The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [41]
Cool and package in airtight containers.
Hot-Pack Canning Pineapple Slices
Excellent finished product
Begin preheating water in the canner and teakettle. Prepare jars and lids for hot-pack.
Peel and remove eyes and tough fibers from pineapple. Slice and core.
Prepare very light, light, or medium syrup (page 98), if using.
Combine pineapple in a large saucepan with syrup, water, or pineapple juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Fill jars with hot fruit and cooking liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Process pints for 15 minutes, quarts for 20 minutes.
PLUMS
Drying Whole Prunes
Best and quickest method
Wash and dip plums in boiling water for 1 minute to crack skins.
Dry in a dehydrator at 115°F for 18 to 24 hours, turning the fruit and rotating the trays every few hours, until the fruit is chewy but dry in the center. Dry in a conventional oven at 115°F for 24 to 36 hours, stirring or turning the fruit occasionally and rotating trays, until the fruit is chewy but dry in the center. Or dry in the sun for 36 to 48 hours, until the fruit is chewy but dry in the center. Take trays inside at night.
Cool and package in airtight containers.
Raw-Pack Canning Plums
Begin preheating water in the canner and teakettle. Prepare jars and lids.
Prick skins on 2 sides of plums to prevent splitting. Freestone plums can be halved and pitted, if desired. Prepare very light, light, or medium syrup (page 98), if using.
Fill jars with fruit and hot water, syrup, or juice, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Process pints for 20 minutes, quarts for 25 minutes.
RASPBERRIES
Tray-Freezing Whole Berries
Best and quickest method
Wash berries and drain on towels. Pat dry with another towel.
Place dry berries on waxed-paper-lined cookie sheets and freeze until solid.
Within 24 hours, package loosely in plastic bags and return to freezer.
Freezing Berries in Sugar
Excellent finished product
Wash berries and drain on towels. Pat dry with another towel.
Add ½ cup of sugar to each quart of berries and mix well.
Pack into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Seal and freeze.
tip Berries packed with sugar retain their texture better than berries frozen unsweetened. The best way to preserve berries for use in pies is with sugar.
RHUBARB
AS SOON AS THE STALKS ARE as thick as your thumb, it is time to harvest rhubarb. Since both green and red varieties are common, don’t use color as an indicator of readiness. To harvest, twist (don’t cut) the outside stalks. Be sure to cut out the seedpods as they form in the center of the plant to prolong the harvest.
Since rhubarb is always eaten stewed or baked in a pie or cooked in a jam — preferably with plenty of sweetener — texture is less of a concern here than it is with most fruits. Frozen rhubarb can be defrosted and made into jam at a later date.
Freezing Unsweetened Rhubarb
Best and quickest method
Wash and trim off both ends of each stalk. Cut into 1-inch pieces. (The leaves contain oxalic acid, which is poisonous, so dispose of them in a place that is not within reach of children.)
Pack into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Seal and freeze.
Canning Sweetened Rhubarb
Excellent finished product
Wash and trim off both ends of each stalk. Cut into 1-inch pieces. (The leaves contain oxalic acid, which is poisonous, so dispose of them in a place that is not within reach of children.)
Add ½ cup sugar to each quart of sliced fruit. Let stand for several hours to draw out the juice.
Begin heating water in the canner and teakettle. Prepare jars and lids.
Boil the rhubarb for 1 minute.
Pack into clean, hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cover with hot juice, leaving ½-inch headspace. Process pints and quarts for 15 minutes.
STRAWBERRIES
Tray-Freezing Whole Berries
Quickest method
Wash berries and drain on towels. Hull. Pat dry with another towel.
Place dry berries on waxed-paper-lined cookie sheets and freeze until solid.
Within 24 hours, package