Stocking Up for Canning Season

Canning 101 – How to Can Peaches

July 11, 2012 16 Comments

Last night I headed down to Safeway and bought about 50 pounds of peaches, and this morning I canned a few of them. If you have never canned peaches before, the process is very straight forward and easy.

For this batch I used about 10 pounds of peaches and it netted me 12 pint jars.

All you really need are peaches, sugar, water and a little Fruit Fresh to prevent your peaches from browning.

The following is a recipe excerpt from the Complete Guide to Home Canning by the United States Department of Agriculture. I have added pictures and side notes for you. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comment section below.

PEACHES — HALVED OR SLICED

Quantity: An average of 17 1/2 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 16 to 24 quarts, which is an average of 2 1/2 pounds per quart.

Quality: Choose ripe, mature fruit of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking.

Procedure: Dip fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins loosen. Dip quickly in cold water and slip off skins. Cut in half, remove pits and slice if desired. To prevent darkening, keep peeled fruit in ascorbic acid solution. Prepare and boil a very light, light, or medium syrup or pack peaches in water, apple juice, or white grape juice. Raw packs make poor quality peaches.

Sugar Syrup - 10 cups of water and 5 cups sugar. I bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes before packing my jars with fruit, and then pouring the syrup over the peaches.

Hot pack — In a large saucepan place drained fruit in syrup and bring to boil. Fill jars with hot fruit and cooking liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Place halves in layers, cut side down.

Raw pack — Fill hot jars with raw fruit, cut side down, and add syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel. Adjust lids and process.

Go HERE for more FREE canning recipes

If you are new to canning {or just looking for more recipes} I highly recommend the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. Amazon has it on sale right now for $13.07 and it’s filled with 400 recipes.

And if you are looking for a canner, I used the Granite Ware 11-1/2 Quart Covered Preserving Canner with Rack to can my peaches. If you need a tool kit, I use one similar to this one.

Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: canning 101, Canning 101 - How to Can Peaches, peaches

Recipe – How to Can Beets {Pickled Beets}

July 5, 2012 8 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I love pickled beets, especially in my salads. So the other day when I harvested nearly12 pounds of beets, the first thing that came to mind was canning them.

If you have never gardened or canned anything before in your life, you’re in luck. Not only will I be walking you through how I am planting and harvesting my vegetables this summer and fall, but I’ll be showing you how to can everything under the moon as well.

So don’t be afraid. I’ll walk you through it.

Here is a simple recipe I use every summer to make pickled beets. After you can your beets, you’ll want to store them in a dry, cool place for about 2 months before you pop open the lid and enjoy them. This will allow the beets absorb the pickling juices.

Ingredients

25-30 small beets {about the size of golf balls}
3 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon whole allspice
2 small cinnamon sticks

Directions

Wash beets, trim the tops and cook {about 15 minutes}in a large stock pot filled 3/4 full with water. Drain beets, and carefully peel.

Bring vinegar, sugar, water salt allspice and cinnamon to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer mixture for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and pack beets into hot jars, leaving about 1/4 inch head space.

Ladle hot liquid mixture over beets leaving about 1/4 inch head space. Remove any air bubbles, add two piece caps and process pints and quarts for 30 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Remove from canner and cool on a towel in a draft free location.

New to canning? Here are a few products I recommend to get you started.

The Joy of Pickling ~ Amazon $11.74

Granite Ware 11-1/2 Quart Covered Preserving Canner with Rack ~ Amazon $24.99

Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: Canning, canning 101, canning supplies, how to can beets, recipe

Recipe: How To Make Rhubarb Cinnamon Jam

May 2, 2012 23 Comments

I owe Krista a big THANK YOU for sending me this wonderful recipe for Rhubarb Cinnamon Jam. I whipped up a batch this morning and it turned out delicious. I love it so much, I plan on making a few more batches of this rhubarb cinnamon jam this afternoon and then stashing it away for hostess gifts this winter.

