The United Kingdom has a proud food preservation tradition that stretches back centuries, and a food culture built on making the most of what we have. We pickle our onions, pot our jams, brew our ales, and bottle our wines.
One of the most common aspects of our food culture, as well as those of others around the world, is the intentional use of glass jars and bottles to ensure that the flavour and contents of our food and beverages are well preserved.
This article shares recipes you can make while showcasing how British marmalade, chutney, Indian pickles, beer, and wine have been preserved for centuries and how to choose the right glass containers for preserving food.
An Overview of the British Food Culture & Glass-Container Industry
For centuries, the United Kingdom has had a rich food culture defined by preserving oversupplies that come with the seasons. From the Seville orange marmalade in winter to the fruit chutneys in autumn, and the Indian curry pastes, these foods and more are consistently preserved in one of the safest food containers: glass jars and bottles.
One of Britain’s most popular preserves is marmalade, which is made from Seville oranges, and it's a known classic breakfast that has been produced commercially since the 19th century. If well preserved and stored in a cool cupboard, it can last for months.
Another iconic preserve in the UK is chutney. It is how we preserve the abundant supply of apples, tomatoes, courgettes, plums, onions, etc., in autumn, often with glass jars due to their inertness, instead of plastic jars, which usually leach chemicals into food content over time.
Indian curry pastes, on the other hand, are as British as chutney now. This reflects how decades of South Asian food have influenced and reshaped the way we cook. The Indian curry pastes come in 35 flavours across a range of heat levels and tastes, and are stored in glass jars specifically because glass keeps the aromatic oils and spice compounds stable, unlike plastic jars.
When it comes to the British glass-packaging industry, it shows commitment to ensuring food-safe containers are prioritised. History has shown this as well with the discovery of over 13,000 Victorian jam jars unearthed during Crossrail construction at Tottenham Court Road. The containers contained Mushroom Catsup, Piccalilli, jam, and marmalade, preserved and buried beneath the streets of London.
Glass has always been our container of choice, and for good reason. Glass jars and bottles manufacturers like Beatson Clark, and suppliers like Southern Jar Company with 270 and 30 years+ experience makes operate in the UK market to make foodsafe glass containers affordable for businesses and home owners.
In the UK, the traditional jars include the Kilner jar (Clip-top jar) with its glass lid and rubber ring seal and the Mason jar is mostly used for jams, pickles, pantry storage, and chutneys. Precisely, the Mason jar is becoming increasingly popular for water-bath canning, for low-acidity foods, and pressure canning.
Marmalade, Chutney, Indian Pickles, and Spices in Glass Jars
British Seville Orange Marmalade Recipe in Jam Jars
Ingredients
● 1.25kg Seville oranges, scrubbed clean
● 1.5kg granulated sugar
● 2.25 litres cold water
● Juice of 2 lemons
Method
● Place the whole oranges in a large saucepan, cover with the cold water, and boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour until the oranges are completely soft and a skewer passes through the skin easily.
● Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F. Wash your glass jam jars thoroughly, place them upside down on a clean oven shelf, and sterilise for 20 minutes. Remove carefully and keep them warm untill you need them.
● Lift the oranges from the cooking liquid and leave to cool slightly. Measure 1.7 litres (3 pints) of the cooking liquid and return it to the pan.
● Halve the cooled oranges and scoop the flesh, pith, and pips into a muslin square. Tie into a bag and add to the pan. Slice the peel into fine shreds and add to the pan along with the lemon juice.
● Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until it completely dissolves. Boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, skimming off any scum. Test it sets by placing a small amount on a cold plate; it should wrinkle when pushed.
● Pour the hot marmalade into sterilised jam jars, leaving 1cm headspace at the top. Seal immediately with tight lids and leave it to cool. The marmalade will thicken further as it cools.
● The marmalade can last for up to 12 months if unopened. Ensure to refrigerate it once its opened
You can find various sizes and designs of glass jam jars in our collection.
British Apple and Onion Chutney Recipe in Glass Jars
Ingredients
● 1kg cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
● 500g onions, roughly chopped
● 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
● 30g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
● 1 tsp chilli flakes
● 200g sultanas
● 300ml malt vinegar
● 250g soft brown sugar
● 1 tsp salt
Method
● Place the apples, onions, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, and sultanas into a saucepan. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and salt.
● Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely, the educe the heat and boil for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
● As the chutney thickens, stir more frequently to prevent the sugar from catching on the base of the pan. The chutney is ready when you can draw a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and the chutney does not flow back into the gap.
● Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F. Wash your glass jars thoroughly, place them upside down on a clean oven shelf, and sterilise for 20 minutes.
● Fill the the sterilised glass jars with the hot chutney, filling to within 1cm of the rim. Seal immediately with a vinegar-proof lids while still hot.
● Store in a cool, dark place for at least 1 month before opening to let the flavours mellow properly.
● The chutney can last for up to 12 months if unopened. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 4 weeks.
You can find a wide range of sizes and designs of glass jars in our collection.
British Blackcurrant Jelly Recipe in Glass Jars
Ingredients
● 1kg fresh blackcurrants, washed and de-stalked
● 600ml cold water
● Approximately 600g granulated sugar (measured after straining — see method)
Method
● Place the blackcurrants in a saucepan with cold water. Boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the fruit is completely soft and has released all its juice.
