Blackberries!!

[Gerry]

My wife uses "Sticky Stuff Remover" from Betterware. It works a treat and is very economical.

Regards, Gerry.

[John]

For removing sticky labels I use white spirit or turps subsitute, which is the solvent used for cleaning paintbrushes. This stuff is very cheap from diy shops. The jars only then need a quick wash in warm water and some wup liquid and they are like sparkling new ones.

John

[Motherwoman]

Half the problem is there appears to be at least two different types of sticky gunge. Mayo jars have an opaque type stuff that's almost jelly-like but other jars seem to have a thinner, clearer sticky glue. I don't think they respond to the same solvents.

It's hard work all this preserving!

MW

[Geoff]

If you get desperate petrol shifts everything.

[Beryl]

Motherwoman, I have now been using the WD40 on all my jars that won't just wash off now after soaking and believe me WD40 really does shift even the hardest.

Beryl.

[FelixLeiter]

Half the problem is there appears to be at least two different types of sticky gunge. Mayo jars have an opaque type stuff that's almost jelly-like but other jars seem to have a thinner, clearer sticky glue. I don't think they respond to the same solvents.

I cleaned up a load of old jars recently. Most jars, especially Hellmanns jars, the labels floated off after soaking in water. Anything that was still stuck I worked off with white spirit. Note that gum does need a bit of elbow grease to shift — it doesn't just float off like water-soluble glues.

[Motherwoman]

Thanks Beryl and Felix, I'll try the WD40 first as I have a can to hand and see how I get on.

MW

[glallotments]

I'm not sure whether this is generally true but our thornless blackberry - Loch Ness is fruiting much early than the thorny one of unknown variety which we were given more years ago than I care to remember. It was the same last year too. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Beryl]

I don't know the name of mine but it is thornless with very large berries, much sweeter than the wild too, always fruits much earlier. Usually from the end of July. Maybe most of the cultivated ones do, I don't know.

Beryl.

[glallotments]

I don't know the name of mine but it is thornless with very large berries, much sweeter than the wild too, always fruits much earlier. Usually from the end of July. Maybe most of the cultivated ones do, I don't know.

Beryl.

My thorny one is a cultivated one Beryl and that fruits much later.

[Beryl]

Would location have anything to do with it? I'm only guessing.

Beryl.

[glallotments]

Would location have anything to do with it? I'm only guessing.

Beryl.

Not really - if anything the thorny one gets more sun at least on one side of it.