Tomatoes
That was 2 bushels of locally grown tomatoes from a nearby farm market.
That was 2 bushels of locally grown tomatoes from a nearby farm market.
Putting Up Preserves
- Thread starter launderess
- Start date
Help Support :
sudsmaster
Well-known member
I put up grape and peach preserves here about 15 years ago. I was between jobs with plenty of time. It was fun, but a lot of work, as I recall.
My mom harvested some wild grapes from a nearby field in the 1950's and put grape jelly. She sealed the jars with wax. We had plenty of jelly for months.
My mom harvested some wild grapes from a nearby field in the 1950's and put grape jelly. She sealed the jars with wax. We had plenty of jelly for months.
I make jam every year: strawberry and blackberry at a minimum, and one or two more that change each year, like orange marmalade, plum, or peach. A lot of people use open-kettle canning for these, but I like to pack them hot and then put them in a water bath for about 5 minutes. They don’t have to go under pressure.
For strawberry jam, add the juice of a lemon (1 oz) to every pound of fruit, crush the berries with their weight in sugar (1 c crushed berries to 1 c sugar), and boil them a few cups at a time to the gel point (around 220°F, but you have to check with a spoon).
I prefer whole strawberry preserves. They are made with the same lemon juice to every pound of fruit, and equal weight of sugar. But they have to be boiled carefully to avoid breaking the fruit. You boil them to the gel point, even though preserves will never actually set. Modern people don’t realize that old-school preserves look like whole fruit in syrup. Adding pectin absolutely ruins everything.
Blackberry jam is also notorious for not setting, even when the berries are tart. I’ve learned a trick that works for me, though. I send them through the reamer of the Kitchen-Aid first, while they’re still raw. Then I add the juice of a lemon (1 oz) to every pound of pulp and an equal weight of sugar (1 c pulp to 1 c sugar), and I boil a few cups at a time to the gel point. I get a much better set than I do when I cook the fruit first and them make the jam. I tried it both ways for several years running, and my results were consistently better with the reamed raw berries.
I never add pectin. I think the texture of pectin-loaded jam is kind of creepy, maybe because people add too much.
When I was little, we canned green beans by the bushel: pink tips, greasy backs, half-runners, chucky beans. We’d pick for half a day and then string and can for half a day. Mostly my grandmother ran the boiling pot while everybody else did the stringing. Beans have to be canned under pressure, because they lack acid. That is hot work, and time consuming, so you really have to want it!!
We also canned a lot of tomatoes and occasionally some sweet peppers. My aunt used-open kettle for her tomatoes, but I don’t think that produces the best product, unless you can keep the finished jars constantly cool.
Corn, squash, and green peppers went into the freezer. Cucumbers were turned into pickles; we always used recipes that did not require canning, which does not include bread & butter pickles. When I was really little, people still made a lot of kraut with the abundant cabbage; I don’t remember any of that, but the older generation remembered it fondly.
Canning is a crazy hot business in the hottest time of the year. For those who do a lot of it, I would recommend a so-called patio stove, those propane-tank, one-burner stoves that stay outside. There are models available that burn very hot, which is exactly what you need for canning. Keeping the boiling water out of the kitchen makes for a much nicer day of canning.
For strawberry jam, add the juice of a lemon (1 oz) to every pound of fruit, crush the berries with their weight in sugar (1 c crushed berries to 1 c sugar), and boil them a few cups at a time to the gel point (around 220°F, but you have to check with a spoon).
I prefer whole strawberry preserves. They are made with the same lemon juice to every pound of fruit, and equal weight of sugar. But they have to be boiled carefully to avoid breaking the fruit. You boil them to the gel point, even though preserves will never actually set. Modern people don’t realize that old-school preserves look like whole fruit in syrup. Adding pectin absolutely ruins everything.
Blackberry jam is also notorious for not setting, even when the berries are tart. I’ve learned a trick that works for me, though. I send them through the reamer of the Kitchen-Aid first, while they’re still raw. Then I add the juice of a lemon (1 oz) to every pound of pulp and an equal weight of sugar (1 c pulp to 1 c sugar), and I boil a few cups at a time to the gel point. I get a much better set than I do when I cook the fruit first and them make the jam. I tried it both ways for several years running, and my results were consistently better with the reamed raw berries.
I never add pectin. I think the texture of pectin-loaded jam is kind of creepy, maybe because people add too much.
When I was little, we canned green beans by the bushel: pink tips, greasy backs, half-runners, chucky beans. We’d pick for half a day and then string and can for half a day. Mostly my grandmother ran the boiling pot while everybody else did the stringing. Beans have to be canned under pressure, because they lack acid. That is hot work, and time consuming, so you really have to want it!!
