Putting Food By - Janet Greene [55]
The various nectars are processed in a Boiling–Water Bath (212 F/100 C) because of their greater density.
Use Hot pack only. Use jars or R-enamel cans.
Choose firm-ripe, blemish-free fruit or berries; wash carefully, lifting the fruit from the water to let any sediment settle, and to avoid bruising. If you have a juice extractor, simply juice the fruit according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you wish to clarify the juice, refrigerate it for 24 hours and then carefully pour off the clear liquid, discarding the sediment at the bottom of the container. Add sugar and lemon juice, if called for, and heat the juice to 200 F/93 C before pouring it into jars or cans and processing. If you do not have an extractor, stem, hull, pit, core, slice—whatever is needed for preparing the particular fruit. Simmer the fruit until soft; strain through a jelly bag to extract clear juice (see Equipment for Jellies, Jams, Etc. in Chapter 18).
Containers for Canned Juices
Modern glass home-canning jars with fresh sealers are your best choice for juices or nectars. One manufacturer recommends R-enamel or white enamel cans for all juices, even though the fruits from which they are made do not lose color in plain cans. Juices in cans, which are light-proof, need not be stored in the dark as do glass jars.
Not suitable for re-use in heat-processing at home are soft-drink bottles; nor would crimped-on caps be satisfactory.
Apple Cider (Beverage)
Get cider fresh from the mill and process it without delay (though it can be held in a refrigerator in sterilized covered containers for 12 hours, if necessary). To prepare, strain it through a clean, dampened jelly bag, and in a large kettle bring it to a good simmer at 200 F/93 C, but do not boil. Pack Hot.
Hot pack only, in jars. Pour strained fresh cider into hot jars, leaving ½ inch of headroom; adjust lids. Process in a Hot–Water Bath at 190 F/88 C, for 30 minutes for either pints or quarts. Remove jars; complete seals if using bailed jars.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
Hot pack only, in cans (R-enamel or white enamel suggested). Fill to the top with strained fresh cider leaving no headroom. Exhaust to 170 F/77 C (approx. 10 minutes); seal. Process in a H–W Bath at 190 F/88 C, for 30 minutes for either No. 303 or No. 401 cans. Remove cans; cool quickly.
• Adjustment for my altitude_________________.
Apple Juice (for Jelly Later)
Add some underripe apples to the batch for more pectin. Wash and cut up apples, discarding stem and blossom ends. Do not peel or core (you may even use the peels left over from making Applesauce). Barely cover with cold water and bring to a boil over moderate heat, and simmer until apples are quite soft—about 30 minutes. Strain hot through a dampened jelly bag.
Reheat to 200 F/93 C and pack Hot; process as for Apple Cider, above.
Apricot Nectar
Nectars—most often made from apricots, peaches, and pears—are simply juices thickened with finely sieved pulp of the fruit; usually they are “let down” with ice water when served. For sweetening, which is optional, honey or corn syrup may be substituted (see earlier in this chapter for proportions); except for sucralose, artificial non-nutritive sweetening, if wanted, should be added at serving time to avoid a flavor change caused by heat-processing.
Use a Boiling–Water Bath. Use Hot pack only. Use ½-pint or pint jars or No. 303 cans (R-enamel or white enamel suggested).
Wash, drain; pit and slice. Measure, and treat with an anti-oxidant if desired (see General Handling for All Fruits, earlier in this chapter). In a large enameled kettle add 1 cup boiling water to each 4 cups of prepared fruit, bring to simmering, and