Seriously, this jam is over the top good. You need to make it.

Rhubarb-Cinnamon Jam {adapted from a Sure Jell recipe}

Ingredients

4-1/2 cups prepared fruit {about 5 lg stalks, 6 c chopped}
1 cup water
1 box SURE JELL Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
6-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
1 T lemon juice
1 t ground cinnamon

Go HERE to create your own custom labels

Directions

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.

CHOP rhubarb in medium dice. Place rhubarb and water in 4-qt. saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 2 min. or until rhubarb is tender. Measure exactly 4-1/2 cups prepared rhubarb into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.

STIR pectin and lemon juice into prepared rhubarb in sauce pot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring to full rolling boil {a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred} on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar & cinnamon. Return to full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner {water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches}. Add boiling water if necessary. Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger {if lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary}.

Makes {5} 12 oz jars or {7.5} 8 oz jars

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Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: Canning, canning 101, recipe, rhubarb

Recipe: How to Make Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

April 25, 2012 6 Comments

Do you remember those 40+ lbs of strawberries I brought home for free the other day? Well, because the “do something with it now or they will rot” clock was ticking I decided to make a few batches of jam.

Normally I wouldn’t be making strawberry jam until the end of June when the berries are ripe here in Washington State, but this year, Christmas came a little early.

If you’ve never made homemade jam before you are really missing out. This year I am trying something new. Low Sugar Jams. And you want to know the funny thing about that? I’ve decided to make low-sugar jams a priority this year for 2 reasons. It’s less expensive, and you can’t tell the difference in taste {or at least I can’t}.

Plus, your dentist {and pocketbook} will thank you down the road.

Here is a simple recipe I found from Country Living Magazine.

Ingredients

5 cup(s) (crushed) fresh strawberries
1 package(s) (3/4 ounce) reduced-calorie or lower-sugar powdered fruit pectin
2 1/2 cup(s) sugar

Directions

Prepare six 8-ounce canning jars and their lids and bands for processing following manufacturer’s directions. Heat jars in canner with enough water to cover to boiling. Meanwhile, in large bowl, with potato masher, crush enough berries in batches to measure 5 cups crushed berries.

In 5-quart Dutch oven, with wire whisk, gradually stir pectin into crushed berries. Let mixture stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place lids in small saucepan and cover with water; heat to boiling and set pan aside.

Heat strawberry mixture to boiling over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and return strawberry mixture to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove strawberry jam from heat. With metal spoon, skim off and discard foam as it accumulates on top.

Place jars and lids upside down on wire rack set over towels to drain. Spoon jam into hot, drained jars to within 1/4 inch from top of jar. Wipe jar rims clean. Seal jars. Process in boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool on a towel.

Recipe Credit Country Living Magazine.

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Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: canning 101, jam, recipe, strawberry

Canning 101: How to Make Orange Marmalade

February 27, 2012 6 Comments

How to Make Orange Marmalade

Have you noticed the stores seem to be overflowing with lemons and oranges right now? What a perfect time to whip up a batch of orange marmalade if you ask me.

Here is my favorite recipe:

How to Make Orange Marmalade recipe Ingredients

4 medium oranges
2 medium lemons
2-1/2cups water
1/8tsp. baking soda
1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
1/2tsp. butter or margarine
5-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl {also try low-sugar pectin or Pamona’s}

Orange Marmalade recipe

Directions

Bring a boiling-water canner 3/4 full with water, to a simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.

Remove the colored part of the peel from oranges and lemons using vegetable peeler. Cut into thin slivers. Mix the peels, water and baking soda in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the fruit and juice. Cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Measure 4 cups of prepared fruit into a 8 quart sauce pot.

Stir pectin into prepared fruit in sauce pot Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Carefully ladle hot marmalade immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids and screw bands on. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.} Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary}. Yields {6} 1/2 pints.

See More of my Canning Recipes HERE

Looking for a few more awesome canning recipes? Check out Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. Amazon has it currently in stock and ready to ship.

