Canning Fruits
Sugar Syrup
Light 2 cups sugar + 1 quart water = 5 cups syrup
Medium 3 cups sugar + 1 quart water = 5 1/2 cups syrup
Heavy 4 3/4 cups sugar + 1 quart water = 6 cups syrup
Bring sugar and water to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.
Fruit Amount Per Quart
Apples 2 1/2 to 3 lbs.
Apricots 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 lbs.
Berries 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 lbs.
Cherries 2 to 3 lbs.
Peaches, nectarines 2 to 3 lbs.
Pears 2 to 3 lbs.
Plums 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 lbs.
Rhubarb 1 to 2 lbs.
Tomatoes 2 1/2 to 3 1/2
Apples
Make the syrup of your choice. Wash, core, peel, and slice cooking apples (you can also halve or quarter them). Place apples in an ascorbic acid solution to prevent darkening. Drain, boil in syrup 5 minutes. Pack hot in hot jars, cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust lids and rings. Process pints and quarts 20 minutes in boiling water bath.
Apple Sauce
Wash, core, and peel cooking apples. Simmer in a small amount of water until tender. Press the apples through a sieve or food mill. Sweeten the sauce to taste (or leave it unsweetened). Reheat to a boil, then pour the hot apple sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Clear out bubbles, place the lids and rings on the jars, and process pints and quarts for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Berries
Hot Pack – Use for berries that hold their shape well (such as blackberries). Wash, drain, and measure firm ripe berries. Put into a saucepot and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar for each quart of berries. Let stand for 2 hours, then cook until the sugar dissolves and the berries are heated through. Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Remove air bubbles, place lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (for either pints or quarts).
Raw Pack – Use this method for berries that don’t hold their shape well, such as raspberries. Wash berries in cold water to firm fruit (ice water is also very good for this). Drain. Pour about 1/2 cup of boiling syrup into hot jars, then fill the jars with berries. Pack berries closely without crushing, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Add more hot syrup if needed, then remove air bubbles. Adjust lids and rings, then process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes in boiling water bath.
Strawberries
Use firm, red, ripe berries. Remove the hull, wash, drain. Use 1/2 to 1/3 cup of sugar per quart berries, and gently mix the sugar with the berries. Let stand 5 to 6 hours in a cool place. Heat berries slowly until the sugar dissolves, then pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove bubbles, adjust caps, and process 10 minutes for pints, 15 minutes for quarts, in a boiling water bath. Please note that strawberries tend to lose color and flavor when canned.
Cherries
Raw Pack – For sweet ripe cherries use a medium to light syrup; for sour cherries use a heavy syrup. Wash, drain, and stem the cherries. Remove all cherries that float in water, as they may have worms. You can leave the pits in or take them out, depending on how you plan to use the cherries. If you leave the pits in, prick each cherry with a sterilized needle to prevent bursting. Pour 1/2 cup of boiling syrup into the jar, fill with cherries. Shake the jar to pack the cherries closely without crushing them, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Cover with boiling syrup or boiling water, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust caps; process pints and quarts for 25 minutes in boiling water bath.
Hot Pack – Prepare cherries as for raw pack. Mix 1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar with a quart of cherries, then heat slowly until the sugar is melted and the cherries are hot. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Cover with syrup or boiling water, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles; adjust caps. Process pints 15 minutes and quarts 20 minutes in boiling water bath.
Peaches
Select firm, ripe peaches. Put them in a wire basket or cheesecloth and dunk into boiling water for about a minute, to loosen the skins, then dunk into cold water and drain. Cut peaches in half, pit and peel. Drop peaches into an ascorbic and citric acid solution to prevent darkening (remember to rinse before packing). Pack peaches, cavity side down, in hot jars, in overlapping layers, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Cover peaches with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Release bubbles and add more syrup if needed. Adjust caps. Process pints for 25 minutes, quarts 30 minutes in boiling water bath.
Pears
The best pears for canning are Bartlett pears. Choose firm ripe pears, not soft ones.
Make a light syrup. Wash pears, cut into halves or quarters, core and peel, then drop into ascorbic/citric acid solution. Cook pears 5 to 6 minutes in hot syrup. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles; adjust caps. Process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes in boiling water bath.
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