Canning fresh fruit is a great way to preserve large quantities of ripe fruit in a short period of time. Buying fruit when it is in season saves money, and you can be assured of the best-flavored fruit. Canning fruit is easy to do: Just fill your jars with fruit and hot liquid and then process them! With jars of canned fruit readily available, you have an easy snack or a quick side dish.

This chapter explains the importance of using freshly picked, perfectly ripe fruit and keeping your fruit looking and tasting its best. In addition to the instructions for canning a variety of popular fruits, you’ll also find tomatoes in this chapter. Often considered a vegetable, they are actually a fruit, and can be canned using the same technique. (By definition, a fruit is a sweet, edible plant containing seeds inside a juicy pulp — which defines tomatoes perfectly.)

Picking and Preparing Your Fresh Fruit

When selecting your fruit, think fresh, fresh, fresh! The best fruit for canning is freshly picked, ripe fruit. You’re lucky if you grow your own fruit or have a friend who shares hers with you. Some growers offer a “pick your own” option in their growing area for a fee. (Ask growers at farmer’s markets or check your local phone directory for locations in your area.) You’ll need to bring your own containers for the fruit.

Fruit from your supermarket isn’t the best choice because it’s often picked before it’s fully ripened in order to compensate for the time it takes to get the fruit from the field to the store shelf. Don’t boycott your supermarket, just be finicky when selecting your fruit for canning.

The sooner you process your picked fruit, the better the texture and flavor of your final product. Your fruit can wait a few hours or overnight before you process it, but be sure to refrigerate it until you’re ready.

Almost all fresh fruits can well, with these exceptions: bananas, lemons, limes, melons, persimmons, and strawberries. Consider dehydrating these fruits instead. See Chapter 17 for more information.

Identifying the proper degree of ripeness

How do you know if your fruit is ripe? Ripe fruit is defined as being fully developed, or mature, and ready for eating. If you grow your own fruit, you can check its development and maturity daily.

To check the fruit’s ripeness:

Hold the fruit in the palm of your hand and apply gentle pressure with your thumb and fingers. The fruit should be firm to the touch. If there’s an impression in the fruit that doesn’t bounce back, the fruit is overripe. If it’s hard as a rock, it’s underripe. Neither should be canned. If you’re picking your fruit for canning, you can perform the same test, with a slight difference: Do it while the fruit’s still attached to the tree.
Smell the fruit. Ripe fruit has a rich, full fruit aroma. A peach should smell like a peach; an apple should smell like an apple. The fragrance should be strong enough to entice you to devour the fruit on the spot.

Always use fruit picked directly from the bush or tree. Fruit collected from the ground (referred to as dropped fruit or ground fruit) is an indication that the fruit is overripe. Don’t use it for canning.

Cutting and peeling: Necessary or not?

When you can fruit, should you leave the skin on or take it off? Depends on the recipe. Sometimes leaving the skin on your fruit is optional. Other times, the peel must be removed. Always follow your recipe for specific guidelines.

Similarly, you may wonder whether cutting your fruit is necessary. The answer here depends on the fruit. The fruit you select dictates using it whole or cutting it into pieces. For example, fitting whole apples into a canning jar is difficult, but peeled apples cut into slices easily pack into a jar. You leave small fruit, like berries, whole.

Deterring discoloration

There’s probably nothing more unattractive than a piece of perfectly ripe cut fruit that’s oxidized or discolored, dark or brown. Discoloration primarily occurs in apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, and pears but may occur in other fruits.

You can protect your fruit from oxidation by slicing it directly into one of the following antioxidant solutions, a liquid to keep your fruit from darkening.

An ascorbic acid or citric solution: Make a solution with 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice in 1 cup of cold water, or use a commercial product, like Ever-Fresh or Fruit-Fresh, available in most supermarkets. When using one of these products, follow the instructions on the container.

Ascorbic acid or citric acid is simply vitamin C. It doesn’t change the fruit flavor. It’s sold in powder form and is usually found in drugstores.
Vinegar, salt, and water: Make this solution with 2 tablespoons of vinegar (5 percent acidity), 2 tablespoons of salt (pickling or kosher), and 1 gallon of cold water. Don’t leave your fruit in this solution longer than 20 minutes because the solution extracts nutrients from your fruit and changes its flavor.

