Putting Food By - Janet Greene [47]
If you’re going to serve these as is, or combined with other fruits in a compote, you don’t pit them (they’ll hold their shape better unpitted); but do prick each cherry with a needle to keep it from bursting while it’s processed. Use Medium or Heavy Syrup for Raw pack; for Hot pack add more sugar than for Sour Cherries.
Wash cherries, checking for blemishes, and discard any that float (they may be wormy); remove stems. Shake down for a firm pack.
RAW PACK
In jars. Fill firmly, leaving ½ inch of headroom. Add boiling syrup, leaving ½ inch of headroom; adjust lids. Process in a Boiling–Water Bath (212 F/ 100 C)—pints and quarts for 25 minutes. Remove jars; complete seals if using bailed jars.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
In plain, R-enamel, or white enamel cans. Make a firm pack, leaving only ¼ inch of headroom. Fill to top with boiling syrup. Exhaust to 170 F/77 C (approx. 10 minutes); seal. Process in a B–W Bath (212 F/100 C)—No. 303 cans for 25 minutes, No. 401 cans for 25 minutes. Remove cans; cool quickly.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
PREFERRED: HOT PACK
Measure washed and pricked cherries into a covered kettle, adding ¾ cup of sugar for every 1 quart of fruit. Because there is not much juice in the pan, add a little water to keep fruit from sticking as it heats. Cover and bring very slowly to a boil, shaking the pan gently a few times (instead of stirring, which breaks the fruit). Heat some Medium or Heavy Syrup to have on hand in case there’s not enough juice to go around when you fill the containers.
In jars. Proceed and process 15 minutes for pints, 20 minutes for quarts.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
In plain, R-enamel or white enamel cans. Proceed and process 25 minutes for No. 303 and No. 401 cans.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
Figs
The green-colored Kadota variety makes a particularly attractive product, but whatever kind you use should be tree-ripened yet still firm.
If you come into a trove of frozen fruit, here’s how to handle a really big chunk if there’s no room in your freezer.
GENERAL HANDLING
Defrost unopened box slowly; drain off all juice to make the sweet syrup desired. Sweeten as liked. Bring juice to boiling; add fruit and simmer 3 minutes. Proceed with Hot pack and processing for the particular fruit as listed here. Note that figs require added acid.
Some casual old instructions would have you soften (or even remove) fig skins by treating the fruit with a strong soda solution, even lye—but don’t do it. Any such alkaline will counteract some of the acidity upon which we rely to make the stipulated Boiling–Water Bath efficient. Use long Boiling–Water Bath. Use Hot pack only. Use jars or plain cans. Prepare Thin Syrup.
Wash ripe, firm figs; do not peel or remove stems. Cover with boiling water and let simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and pack Hot, not too tightly.
HOT PACK ONLY
In jars. Fill with hot figs, leaving ½ inch of headroom for pints, 1 inch of headroom for quarts. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to pints, 2 tablespoons lemon juice to quarts (an optional very thin slice of fresh lemon may also be added to each jar for looks). Add boiling syrup, retaining headroom. Adjust lids. Process in a Boiling–Water Bath (212 F/100 C)—pints for 45 minutes, quarts for 50 minutes. Remove jars; complete seals if using bailed jars.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
In plain cans. Fill with hot fruit, leaving only ¼ inch of headroom. Top off with boiling syrup and 2 teaspoons lemon juice to No. 303 cans, 4 teaspoons lemon juice to No. 401 cans (an optional very thin slice of fresh lemon may also be added to each can for looks). Exhaust to 170 F/77 C (approx. 10 minutes); seal. Process in a B–W Bath (212 F/100 C)—No. 303 cans for 45 minutes, No. 401 cans for 50 minutes. Remove cans; cool quickly.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
Grapes
Tight-skinned seedless grapes are the ones to can if you can any—for fruit cocktail, compotes,