The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [55]
Fill the boiling-water-bath canner with 4 to 4½ inches of hot tap water. Set the jars on a rack inside the canner, bottom sides up. Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat but leave the jars in the water until needed.
Wash and rinse all canning lids and screw bands. Treat the lids as directed by the manufacturer. Remember that lids can be used only once.
Wash the fruit thoroughly.
Prepare the fruit according to the recipe directions — chop, crush, and so on.
Measure the sugar and set aside.
Combine the fruit and lemon juice in a tall, heavy saucepan. Add the pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Quickly add the sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and skim off any foam that formed during boiling.
Pour into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth.
Adjust the lids as the manufacturer recommends.
Place the filled jars on a rack in the preheated canner. Make sure the water covers the jars by at least 2 inches. Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil. Process for 10 minutes once the water has returned to a boil.
When the processing time is up, carefully remove the jars from the canner, using a jar lifter.
Cool the jars for 24 hours. Check the seals. Any jars not sealed should be refrigerated immediately and used within 2 weeks.
Remove screw bands, wipe sealed jars, label, date, and store in a cool, dry, dark place.
JELLY-MAKING (WITHOUT ADDED PECTIN): Fifteen Steps
To ensure sufficient pectin for jelling, use 1 part slightly under-ripe fruit and 3 parts just-ripe fruit. Wash fruit. Do not remove skins or cores. Place fruit in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. To hard fruits, such as apples, add 1 cup of water per pound of fruit. For berries and grapes, use only enough water to prevent scorching. Crush soft fruits to start the flow of juice.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Reduce heat and simmer. Cook berries and grapes 10 minutes or less, until soft. Cook apples and other hard fruits for 20 to 25 minutes, until soft. Do not overcook.
Pour into a damp jelly bag or colander lined with a double thickness of damp cheesecloth. Allow the juice to filter out into a bowl.
Allow the juice to sit overnight so that any sediment can settle to the bottom. Do not squeeze fruit pulp as the resulting juice will not be clear.
When you are ready to make the jelly, preheat the canner, and prepare the jars and lids.
Fill the boiling-water-bath canner with 4 to 4½ inches of hot tap water. Set the jars on a rack inside the canner, bottom sides up. Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat but leave the jars in the water until needed.
Wash and rinse all canning lids and screw bands. Treat the lids as directed by the manufacturer. Remember that lids can be used only once.
Combine up to 4 cups of the clear fruit juice with sugar in a tall, heavy-bottomed saucepan, allowing ¾ cup sugar for each 1 cup of juice. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice for each cup of fruit juice.
Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring rapidly to a boil. Continue boiling until jelly reaches 220°F on a jelly thermometer or sheets off the spoon (see page 165).
Remove from heat and skim off any foam that formed during boiling.
Pour into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth.
Adjust the lids as the manufacturer recommends.
Place the filled jars on a rack in the preheated canner. Make sure the water covers the jars by at least 2 inches. Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil. Process for 10 minutes once the water has returned to a boil.
When the processing time is up, carefully remove the jars from the canner, using a jar lifter.
Cool the jars for 24 hours. Check the seals. Any jars not sealed should be refrigerated immediately and used within 2 weeks.
Remove