Putting Food By - Janet Greene [50]
Pears, Spiced
Seckel, Kieffer, and similar hard varieties are best for spicing. Bartletts or other soft pears maybe used if they are underripe.
GENERAL HANDLING
Use a Boiling–Water Bath. Use Hot pack only. Use jars only (like Brandied Peaches, these are very attractive to look at; and you could take a ribbon at the fair!).
Wash, peel, and core 6 pounds of pears. Gently boil them covered in 3 cups of water until they start to soften.
Make a very heavy syrup of 4 cups sugar and 2 cups white vinegar. Tie in a small cloth bag 3 or 4 three-inch sticks of cinnamon, ¼ cup whole cloves, and 4 teaspoons chopped, peeled ginger. Simmer the spice bag in the syrup for 5 minutes.
Add the pears and the water in which they were partially cooked to the spiced syrup, and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain pears, saving the hot syrup and discarding the spice bag.
HOT PACK ONLY, IN JARS ONLY
Pack hot pears attractively in clean hot jars. Add spiced syrup, leaving ½ inch of headroom; adjust lids. Process in a Boiling–Water Bath (212 F/ 100 C)—pints for 20 minutes, quarts for 25 minutes. Remove jars; complete seals if using bailed jars.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
Pineapple
Fresh pineapple is as easy to can as any fruit—and may be packed in any plain or minted and colored syrup.
GENERAL HANDLING
Use a Boiling–Water Bath. Use Hot pack only. Use jars or plain cans.
Scrub firm, ripe pineapples. Cut a thin slice from each end. Cut like a jelly roll in ½-inch slices, or in 8 lengthwise wedges. Remove the skin, the “eyes,” and the tough-fiber core from each piece. Leave in slices or wedges, or cut small or chop: let future use guide your hand.
Simmer pineapple gently in Light or Medium Syrup for about 5 minutes. Drain; save the hot syrup for packing.
HOT PACK ONLY
In jars. Fill with fruit, leaving ½ inch headroom. Add hot syrup, leaving ½ inch of headroom; adjust lids. Process in a Boiling–Water Bath (212 F/100 C)—pints for 15 minutes, quarts for 20 minutes. Remove jars; complete seals if using bailed jars.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
In plain cans. Fill with fruit, leaving ¼ inch of headroom. Add hot syrup to the top of the cans. Exhaust to 170 F/77 C (approx. 10 minutes); seal. Process in a B–W Bath (212 F/100 C)—No. 303 cans for 20 minutes, No. 401 for 25 minutes. Remove cans; cool quickly.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
Plums (and Italian Prunes)
GENERAL HANDLING
Use a Boiling–Water Bath. Use Raw or Hot pack. Use jars or cans—Renamel or white enamel for red plums, plain for greenish-yellow varieties.
Firm, meaty plums (such as the Greengage) hold their shape better for canning whole than the more juicy types do. Freestone plums and prunes are easily halved and pitted for the tighter pack.
Choose moderately ripe fruit. Wash. If fruit is kept whole, the skins should be pricked several times with a large needle to prevent the fruit from bursting. Halve and pit the freestone varieties. Prepare Medium or Heavy Syrup, and have it hot.
RAW PACK
In jars. Fill with raw fruit, 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 for 20 minutes, quarts for 25 minutes. Remove jars; complete seals if using bailed jars.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
In cans (R-enamel or white enamel for red fruit, plain for light-colored). Pack raw fruit, leaving ¼ inch of headroom. Add boiling syrup to the top of the can. Exhaust to 170 F/77 C (approx. 10 minutes); seal. Process in a B–W Bath (212 F/100 C)—No. 303 cans for 15 minutes, No. 401 for 20 minutes. Remove cans; cool quickly.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
PREFERRED: HOT PACK
Heat prepared plums to boiling in syrup. If they’re halved and are very juicy, heat them slowly to bring out the juice; measure the juice, and for each 1 cup juice add ¾ cup sugar—give or take a little,