We also canned a lot of tomatoes and occasionally some sweet peppers. My aunt used-open kettle for her tomatoes, but I don’t think that produces the best product, unless you can keep the finished jars constantly cool.
Corn, squash, and green peppers went into the freezer. Cucumbers were turned into pickles; we always used recipes that did not require canning, which does not include bread & butter pickles. When I was really little, people still made a lot of kraut with the abundant cabbage; I don’t remember any of that, but the older generation remembered it fondly.
Canning is a crazy hot business in the hottest time of the year. For those who do a lot of it, I would recommend a so-called patio stove, those propane-tank, one-burner stoves that stay outside. There are models available that burn very hot, which is exactly what you need for canning. Keeping the boiling water out of the kitchen makes for a much nicer day of canning.
ozzie908
Well-known member
@ jeff_adelphi
Thats a wonderful looking kitchen you have its almost commercial in its layout.
Thats a wonderful looking kitchen you have its almost commercial in its layout.
sudsmaster
Well-known member
As I now recall, the peach preserves I made were really called "conserves". I guess the difference is larger pieces in the conserves. Anyway, people liked them. I still have some in the back of a cabinet, but after 15 or more years I don't think I'm brave enough to try a jar.
Since that time, I started vacuum sealing garden produce and keeping it in the freezer instead. A brief blanching in boiling water, a plunge into ice water, and then vacuum seal and freeze. It doesn't last as long as canned stuff, and occasionally the vacuum is lost with frost formation inside the bag, but overall the results are good.
Since that time, I started vacuum sealing garden produce and keeping it in the freezer instead. A brief blanching in boiling water, a plunge into ice water, and then vacuum seal and freeze. It doesn't last as long as canned stuff, and occasionally the vacuum is lost with frost formation inside the bag, but overall the results are good.
Some things are better frozen than canned, corn being high on the list. Green peas, too, whether you grow your own or not. Yellow squash freezes well for casseroles, but you have to like it mushy if you put it into anything else.
These days, for most people, there’s very little need to can or freeze any vegetables, since markets have good (not great, but good) stuff out of season, year round. Tomatoes are an exception to that, and I would still can my own if I had the time. Heirloom green beans are another, since those have very limited availability, even in summer.
Jams, though, are never as good from the market as they are from your own kitchen.
These days, for most people, there’s very little need to can or freeze any vegetables, since markets have good (not great, but good) stuff out of season, year round. Tomatoes are an exception to that, and I would still can my own if I had the time. Heirloom green beans are another, since those have very limited availability, even in summer.
Jams, though, are never as good from the market as they are from your own kitchen.
oliger
Well-known member
Some things are better frozen than canned, corn
Yes, corn has natural sugars in it that start turning into starches as soon as you break it off. If you freeze or cook it as soon as you break it off of the plant, it preserves that delicious flavor.
Yes, corn has natural sugars in it that start turning into starches as soon as you break it off. If you freeze or cook it as soon as you break it off of the plant, it preserves that delicious flavor.
I grew up learning about and taking part in canning, mostly jellies and jams, with my Great Grandma, and Mom. When I first moved out of my childhood home, I continued the tradition for a few years, but life got in the way and I forgot about canning.
Last year, I started going to a farmers market about 20 miles from my home on a weekly basis and started canning again. This past summer/ autumn, I put up about 48 jars of strawberry jam and roughly 18 jars of Applesauce.
About a month ago the farmers market re-opened for the season, I went and bought 9 flats of strawberries for jam. The strawberries are all cleaned and frozen and I should be starting to make my batches of jam again very soon.
Just a side note, I was giving the jams and applesauce to friends and family. Everyone raved about it and within weeks it was all gone! They have even brought me the jars back so that I can re-use them! I can’t wait to get started!
Last year, I started going to a farmers market about 20 miles from my home on a weekly basis and started canning again. This past summer/ autumn, I put up about 48 jars of strawberry jam and roughly 18 jars of Applesauce.
About a month ago the farmers market re-opened for the season, I went and bought 9 flats of strawberries for jam. The strawberries are all cleaned and frozen and I should be starting to make my batches of jam again very soon.
Just a side note, I was giving the jams and applesauce to friends and family. Everyone raved about it and within weeks it was all gone! They have even brought me the jars back so that I can re-use them! I can’t wait to get started!
I'm a 40-y/o male and I can, both hot-water bath and pressure (finally saved up enough Cabela's points to get an All-American Pressure Canner cheap). Applesauce from our trees and my own garden stuff but have been known to bulk can purchased things as well. Have done this for years. Pickles, jelly, peaches, etc.
No garden this year as no one ever seems to want to help with it and I don't need any more work for myself.
No garden this year as no one ever seems to want to help with it and I don't need any more work for myself.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
Window Air Conditioner Advice/Suggestions- Latest: phillymatt53
-
