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Ingredients and Preparation

Fruits - Harvest or purchase the top quality fruit at is peak of flavor, color and texture. Do not use overly rip or diseased fruit. Canning a few jars of fruit, prepared whole, sliced, as a sauce and juiced, makes them even more convent and versatile for serving and cooking. Follow the recipe guidelines for complete directions for preparing each fruit.

Fruits maybe canned whole, halved or sliced. They can be packed in a sweetened syrup in water, in their own juice, flavored with a liqueur or in a combination of two or more fruits. Some recipe require peeling, cutting and pitting while others may recommend the fruit be canned whole without peeling.

Fruit sauce makes a wonderful accompaniment to entree and add flavor to bake recipes. Sauces are easy to prepare. Most fruits are cooked utile soft the strained through a sieve, food mill or electric puree to separate the seeds and peel from the pulp. The pulp is cooked to the desired thickness or directed by the recipe. The sauce may be sweetened or spiced, if desired. Another way to preserve fruit is as a juice. Cook fruit until soft; strain through a damp jelly bag, cheesecloth or use an electric juicer. Juice may be canned unsweetened or sweetened.

Tomatoes - Tomatoes are botanically classified as fruit, but they are commonly thought of as a vegetable. Since tomatoes are high in acidity, the are caned as an acid food using the boiling-water method. To ensure adequate amounts of acid are present in tomatoes, bottled lemon juice (not fresh), citric acid or vinegar of 5% acidity is added to the recipe. By maintaining the correct pH level tomatoes can be processed safety in a boiling-water canner.

Sweeteners - Fruits may be canned with or without a sweeter. Most often a syrup sweetened with sugar or a combination of sugar and honey or corn syrup is used. Sugar helps fruit retain a bright color and firm texture. The amount of sugar used can be adjusted to meet dietary needs and personal preference. Corn syrup or honey may also be used as a substitute for a portion of the sugar. To make syrup, measure sugar and liquid into a saucepot. Cook until syrup is hot throughout. Keep syrup hot until needed, but do not let it boiled own. Usually 1 to 1 1/2 cups are needed for each quart jar of fruit.

Fruits may be packed in fruit juice or water without the addition of sweetener. However, omitting sugar from canned fruit will result in a softer texture and possible color loss. Any type of bottled or fresh fruit juice, sweetened or unsweetened, may be used instead of a sugar syrup. If unsweetened juice or water is used , the hot pack method must be followed.

Antioxidants - Apples. apricots, peaches, pears and other light color fruits tend to darken while being prepared for canning or after they are in the jar. To prevent darkening, use a commercial mixture of ascorbic and citric acids according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drop fruit into the solution as it is peeled or cut. Do not leave the fruit in the solution longer than 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly before packing into jars.

Spices and Flavorings - A variety of spices, wines and liqueurs are used to add flavor and interest to fruits, sauces and juices. Use only fresh spices. Ground spices are used unless the recipe calls for whole, crushed or slivered. Use only the form called for in the recipe. Substitution may cause visual changes as well as changes in flavor. These spices used are tied in a spice bag or several layers of cheesecloth, cooked with the syrup or fruit and removed canning.

Wines, liqueurs and other flavoring add a special touch to many common fruits. These ingredients give their unique characteristics to the flavor of the recipe. It is not necessary to by the most expensive brands of wine or liqueur; however their natural characteristics blending with the fruit.