● Pour the fruit and liquid into a jelly bag or fine muslin cloth suspended over a large bowl and leave to strain overnight. Do not squeeze the bag, that is what keeps the jelly beautifully clear.
● Measure the strained juice and weigh out an equal amount of sugar. Pour the juice into a clean saucepan, add the sugar, and stir over low heat until dissolved completely.
● Boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, skimming off any scum. Test it it sets by placing a small amount on a cold plate, it should wrinkle when pushed.
● Pour the hot jelly immediately into sterilised glass jars, leaving 1cm headspace, and seal with tight lids while still hot.
● Leave to cool completely, the jelly will set as it cools. Store in a cool, dark place.
● The jelly can last for up to 12 months if unopened. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 4 weeks.
You can find various sizes and designs of glass jam jars in our collection.
Indian Curry Paste (Korma Paste) Recipe in Glass Jars
Ingredients
● 6 cardamom pods, seeds only
● 1 tsp ground cumin
● 1 tsp ground coriander
● ½ tsp turmeric
● ½ tsp white pepper
● 4 garlic cloves, peeled
● 30g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
● 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
● 2 tbsp ground almonds
● 2 tbsp vegetable oil
● 1 tsp sugar
● ½ tsp salt
Method
● Toast the cardamom seeds, cumin, and coriander in a dry frying pan over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
● Place the toasted spices, turmeric, and white pepper into a blender or small food processor and blitz to a fine powder.
● Add the garlic, ginger, desiccated coconut, ground almonds, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt to the blender and blend everything together to a smooth, thick paste, scraping down the sides as needed.
● If the paste is too thick to blend smoothly, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
● Pour the paste into sterilised glass jars, pressing down firmly to remove any air pockets and filling to within 1cm of the rim.
● Seal immediately with airtight lids, label clearly with the date, and refrigerate.
● The paste will keep for up to 2 weeks refrigerated in a sealed glass jar, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
You can find various sizes and designs of glass jars in our collection.
British Beer and Wine in Glass Bottles
England has a long history of bottling beer and wine in glass. In the early 17th century, English glass manufacturers manufactured a "black glass" that was suitable for making durable bottles for the domestic and export market.
The dark colour of the glass (which was a result of iron impurities in the sand and the sulphurous fumes from the coal used to fire the glass furnace) protected the contents from spoiling, and "Wine bottle" became a generic term for bottles storing porter, ale, beer, distilled liquors, wines, and a variety of spirits.
Today, the tradition continues. Beatson Clark produces amber and white flint glass bottles for UK breweries and suppliers like Southern Jar Compay supplies wine, beer, cider, and spirit bottles for British beverages.
|
Food/Drink |
Suitable Jars and Bottles |
|
Marmalade (Seville orange) |
Jam jars, glass jars |
|
Chutney (various fruits/vegetables) |
Jam jars, pickle jars, glass jars |
|
Jam (various fruits) |
Jam jars, glass jars |
|
Jelly (blackcurrant, fruit) |
Jam jars, glass jars |
|
Indian curry pastes |
Glass jars |
|
Pickled onions/vegetables |
Pickle jars, glass jars |
|
Beer |
|
|
Wine |
Wine bottles, alcohol bottles |
|
Spirits (whiskey, gin) |
Whiskey bottles, alcohol bottles |
|
Cider |
Alcohol bottles, glass bottles |
Choosing the Right Glass Container for British Food and Drinks
You'll find everything you need in our wide collection of food-grade glass containers, all available right here in the UK.
● For jams and marmalade: Use jam jars with tight-fitting lids are ideal for Seville orange marmalade, blackcurrant jelly, and fruit preserves.
● For chutneys and pickles, wide-mouth pickle jars are essential for packing chunky onions and vegetables into a vinegar brine.
● For beer and wine: Choose beer bottles and wine bottles with secure closures. Amber or green glass bottles are best for beer and light-sensitive beverages.
● For spices and curry pastes: Use airtight glass jars to preserve their flavours
● Enquire if the glass container is heat-resistant and the level of heat it can withstand during sterilisation.
You can find a full range of glass jars, jam jars, pickle jars, beer bottles, and wine bottles in our collection as a trusted 30+ years glass jars and bottles supplier in the UK.
Things We Find Fascinating About The British Food and Jar Culture
1. We make marmalade in January because Seville oranges have a window of just a few weeks on our shelves each year, and British have been making the most of it for generations, producing jars that last all year from a fruit that is available for barely a month.
2. Beatson Clark has been making glass containers in South Yorkshire for over 270 years, producing between 590 and 605 million containers annually.
3. Chutney is one of the most ingenious things British food culture ever borrowed and made its own, an Indian preservation technique adopted, adapted, and stirred into our culinary identity so thoroughly that a ploughman's lunch without chutney may feel incomplete.
4. 13,000 Victorian jam jars were found beneath Tottenham Court Road during Crossrail construction, containing Mushroom Catsup, Piccalilli, jam, and marmalade. This shows that the British love of preserving in glass is not a trend or a revival, but a continuous thread running through British food history.
5. The Kilner jar is as British as the Aga, and the annual ritual of replacing the rubber ring before preserving new food/preserves is something generations of the British have done without thinking twice.