After its dip in your antioxidant solution, you just rinse and drain your fruit before packing it into your prepared jars.

Raw pack and hot pack

Raw pack and hot pack refer to two methods of getting the product into the jars. Generally, both methods can be used for either water-bath canning (covered in Chapter 4) or pressure canning (covered in Chapter 9). Whether you use one or the other is determined by the texture of the food and its tendency (or not) to fall apart from a lot of cooking. Whether you raw-pack or hot-pack also affects the processing times of the foods. Always refer to your recipe for guidance.

Raw pack: A raw pack is the preferred method for fruits that become delicate after cooking, such as peaches and nectarines. This method is what it says: packing raw fruit into prepared jars.
Hot pack: Hot packing heats your fruit in a hot liquid before packing it into your prepared jars. The advantages of hot packing over raw packing include fitting more fruit into the jars because the fruit’s softer and more pliable, using fewer jars because you can fit more fruit into the jars, and spending less time waiting for the water in your kettle to boil because the filled jars are hot in the middle.

With a few exceptions, most fresh fruits may be packed raw or hot. Always start with clean, ripe fruit and follow your recipe instructions.

Lining your jars with liquid

You always add liquid when canning fresh fruit. Your options are

Boiling water.
Sugar syrup, which I (Amy) recommend making with granulated sugar and water.
Fruit juice, which you can sweeten with sugar if you like.

Determining which liquid you use is up to you, but consider the final use for your canned fruit. For instance, if you’re using your canned berries in a fruit cobbler, boiling water may be the better choice because most cobbler recipes already call for sugar. If you’ll be eating your canned fruit out of the jar, use a sugar syrup or fruit juice for added sweetness.

Always prepare your hot liquid before you prepare your fruit. The boiling liquid should be waiting for you; you shouldn’t be waiting for your liquid to boil.

After adding the hot liquid to your filled jars, be sure to release any trapped air bubbles in the jars. If the headspace drops after releasing the air bubbles, add more liquid to maintain the proper headspace (refer to Chapter 3 for information about headspace). If the fruit level drops, you need to add fruit.

Water or fruit juice

Packing fresh fruit in boiling water or fruit juice produces fruit with a soft texture. Two good choices for fruit juices are unsweetened pineapple juice or white grape juice. Use water you like to drink, without minerals and not the sparkling variety.

Always use the hot-pack method (see the section “Raw pack and hot pack” earlier in this chapter) when using water or fruit juice for your canning liquid.

Sugar syrups

Often added when canning fruit, sugar syrup is simply a mixture of granulated sugar and water. Sugar syrup adds flavor to your canned fruit, preserves its color, and produces a smooth, firm texture. Other sweeteners, such as honey, may be added in addition to or without the sugar; check out the nearby sidebar, “Sugar, ah honey honey: A syrup recipe alternative.”

Use these guidelines for making your sugar-syrup choice.

Super-light syrup: The sweetness level of this syrup is the closest to the natural sugar level in most fruits. Bonus points: This syrup adds the lowest number of calories.
Extra-light syrup: Use this syrup when canning naturally sweet fruits, such as figs.
Light syrup: This syrup is best with sweet apples and berries because just a little sugar enhances the sweetness without overpowering the food.
Medium syrup: This syrup complements tart apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, and pears because the extra sweetness compliments these stronger flavored fruits.
Heavy syrup: Use this syrup with sour fruit such as grapefruit. The sweet, syrupy flavor and texture makes even the sourest fruits tasty.

Table 5-1 offers you five concentrations of sugar syrup. Allow ½ to ¾ cup of liquid for each filled pint jar and 1½ cups of liquid for each filled quart jar of fruit. Bring your syrup ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over high heat; stir to dissolve the sugar.

SUGAR, AH HONEY HONEY: A SYRUP RECIPE ALTERNATIVE

Although syrup of sugar and water is the most common liquid used when canning fresh fruit, you may use honey in place of or in addition to granulated sugar. Use a mild-flavored honey that won’t detract from the natural flavor of your fruit. Here are some suggestions:

*Type of Syrup*	*Sugar*	*Honey*	*Water*	*Syrup Yield*
Light	1 cup	1 cup	4 cups	5½ cups
Light	None	1 cup	3 cups	4 cups
Medium	2 cups	1 cup	4 cups	6 cups
Medium	None	2 cups	2 cups	4 cups

Combine the syrup ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring the syrup to dissolve the sugar and/or the honey. After the liquid boils, keep it hot or refrigerate it up to two days. If you refrigerate your syrup, reheat it to a boil before adding it to your filled jars.