Need a canner? I used the Granite Ware 11-1/2 Quart Covered Preserving Canner with Rack. And if you need a tool kit, I use one similar to this one.

Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: Canning, oranges, recipe

Canning 101: How to Make Pear Jam

February 21, 2012 3 Comments

I picked up a few pears last week and as it turned out nobody ate them. So this morning I decided to turn the rather ripe pears into a batch of yummy homemade jam.

This was a first for me as I don’t think I have ever canned anything with pears before.

If you have never made pear jam before {or if you have a few pears sitting on your kitchen counter} then you need to give this recipe a try.

I know it may be a little early to start thinking about Christmas, but I’ll be making a few more batches of pear jam to giveaway as gifts this winter for sure.

What You Need

4cups prepared fruit (buy about 3 lb. fully ripe pears)
2Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
5cups sugar, measured into separate bowl (see tip below)
1/2tsp. butter or margarine

Make It

PEEL and core pears. Finely grind or chop fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.

STIR in pectin. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar; stir. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.) {Recipe Credit}

Put ‘em Up! By Sherri Brooks Vinton

Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: Canning, pears, recipe

How To Make Peach Jam

July 1, 2011 9 Comments

Sugar rations are running low here in Mavisland… I just emptied the last of my 25lb sugar bag into my glass canister. Now what? I.Must.Have.Sugar. And now that I think about it… How does one grow sugar? Can you grow sugar in Washington state?

Thyhand left me a comment the other day saying she made peach jam. And since peaches were on sale for .99lb at Albertsons I decided I too needed some peach jam. Mostly because I’m a total copy cat… and also I just don’t have enough to do around here. Plus… get this… peach jam is super easy to make.

All you do is dice 4 cups of ripe peaches (no skins) and set aside.

Then you’ll need 2Tbs. of fresh lemon juice… and you’ll set that aside too. By the way that lemon cost me .50! With prices that high… I’m thinking maybe I ought to invest in a lemon tree.

Okay… so then you’ll add a box of pectin and 1/2 tablespoon of butter (to prevent foaming) and bring to a boil.

Then you’ll add your lemon juice…

And 5 cups of sugar… then you’ll stir. And continue to stir until the mixture gets nice and bubbly.

Like this…

Then you’ll tell to your daughter to take pictures of you… Maybe you’ll even have to bribe her with an iTunes gift card (pour it into 1/2 pint jars)…

Place a lid on top…

Add a band… And boil in your canner for 10 minutes… Well if you live in Seattle. If you don’t live in Seattle you’ll have to boil it for longer. (1,ooo-3,000 ft 15 min. 3,001-6,000 ft 20 min, 6,000-8,000 ft 25 min, 8,000-10,000 ft 30 minutes… Hey who the heck lives above 8,000 ft besides Mountain Goats? Seriously).

I plan on using the extra jam on pancakes tomorrow morning…

And there you have it. How to make peach jam.

Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: Books, building your stockpile, Canning, canning 101, How To Make, peach jam, recipe

Mavis vs Peaches: Round 2

August 14, 2009 Leave a Comment

How do you like them peaches?

Yes, with a bit of arrogance, I am channeling Matt Damon from Good Will Hunting (yes I know it was apples).

I did it!!! Whoooohoooo!

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Stocking Up for Canning Season

April 17, 2009 Leave a Comment

Finally, I’m finished. Or at least I think I am. This morning I made my final trek down to the big box store whose name shall not be mentioned and finished buying the rest of my canning jars. I now have 507 jars (not that I’m counting or anything). My goal is to grow 2,000lbs of veggies this summer. Why? Well, why not? Everybody needs a hobby, right? And I think there are far worse hobbies out there than trying to grow your own food. Anyway, I think a major plus of having OCD is knowing that in everything you do, excess=success Yep, that’s my new motto (well for today anyway). Write it down, EXCESS=SUCCESS.

Filed Under: Canning 101 Tagged With: Canning, OCD Stories