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Cooking Tips
Home Canning
Fruit

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[ Home Canning ]

Procedure for Preserving Fruit

  1. Read recipes and check to be certain all equipment and ingredients necessary are available.

  2. Check equipment and utensils for cleanliness and insure that they are in good working order.

  3. Fill water-bath processor two thirds full of water, and heat.

  4. Check jars for nicks, cracks, and chips on sealing edge. Discard jars that are not perfect. Wash jars and lids in hot suds. Rinse jars well and leave in hot water until needed. Boil lids five minutes. Remove from hot water one at a time as needed.

  5. Prepare syrup and cover to prevent evaporation.

  6. Sort produce for size, ripeness, and color. Do not preserve blemished or overripe fruit that shows any sign of decay.

  7. Wash fruit well before cutting or removing hulls.

  8. Work quickly to keep the time between preparation, packing, and processing to a minimum.

  9. Estimate the number of jars the processor can accommodate at one time. Prepare sufficient food for one processing only. Do not prepare and pack food which must be left standing, waiting for processing.

  10. Pack jars with food; fill with boiling syrup leaving 1/2" headspace. Pack raw food tightly into container, because it will shrink during processing. Pack hot food fairly loosely.

  11. Remove air bubbles by running the blade of a clean knife carefully between food and jar. If necessary, add more liquid tu cover food. Be sure to leave headspace recommended in recipe.

  12. Wipe top and threads of jar with clean damp cloth or with paper towel.

  13. Seal each jar with a sterilized lid and screw band.

  14. Place jars on rack or in metal basket in water-bath processor. Water should be hot, but not boiling. Add additional hot water to cover jars by one or 2 inches. Do not pour hot water directly onto jars; this could result in cracking.

    Cover processor and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to allow water to boil gently. Begin processing time as water boils and process for length of time given in recipe directions. Maintain water level at one to two inches above the jars by adding additional boiling water when necessary.

  15. Remove jars from processor and place on a dry wooden board, several thicknesses of paper toweling, or on dry cloths. Place jars a few inches apart, out of instructions. When cold, test for seal.

  16. If jar has failed to seal, food my be repacked, using a new lid and reprocessed as the recipe directs. However, since this can result in badly overcooked food it is preferable to refrigerate and use th food as soon as possible.

  17. Wipe jars with damp cloth. Label, indicating contents and date packed.

  18. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.

[ Cooking Tips | Home Canning ]

Preparing & Packing Chart

The following chart provides the Processing Time in Minutes for Boiling Water Bath.

Processing times given are for foods processed at altitudes less than 1,000 feet above sea level. See Canning Altitude Chart for additional processing time required at higher altitudes.

Fruit[ Syrup to Use ]PackPint JarsQuart Jars
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ApplesLight or MediumHot20 min.20 min.
Wash, peel and core. Quarter, or cut in 1/4" rings. Drop into brine bath. Drain and rinse. Bring to a boil in syrup and simmer 3 minutes. Pack Hot. Leave 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process. Red food coloring may be added to color syrup and fruit.
ApplesauceSweeten to taste (about 1/4 cup sugar to 4 or 5 apples)Hot15 min.20 min.
Wash, peel, core, and quarter. Simmer, covered until tender, in a small amount of water to prevent sticking. Press through sieve. Add clove and cinnamon. Sweeten if desired. Pour hot into hot jars leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
ApricotsMedium or HeavyHot20 min.25 min.
Wash, halve and pit fruit. Drop into brine bath. Drain and rinse. Bring to a boil in syrup and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Pack hot, cut slice down, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
ApricotsMedium or HeavyCold25 min.30 min.
Wash, halve and pit fruit. Drop into brine bath. Drain and rinse. Pack cut side down if halved, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
Blueberries

Blackberries

Raspberries

Gooseberries

Light

Medium

Medium to Heavy

Heavy

Cold15 min.20 min.
Wash and prepare fruit. Remove blossom and stem ends. Pack, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2 headspace. Seal and process.
Sweet cherries

Sour cherries

Medium

Medium to Heavy

Hot15 min.15 min.
Wash, stem, and pit if desired. Bring to a boil in syrup and simmer 3 minutes. Pack hot, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
Sweet cherries

Sour cherries

Medium

Medium to Heavy

Cold20 min.25 min.
Wash, stem, and pit if desired. Pack, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
PeachesMediumHot15 min.15 min.
Blanch 50 - 60 seconds. Cold dip. Remove skins. halve, pit and drop into brine bath. Drain and rinse. Leave in halves or slice. Bring to a boil in syrup and simmer 3 minutes. Pack hot, cups down if halved, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Add ascorbic acid if desired. Seal and process.
PeachesMediumCold20 min.25 min.
Blanch 50 - 60 seconds. Cold dip. Remove skins. halve, pit and drop into brine bath. Drain and rinse. Leave in halves or slice. Bring to a boil in syrup and simmer 3 minutes. Pack, cups down if halved, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Add ascorbic acid if desired. Seal and process.
PearsLightHot15 min.15 min.
Wash, peel, halve or quarter. Remove core. Drop into brine bath. Drain and rinse. Bring to a boil in syrup and simmer tender fleshed varieties 3 minutes, firm fleshed varieties 5 minutes. Pack hot, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.

Spices, flavoring and food coloring may be added to syrup if desired

Sour plums

Prune plums

Medium to Heavy

Light to Medium

Hot15 min.15 min.
Wash, leave whole, or halve and pit. Bring to a boil in syrup and simmer 2 minutes. Pack hot, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
Sour plums

Prune plums

Medium to Heavy

Light to Medium

Cold20 min.25 min.
Wash, leave whole, or halve and pit. Pack, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
RhubarbHeavyCold10 min.15 min.
Wash and cut into 1/2" pieces. Pack, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
StrawberriesHeavyHot10 min.10 min.
Wash and hull. Bring syrup to a boil in kettle. Add strawberries. Cover, remove from heat, let stand 1 hour. Bring to a boil. Pack hot, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
StrawberriesHeavyCold15 min.20 min.
Wash and hull. Bring slowly to a boil in syrup,. Cover, remove from heat, let stand 1 hour. Bring to a boil. Pack, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.
TomatoesNoneCold55 min.60 min.
Blanch 15 to 60 seconds. Cold dip. Remove stem ends and peel. Half-fill containers with tomatoes. Add 1/4 teaspoon citric acid and 1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water to each pint jar.

Add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid and 1 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water to each quart jar.

Finish filling jars. Cover tomatoes with hot tomato juice or water, leaving 1/2" headspace. Seal and process.

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