped for her goodies. I'm happy to ask her how she prices things if you wish. She's obviously making enough of a return to get up early every Saturday morning!

If I had a criticism of her approach, it's that she does the same things over and over. Not enough variety for our tastes.

I take fruit and veg, preserves, cakes, all sorts to work each week and collect donations for my brother's charity - Challenge Cancer. I'd be growing them anyway and giving them away, people pay what they can afford, charity gains and I don't have to increase the number of my composting bins.

I too give away much of my produce and while I would not be comfortable being paid for these, have no qualms asking for compost materials in return.

A friend of mine sells her jams, marmalade and chutney at a carboot market every week. She prices them at £1.60 a jar(lb) and they fly out.
Pete

Might I suggest going to see for what price the local garden centre sells jams and preserves (a common section at least where I live). Then if it's £2.95, I suggest £1.95 or 2.00 for instance -- always less, but don't under-price!

Mmm Beccy,

I was in the bath tonight reading a July 2002 Kitchen Garden Magazine (keen eh), when out of the readers exchanges section came a Beccy H of Sheffield extoling the virtues of the very same book that the forum Beccy recommended.

The same person, or coincidence

Well what can I say? There are books I obsessively recomend. That's one of them.

Am unable to repond further due to complete distraction by thought of piglet in the bath

Too much information Piglet. Someone rub me down with a damp copy of KG.

Chantal, piglet has one, he dropped the July 2002 copy in the bath, distracted by the coincidence.

Failing that I have a damp Bath v Leicester RFU programme.

Anyway, have you not dried out yet?
How are the immediate repairs going?