A Time-Table for Canning Fruits by the Can-Cooked Method
TIME OF COOKING
If the If the pressure Time of hot-water cooker Blanching bath is is used used (5 pounds) FRUIT Minutes Minutes Minutes Apricots, Peaches 1-2 16 10 Blackberries 16 6 Cherries, Strawberries, Grapes, Plums 16 10 Fruit Juices 20 10 Huckleberries, Raspberries 16 8 Pears 1-2 20 10 Pineapples 60 40 Quinces 1-2 60 40
Use of Sugar in Canning Fruit
Sugar is used in canning fruit for the purpose of improving flavor and is not necessary for preservation.
Thin syrup--1 part sugar to 2 parts water for sweet fruits.
Medium Syrup--1 part sugar to 1 part water for berries and medium sweet fruits.
Thick Syrup--2 parts sugar to 1 part water for sour fruits.
To make syrup add sugar to boiling water. Stir until all sugar is dissolved, then boil 2 or 3 minutes.
Canned Peaches
Scald sound, firm freestone peaches, a small number at a time, in boiling water just long enough to loosen skins; dip them quickly into cold water and slip off skins. Cut peaches in halves, and remove stones.
Have ready a syrup made by boiling sugar and water together until sugar has dissolved, using 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar to each cup water. Allow about 1 cup syrup for each quart jar of peaches. Put in 1 cracked peach pit for every quart of syrup.
Can-cooked Method.--Pack peaches in overlapping layers with rounded side uppermost and blossom end facing glass. Fill each jar with hot syrup and adjust rubber, cover and upper clamp, thus partly sealing jar. Place jars on a rack in hot water to cover tops to a depth of 1 inch. Bring water to boiling point, and boil pint jars 16 minutes, quart jars 20 minutes. Remove jars, seal and invert to cool.
Open-kettle Method.--Cook peaches in syrup until tender; then with sterilized spoon slip them carefully into sterilized jar; fill jar to overflowing with syrup. Adjust rubber, cover, seal immediately, and invert to cool.
Canned Cherries
Wash. Cherries should be pitted before being canned in order to conserve space. Can sweet cherries as berries. Blanch sour cherries 1/2 minute, in boiling water. Dip in cold water; drain and pack closely into hot sterilized jars. Cover with boiling water or boiling medium syrup.
Loosely seal. Sterilize 16 minutes in boiling water bath. Remove jars at once, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.
Canned Pears
Wash and peel fruit and follow directions for canned peaches.
Canned Berries
Blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, raspberries, loganberries, gooseberries and strawberries should be canned as soon as possible after picking. Hull or stem; place in strainer and wash by lifting up and down in pan of cold water.
Pack into hot sterilized glass jars, using care not to crush fruit. To insure a close pack, put a 2 or 3 inch layer of berries on the bottom of jar and press down gently with spoon. Continue in this manner until jar is filled. Boiling water or boiling thin or medium syrup should be poured over the fruit at once. Loosely seal. Sterilize 16 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.
Asparagus
Asparagus for canning must be fresh and tender. Select tips of uniform size and maturity and wash. Cut into lengths according to containers to be used. Scrape off scales, tough outer skins and hard ends and tie in bundles large enough for one jar.
Immerse the lower ends in boiling water and leave them immersed for 5 minutes, then the entire stalks, leaving them in 1 to 3 minutes longer.
Cold dip, drain, pack neatly, tips up, in hot sterilized jars. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Loosely seal, sterilize two hours in boiling water bath. Remove as soon as time is up. Tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.
Beans
Green String Beans and Wax Beans.--The beans should be tender and fresh, and graded according to size and washed. Leave whole or break in uniform pieces. Blanch 5 to 10 minutes until the pod will bend without breaking.
Cold dip, drain well and pack into hot jars. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Loosely seal and sterilize two hours in boiling water.
Remove when time is up, tighten covers, and invert to test seal.
Corn
Make careful selection of tender, juicy sweet corn, at best stage for table use. Can as soon as possible after gathering. Remove husks and silk; blanch tender ears 5 minutes, older ears 10 minutes. Cold dip and cut from cob but not too close. Pack at once into hot sterilized jars.
As corn swells during sterilization, leave space of 1 inch at top. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Be sure that water penetrates through corn to the bottom of jar. Loosely seal and sterilize three hours in boiling water. Remove when time is up, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.
Jams
Jams are usually made with small fruits or with chopped large fruits.
Cook slowly with an equal weight of sugar until thick; put into sterilized tumblers or jars and seal.
Raspberry Jam
Pick over berries. Mash a few in bottom of preserving kettle; continue until fruit is used. Heat slowly to boiling point and add equal quantity of heated sugar. Cook slowly 45 minutes. Put into sterilized jars.
Blackberry, gooseberry or other berry jam may be made in this way.
Plum Conserve
4 pounds plums 1 cup seeded raisins 2 oranges sugar juice of 1 lemon 1/2 pound walnuts
Wash plums; remove stones; add raisins and oranges which have been sliced very fine. Measure and add 3/4 cup sugar to each cup fruit and juice. Put into kettle, cook slowly about 45 minutes or until thick like jam, stirring to keep from burning. Add lemon juice and chopped nuts.
Pour into sterilized jars.
Spiced Currants
3 lbs. white sugar 5 lbs. ripe currants 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon cloves 1 tablespoon allspice 1/2 pint vinegar
Boil currants one hour, then add sugar, spices and one-half pint vinegar, boil one-half hour longer. Pour into jars and store.
Jellies