Remember: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/botulism/prevention) warns that honey and canned goods made with honey should never be fed to children under 1 year of age due to the danger of infant botulism.

TABLE 5-1 Sugar Syrup Concentrations

Syrup Strength	Granulated Sugar	Water	Approximate Yield
Super-light	¼ cup	5¾ cups	6 cups
Extra-light	1¼ cups	5½ cups	6 cups
Light	2¼ cups	5¼ cups	6½ cups
Medium	3¼ cups	5 cups	7 cups
Heavy	4¼ cups	4¼ cups	7 cups

Fresh Fruit Canning Guidelines

The following sections list foods that are commonly grown in home gardens. The quantity guide for each fruit fills a 1-quart jar. If you’re using pint jars, cut the quantity in half.

The recipes in the following sections use the water-bath canning method. For detailed instructions on water-bath canning, filling and processing your jars, and releasing air bubbles, refer to the step-by-step guidelines in Chapter 4. And for a more extensive list of fruits, refer to the Complete Guide to Home Canning, Revised Edition, published in 2020 by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Apples: Depending on which recipe you’re making, choose apples suitable for eating or making pies; I recommend specific apple varieties in each recipe. Prep is easy: Just peel and core the apples and then cut them into slices or quarters. To prevent discoloration, treat the fruit with an antioxidant (refer to “Deterring discoloration,” earlier in this chapter).
Berries, blueberries, and raspberries: Canned berries have so many uses! You can use them to make smoothies or pies and as a sweet addition to your oatmeal. If your pantry is like ours, your berries will be the first things used up. For canning, you want unblemished, not soft or mushy, berries. Leave them whole. Wash and drain the berries (handling them as little as possible); remove any stems or hulls.

Strawberries don’t can well. During the processing, they turn mushy and lose their taste and red color. They do, however, freeze or dehydrate very well. See Chapter 13 for complete freezing instructions, and Chapter 17 for complete dehydrating instructions.

Depending on the type of berry, you’ll use either the raw or hot pack method (refer to the earlier section, “Raw pack and hot pack,” for more information).
- Raw pack: Raw packing is best for soft berries, like blackberries, boysenberries, and raspberries. That means you don’t have to cook the berries before canning. Simply place them in your canning jars and pour hot syrup over them.
- Hot pack: Use this method for firmer berries, such as blueberries, cranberries, and huckleberries, which requires boiling the berries and sugar together before filling the jars.
Peaches, apricots, and nectarines: Peaches are a wonderful fruit, and by canning them yourself you can save a lot of money. Use a light syrup so that you can enjoy the full flavor of the peach. Trust us: Home-canned peaches are much nicer than the heavy sweetness you find in store-canned varieties.

Nectarines and apricots are just as tasty as peaches and have the benefit of not needing to be peeled, making them even easier to can. Apricots make a sunny-flavored addition to winter meals. They make a great substitute for apples in an apple crisp recipe, too — you’ll love the results!
Pears: All varieties of pears can well, so use your favorite variety. After cutting and peeling the pears, treat your fruit with an antioxidant to prevent discoloring (refer to the section, “Deterring discoloration,” earlier in this chapter).
Rhubarb: Rhubarb looks like red celery (although it isn’t actually related to celery). It can be mixed with strawberries for a pie filling and is delectable when combined with tart apples. Because of its tart taste, rhubarb is always canned with sugar and makes a great pie filling.

Rhubarb leaves are toxic. Always remove and discard any leaves from the stalks before preparing your rhubarb.
Tomatoes: With the abundance of tomatoes in the summer months, it’s a good idea to can some for winter eating. Each tomato variety has its own color, flavor, and texture. Roma tomatoes, paste tomatoes, and slicing varieties are all used for canning. Paste varieties simply have less juice and therefore require less cooking to remove excess water for paste and thick sauces. You can use both interchangeably, but cooking times will vary.

