Ingredients

Appears in
The Complete Book of Home Preserving

By Mary Norwak

Published 1978

  • About
Apart from fruit and/or vegetables, the main ingredients of pickles, chutneys and sauces are vinegar, sugar, spices and sometimes salt and dried fruit.

Vinegar should be of good quality and containing at least 5% acetic acid (branded vinegars contain 5–7%), but draught vinegar usually has a lower acetic acid content. Malt vinegar has a strong flavour and colour, and white vinegar has a better appearance in clear pickles and spiced fruit. Wine vinegar and cider vinegar are more expensive but have a better flavour for more delicate preserves. When spiced vinegar is specified, this can be prepared beforehand (see recipe).