The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [36]
tip Thawing applesauce takes some time, unless you have a microwave oven. You may find it more convenient to can the applesauce than to freeze it.
Making Apple Fruit Leather
Excellent finished product
Core and cut up four medium apples, without peeling. Add ½ cup water and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Force through a sieve or colander and stir in ¼ cup honey.
Line a drying tray with plastic wrap (or use the fruit leather sheet that came with your dehydrator). Spread the purée ½-inch thick on the trays.
Dry in a dehydrator at 120°F for 6 to 8 hours, or until leather can be pulled easily from the plastic. Invert, pull off plastic, and continue drying for another 4 to 6 hours. Dry in the oven at 120°F for 6 to 8 hours, or until leather can be pulled easily from the plastic. Invert, pull off plastic, and continue drying for another 6 to 8 hours. Dry in the sun for 1 day, or until leather can be pulled easily from the plastic. Invert, pull off plastic, and dry for 1 more day.
To store, roll up in waxed paper or plastic wrap, close and twist ends, and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Canning Applesauce
Excellent finished product
Even though it takes time to make applesauce, it yields such a wonderful finished product that you may find it well worth your time. Figure that 21 pounds of apples will yield a canner load of 7 quarts of applesauce.
Wash and quarter apples. Don’t peel. Put in a heavy-bottomed kettle filled with 2 inches of water. Cover and cook until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Begin preheating water in the canner and teakettle and preparing jars and lids.
Pass softened apples through a hand-cranked strainer or food mill. Add sweetener to taste, if desired. Reheat sauce to boiling.
Pack hot applesauce in hot, clean jars, leaving ½-inch head-space. Process pints for 15 minutes, quarts for 20 minutes.
Making Apple Juice (Frozen or Canned)
Sterilize jars for canning or prepare containers for freezing. Begin heating water in the canner, if using.
Select a variety of apples for best flavor. Wash and quarter; do not peel or core. Place in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Heat and simmer until soft, 25 to 30 minutes.
Press through a damp jelly bag or double layers of cheesecloth. Strain again through cheesecloth or coffee filter paper.
To freeze, pour into freezer containers, leaving 1½-inch head-space. Freeze.
To can, reheat juice, stirring occasionally, to boiling. Pour into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Process pints or quarts for 5 minutes.
APRICOTS
DRIED APRICOTS ARE A REAL TREAT, and with apricot season so brief, it may be that more apricots are consumed dried than fresh or canned. Select perfectly ripe apricots for preserving. The fruit should not be mushy, but green fruit does not dry well and will not have full flavor after it is canned or frozen.
Drying Apricot Halves
Best and quickest method
Peel apricots by dipping in boiling water for 1 minute, then in ice water for 1 minute. Skins will slip off easily. Cut in half, removing the pits.
Dip in commercial fruit dip or ascorbic acid solution (page 43).
Dry in a dehydrator at 115°F for 36 to 48 hours, stirring or turning the fruit occasionally and rotating trays, until the fruit is leathery. Dry in a conventional oven at 115°F for 2 to 3 days, stirring or turning the fruit occasionally and rotating trays, until the fruit is leathery. Or dry in the sun for 4 or more days, until leathery. Take trays inside at night.
Cool and package in airtight containers.
tip To speed drying, spread halves, pit side up, on trays and dry until they begin to wrinkle. Turn halves over and flatten with your hand, a spatula, or a block of wood.
Freezing Apricot Halves with Sugar Syrup
Prepare medium syrup (page 98). Add ¾ teaspoon of crystalline ascorbic acid to each quart of syrup, and set aside. Dip apricots in boiling water for 1 minute, then in ice water for 1 minute. Peel, cut in half, and remove pits.