Not all tomato varieties are suitable for canning due to their lack of taste and mass-production genetics. Stick with those that boast good canning results on the plant’s tag, or use a proven heirloom variety. Some varieties that work well include Ace 55, Amish Paste, Homestead 24, and Rutgers. Whichever variety you choose, always select nice, ripe, unblemished tomatoes.

To ensure the proper acidity level for your variety (4.6 or lower), add an acid, like bottled lemon juice or powdered citric acid. If you’re using lemon juice, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice per quart jar or 1 tablespoon lemon juice per pint. If you’re using citric acid, add ½ teaspoon per quart or ¼ teaspoon per pint.

Canned Apples

PREP TIME: 15 MIN | PROCESSING TIME: 20 MIN | YIELD: 8 PINTS OR 4 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

12 pounds apples

Sugar syrup, light

DIRECTIONS

1 Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)

2 Wash, core, and peel your apples; then slice them into ¼-inch pieces or cut them into even chunks. Meanwhile, bring the sugar syrup to a boil.

3 Pack apples firmly into hot jars and pour boiling hot sugar syrup over the apples, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

4 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 20 minutes for pints and quarts from the point of boiling.

5 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (see Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 137 (From fat 4); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 36g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 0g.

TIP: Use any crisp, tart apple that ripens in the fall, such as Macintosh or Granny Smith.

VARY IT! For a sweeter canned apple, try a medium syrup instead (refer to the section, “Lining your jars with liquid,” for more information).

TIP: Canned apples are wonderful for apple crisp, breads, and other recipes calling for slices or chunks of fruit.

Apple Pie Filling

PREP TIME: 15 MIN | COOKING TIME: 45 MIN | PROCESSING TIME: PINTS, 25 MIN | YIELD: 6 PINTS

INGREDIENTS

6 pounds apples

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1 Peel and slice or cube the apples. Place the apples and the other ingredients into a heavy pan. Allow the mixture to stand about 30 minutes or until it becomes juicy.

2 While the apples are standing, prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)

3 Cook the apple mixture over medium heat until the apples are softened, about 7 minutes.

4 Ladle the pie filling into the pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

5 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 25 minutes from the point of boiling.

6 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (see Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 121 (From fat 3); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 31g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 0g.

TIP: Cortland or Honeycrisp apples are best for pie filling because the flesh holds its shape better during cooking.

VARY IT! Substitute or add to the spices listed to create the pie your family likes.

TIP: Get a quick start to your piemaking by creating apple pie filling ahead of time.

TIP: To thicken this filling to just the right consistency, add a tablespoon of flour to the filled pie before adding the top crust.

Applesauce

PREP TIME: 15 MIN | COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR | PROCESSING TIME: 20 MIN | YIELD: 4 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

10 pounds apples, cut in half

2½ cups sugar

DIRECTIONS

2 Cut the apples in half (don’t peel or core them) and place them in a 12-quart pot. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pot and to keep the apples from scorching. Cook the apples over medium heat until they’re soft, about 20 minutes. Press the softened apples through a food mill (refer to Chapter 2) or sieve to remove the skins and seeds.

3 Return the apple purée to the pot and add the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often to prevent scorching.

4 Ladle the hot applesauce into your prepared jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

5 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 20 minutes from the point of boiling.

6 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (see Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 129 (From fat 3); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 34g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 0g.

VARY IT! Try adding cinnamon and cloves for a spicy version. For a richer flavor, use a variety of apples.

TIP: Summer-ripened apples, such as Lodi or Jersey Mac, tend to be softer varieties that make wonderfully silky applesauce.

TIP: Use this sauce in breads and cakes, or eat it straight from the jar!

TIP: To help prevent scorching, use a stovetop heat diffuser under the pot, which helps disburse heat across the bottom of a pan.

Canned Raspberries

PREP TIME: 15 MIN | PROCESSING TIME: PINTS, 15 MIN; QUARTS, 20 MIN | YIELD: 8 PINTS OR 4 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

12 pounds raspberries

Sugar syrup, light

DIRECTIONS

2 Wash the berries gently in cold water to firm them and remove any stems or hulls. Meanwhile, bring the sugar syrup to a boil.

