How Many Jars

[Aberdeenplotter]

My green tomato chutney recipe tells me I should get 4 jars from a pound and a half of fruit. I boiled up a double batch and expected to get ---wait for it ----8 jars. In fact I only got 5, two of which were quite small. Now the recipe doesn't say what size of jar to use but I normally use 1lb size honey jars. Can some of the chutney and pickle makers please share their experiences and let me know the yield they get from their green toms?

[Alison]

What other ingredients were in there and what weight? I've just made tomato and chilli chutney and 2lb of toms makes 2.5 lb jars. That only really has toms and handful of chilies in so may give a guide.

[mothhawk]

There's no way you'll get 4 pounds of chutney from one and a half pounds of fruit. The recipe was probably aimed at 250g jars, i.e. half a pound. I find with any preserve, either pickles or jams, you only end up with a small amount of preserve over the actual weight of fruit, mostly dependent on how much sugar/water is added.

[binley100]

I agree...

[veggiechicken]

I have to ask Ap, where you thought the extra weight was going to come from? 3 pounds of tomatoes and you expected 8 lbs of chutney

[Aberdeenplotter]

8oogms muscavado sugar and 5oogms sultanas . have to say I didn't do any sums except for number of jars

[Aberdeenplotter]

thanks to all who responded. Thought I must have gone adrift somewhere

[Alison]

I have to ask Ap, where you thought the extra weight was going to come from? 3 pounds of tomatoes and you expected 8 lbs of chutney

That's why I asked about other ingredients, wondered if there were a few pounds of, say apples in there too

[Two_Sheds]

the recipe doesn't say what size of jar to use

That really used to annoy me, esp. when I was short of jars (now I have about 300, washed & ready in the garage).

I tend to use small jars, because we don't eat a lot of the preserves and I don't like them to go off in the fridge. Also, small jars are nicer to give as gifts/incentives, which I do a lot of, being a bit of a creep (and having too much chutney in the cupboards).




and my top tip, if you're using variously sized jars, is to fill the big ones first, then any scrapings from the pan can go in the smallest jar

[Aberdeenplotter]

which I do a lot of, being a bit of a creep.




and my top tip, if you're using variously sized jars, is to fill the big ones first, then any scrapings from the pan can go in the smallest jar

Ah but you are luffly with it . Good point re smallest jar