How to preserve fruit from your garden

There’s nothing quite like the taste of homegrown fruit, and preserving is a great way to make the most of your autumn harvest. A beautifully packaged homemade preserve makes a lovely Mother’s Day gift, too! Gardener and cook Nicola Galloway’s pantry is always well stocked with goodies made using produce from her Nelson garden. The author of The Homemade Table runs regular preserving workshops and says it’s easy for beginners to learn how to preserve fruit.

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

What fruits should I use when preserving fruit? 

The fruit from some trees is better suited for preserving than others, says Nicola Galloway. “Look for varieties that say ‘firm flesh’ on the tree tag,” she advises. “For stone fruit, ‘freestone’ varieties are easiest to process as the stone comes away easily.” She suggests ‘Omega’ and ‘Black Doris’ plums, ‘Golden Queen’ peaches and ‘Tomcat’ apricots. While feijoas are known for their short season and crop glut, an easy way to enjoy this fruit year-round is to scoop out the flesh and bottle it in a light syrup.

Pectin is a type of soluble fibre found in fruit that acts as a gelling agent. Some fruits such as quince and crab apples have high amounts of pectin, making them suitable for making firm jellies and pastes. Berries such as raspberry and strawberry have less pectin, so need to be heated with large amounts of sugar and lemon — or an additional gelling agent — for them to set into a jam.

Apples and pears contain high amounts of pectin and can easily be turned into a delicious purée preserve. “Most varieties of apples and pears can be preserved but older varieties such as ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Granny Smith’ are best for a thick sauce,” adds Nicola. If you have bruised or damaged fruit, then stewing it for jams or chutneys could be a better way to use it.

How do I protect my fruit trees?

Don’t let birds and insects get first dibs on the fruits of your labour. Bunnings garden care buyer Dhanniya Morton suggests using drawstring net bags to protect fruit or birdsafe netting on the whole tree. Taking care of your tree and keeping it healthy is one of the best ways to ward off insect pests such as scale, aphids, thrips and mites, as stressed plants release volatile organic compounds, which can act as a signal to insects to come and feast on them.

To maintain healthy fruit trees, feed with a specially formulated fertiliser and compost, water well during dry periods and, if necessary, spray with a suitable insecticide.

When is the best time to pick when fruit preserving?

How should I store preserved fruit?

Bottling fruit is an easy option for beginners preserving their crop, says Juno Scott-Kelly from Love Food Hate Waste New Zealand. “The traditional overflow method is a wonderful way to preserve many types of fruit,” she says. “By filling the jars almost to the brim with hot syrup and removing any air, you’re helping to prevent spoilage and mould.”

Upcycled jam jars with metal lids or Agee jars can be used for preserving but, whichever you choose, they have to be properly sterilised first and the fruit washed and prepared, such as peaches de-stoned and apples peeled. For more information and recipes, visit lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz.

Backyard fruit bowl

Plant a selection of fruit trees in the garden or, if short on space, look for dwarf varieties suitable for large pots or containers.

• The Black Doris plum is a vigorous grower which produces sweet, dark red, medium sized fruit, great for eating and preserving.
• Peach trees prefer a sunny and sheltered position in well-draining soil. Their fruit is delicious fresh, or in jam, chutney and drinks.
• Grow the Williams or Barlett pear in full sun, and pick fruit when slightly green, as it will continue to ripen for eating and bottling.
• Fragrant feijoa is hardy and prolific tree found in many backyards and can be enjoyed fresh, bottled, frozen or turned into fruit leather!

Keep in mind ...

Wearing gloves and a mask when handling mulch, compost and potting mix and also when pruning, along with long sleeves, as the leaves and sap from some plants can be a skin irritant and/or cause allergic reactions.

No trees? No problem!

Check out our step-by-step guide on how to plant fruit trees at your place.

Photo credit: Getty Images, Alamy Stock Photo