3 Pack berries loosely into your prepared jars and pour boiling hot sugar syrup over them, leaving ½-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more sugar syrup as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

4 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 15 minutes (pints) or 20 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 138 (From fat 8); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 34g (Dietary fiber 12g); Protein 2g.

VARY IT! For sweeter canned berries, use a medium syrup (refer to the section, “Lining your jars with liquid,” for more information).

TIP: This recipe explains how to can raspberries, but you can use it to can boysenberries, blackberries, or any other soft berry the same way.

Canned Blueberries

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | PROCESSING TIME: PINTS, 15 MIN; QUARTS, 20 MINUTES | YIELD: 8 PINTS OR 4 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

10 pounds blueberries

Sugar syrup, light

Boiling water

DIRECTIONS

2 Wash the berries gently in cold water to firm them and remove any stems or hulls.

3 Measure the berries into a saucepan and add ½ cup sugar for each quart of berries. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. In a large pot, bring water for your reserve to a boil.

4 Ladle the hot berries and liquid into your prepared jars, adding boiling water if there isn’t enough liquid to fill the jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more berries and water as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

5 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 15 minutes (pints) or 20 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 124 (From fat 3); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 32g (Dietary fiber 6g); Protein 1g.

VARY IT! For sweeter canned berries, use a medium syrup (refer to the section, “Lining your jars with liquid,” for more information).

VARY IT! This recipe shows you how to can blueberries. Follow the same directions for canning cranberries or any other type of hard berry.

Canned Peaches (or Apricots or Nectarines)

PREP TIME: 15 MIN | PROCESSING TIME: PINTS, 25 MIN; QUARTS, 30 MIN | YIELD: 8 PINTS OR 4 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

10 pounds apricots or 10 pounds nectarines or 12 pounds peaches

Sugar syrup, light

DIRECTIONS

2 Wash your fruit. To prepare peaches, peel them; then cut them in half and remove the pits (see Figure 5-1). To prepare nectarines or apricots, simply cut them in half and remove the pits. Meanwhile, bring the sugar syrup to a boil.

3 Pack the fruit firmly into hot jars and pour boiling hot sugar syrup over fruit, leaving ½-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

4 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 25 minutes (pints) or 30 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

PER ½-CUP SERVING PEACHES: Calories 88 (From fat 1); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 4mg; Carbohydrates 23g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 1g.

PER ½-CUP SERVING APRICOTS: Calories 118 (From fat 5); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 29g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 2g.

PER ½-CUP SERVING NECTARINES: Calories 118 (From fat 5); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 29g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 1g.

VARY IT! To make a sweeter canned fruit, use a medium syrup (refer to the section, “Lining your jars with liquid,” for more information).

TIP: To make peaches easy to peel, blanch them to loosen the skin: Dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then dip them in cold water.

VARY IT! Consider this recipe a three-for: You follow the same steps and cooking times for all three of these luscious fruits. The only difference is in the prep step: Whereas you have to peel peaches, you leave the peel on apricots and nectarines.

Schematic illustration of peeling soft-skinned fruit including tomatoes. — FIGURE 5-1: Peeling soft-skinned fruit including tomatoes.

Canned Pears

PREP TIME: 15 MIN | PROCESSING TIME: PINTS, 20 MIN; QUARTS, 25 MIN | YIELD: 8 PINTS OR 4 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

12 pounds pears

Sugar syrup, light

DIRECTIONS

2 Wash, peel, and core the pears. Slice the pears into ¼-inch pieces or cut them into even-sized chunks. Bring your sugar syrup to a boil.

3 Pack the pears firmly into the hot jars and pour the boiling hot sugar syrup over them, leaving ½-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more sugar syrup as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

4 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 20 minutes (pints) or 25 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 79 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 21g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 0g.

TIP: Try canned pears in place of apples in any recipe calling for cooked fruit. Similar in texture, this is a great way to add some variety to your pantry. Overall, pears are much sweeter than apples, and can be a nice way to get kids to eat something healthy that is a little different.

Rhubarb Pie Filling

PREP TIME: 15 MIN PLUS 4 HOURS STANDING TIME | PROCESSING TIME: 30 MIN | YIELD: 6 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

12 pounds rhubarb

6 cups sugar, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash, trim, and remove the leaves from the rhubarb. Cut the stalks into ½-inch pieces. Place the rhubarb pieces in a 6-quart pan. Add sugar to the cut pieces and let them stand for 4 hours to draw out the juice. Taste the mixture with a clean spoon to check that it is sweet enough. If not, add more sugar, to taste.

2 Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)

3 When the standing time is complete, heat the rhubarb and sugar mixture to boiling over high heat.

4 Pack the hot rhubarb mixture into your canning jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more of the rhubarb mixture as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

5 Process the filled quart jars in a water-bath canner for 30 minutes from the point of boiling.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 115 (From fat 2); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 4mg; Carbohydrates 29g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 1g.

NOTE: If you make the filling ahead of time, in the winter, you can just open a jar and fill your pie crust. Delicious!

Rhubarb Sauce

PREP TIME: 45 MIN PLUS 4 HOURS STANDING TIME | PROCESSING TIME: 30 MIN | YIELD: 8 PINTS OR 4 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

8 pounds rhubarb

8 cups sugar, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash, trim, and remove the leaves from the rhubarb. Cut the stalks into ½-inch pieces. Place the rhubarb pieces in a 6-quart pot and add the sugar. Let the rhubarb-sugar mixture stand for 4 hours to draw out the juice.

3 Heat the rhubarb and sugar mixture to boiling over high heat and cook the mixture until it’s slightly chunky (about 30 minutes) or until the rhubarb is the consistency you desire.

4 Ladle the boiling hot rhubarb sauce into your prepared jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more rhubarb sauce as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

5 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 30 minutes (both pints and quarts) from the point of boiling.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 211 (From fat 2); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 4mg; Carbohydrates 54g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 1g.

NOTE: Rhubarb sauce is a nice change from applesauce. Surprise your family with this tart and tasty side dish!

Canned Tomatoes

PREP TIME: 15 MIN | PROCESSING TIME: PINTS, 35 MIN; QUARTS, 45 MIN | YIELD: 6 PINTS OR 4 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

12 pounds whole tomatoes

Bottled lemon juice or citric acid

Canning salt (optional)

Boiling water

DIRECTIONS

2 Wash and peel the tomatoes. (To make peeling tomatoes easier, blanch them first to loosen the skins: Dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then into cold water; refer to Figure 5-1.) After peeling, cut the larger tomatoes into halves or quarters.

3 Place the tomatoes into your prepared canning jars, pressing them to release their juice. (Use a canning funnel to keep the rims clean.) To each pint jar, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid and, if desired, ½ teaspoon salt. To each quart jar, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or ½ teaspoon citric acid and, if desired, 1 teaspoon salt. If there’s not enough juice to cover the tomatoes, add boiling water to the jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more tomatoes as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

4 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 35 minutes (pints) or 45 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 44 (From fat 6); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 19mg; Carbohydrates 10g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 2g.

TIP: Use wide-mouth pints or quart jars for ease in filling. Although not necessary, they will make the entire process go faster and with less mess.

VARY IT! Try adding a jar of tomatoes to bow-tie pasta and butter for a filling and delicious wintertime treat.

Tomato Juice

PREP TIME: 1 HOUR | PROCESSING TIME: PINTS, 40 MIN; QUARTS, 45 MIN | YIELD: 14 PINTS OR 7 QUARTS

INGREDIENTS

25 pounds tomatoes

Lemon juice or citric acid

DIRECTIONS

2 Wash and core tomatoes. Roughly chop them into chunks. Place the tomatoes in a large pot and bring them to simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Cook the tomatoes until they’re soft, about 25 to 30 minutes.

3 Strain the tomatoes through a food mill (refer to Chapter 2) or fine mesh strainer to separate the juice from the skins and seeds. Return the juice to the pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Allow it to simmer 5 minutes.

4 Ladle the hot juice into your canning jars. To each quart jar, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or ½ teaspoon citric acid. To each pint jar, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid. Leave ½-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more juice as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

5 Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 40 minutes (pints) or 45 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 35 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 16mg; Carbohydrates 7g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 3g.

NOTE: Because tomato juice is a great tenderizer and adds a wonderful flavor to gravy, you can use it to cook tough pieces of meat all year long.