Red hot spiced apples and apples in syrup in sealed canning jars.
There are many recipes for canning apples and I think I have tried them all, however, a friend said to me one day that canning apples in a plain syrup was the best way because they can be used for anything. I thought about this and decided she was right. Once you can apples for a specific purpose they may have an ingredient in them that makes them unsuitable for another use, so now I can all my apples using a light syrup. Here is my recipe.
2 1/4 cups cane sugar
5 cups of water
Combine sugar and water in a stainless steel pan.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to low so the syrup remains warm.
Fill clean, sterilized canning jars with apple quarters. Be sure to run your fingers around the tops of the jars before using them to check for tiny nicks. If you find any, those jars are no longer useful for canning.
Cover the apples with the water and sugar syrup you just made. Leave 1/2 inch air space at the top of the jar.
Wipe the top and edges of the jar with a clean, damp cloth.
Put a clean, sterilized, new lid on the jar, add the band and screw it down until it is fingertip tight.
Place the jars in a cold pack canner filled with boiling water.
Process both pints and quarts for 20 minutes.
Turn the heat off under the canning pot once the 20 minutes is up.
Remove the lid, but allow the jars to sit under the water for 5 minutes longer.
Carefully remove the jars. Set them aside and allow them to cool overnight.
Remove the bands and check the seals by gently prying them with your fingertips.
If the jars are sealed, replace the bands, label and store in a cool, dark, dry place.
If the jars are not sealed you can either select a new lid and attempt to seal the jars again or put the food into your refrigerator and use it up.
Filed under Canning, Canning Fruit, Food Preservation by on Oct 13th, 2011. Comment. 
These cherries are delicious and easy to make. You can buy sweet cherries at the store if you do not grow them. This recipe calls for 1 pound of sweet cherries.
Pit one pound of sweet cherries.
Make a brine out of 1 pint water and ¼ tablespoon pickling salt. Bring this to a boil so salt will dissolve. Allow to cool for ten minutes, then pour over the cherries.
Cover the bowl and let it sit overnight.
The next day, drain and rinse the cherries. Combine 1 pound of sugar, ¾ cup water and ¼ teaspoon lemon juice. Bring this to a boil and continue boiling until the sugar dissolves. Pour it over the drained cherries and let stand for 24 hours covered.
Drain the cherries taking care to save the juice. Pack the cherries into 4 ounce or half pint canning jars. Bring the juice to a boil, then remove from heat. Add 1/8 ounce almond extract and 1/8 ounce homemade vanilla extract, stir well. Pour juice over cherries.
Wipe jar rims, put lids and bands on making sure they are fingertip tight. Process for twenty minutes in a cold pack canner, remove and tighten lids.
Set them on a secure surface. I lay an old towel on top of my table and set the canning jars on it. Remember these jars are hot so use hot pads and jar lifters.
Tighten the bands as tight as possible.
Allow the jars to cool overnight. When the jars are completely cool, remove the bands and check the lids to make sure they are sealed.
To check the lids, simply try to lift them up with your fingers. If they come off, set the food in the refrigerator and eat it within a week. If they do not come off, the cans are sealed. Replace the band and store in a cool, dark place.
Be sure to label the jars with the name of the food in them and the date.
Filed under Canning, Canning Fruit, Food Preservation by on Jan 3rd, 2010. 7 Comments.
If you are like most gardeners or canners, you will find that after making your recipe there is extra produce left. Not enough mind you for another batch, but too much to eat fresh before it goes bad. Here is a recipe to use up some of your extra summer fruit or to combine some of the fruit you have already preserved to come up with something a little different.
2 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup spun cinnamon honey
6 cups peaches
3 cups pears
2 cups seedless grapes
1 cup drained maraschino cherries, halved
10 fresh chocolate mint sprigs
Before you begin, wash your canning jars, lids and rings. Be sure to dip them in boiling water to sterilize them.
Fill your cold pack canner with water and begin heating it up. You will want the water in the cold pack canner to be about ready to boil before you begin making the sauce.
Prepare a bowl of water and add in Fruit Fresh or another preservative meant to prevent browning of the fruit.
In the meantime, peel the peaches and pears. Cut the larger fruit into bite size chunks. Make sure you remove all the seeds and pits from the fruit.
As you cut up the fresh fruit, put it into the bowl filled with the fruit preservative.
When the water in your canner is about ready to boil, put the 2 cups of water, the sugar and the honey in a stainless steel sauce pan.
Bring this mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Be sure to keep it stirred so it does not burn.
Once the mixture is boiling and the sugar and honey are melted, add the peaches, pears and grapes to the pan.
Return the mixture to a boil, being sure to continue stirring.
Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.
Add the cherries.
Put two clean chocolate mint springs into each jar.
Using a ladle, add the fruit to the jar, then top the jar off with the liquid.
Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Be sure you use a knife to remove any trapped air bubbles from the jar.
Wipe the jars rim with a damp paper towel making sure to remove any spilled syrup.
Center the sterilized lid on the top of the canning jar.
Screw the band down so it is finger tight. You do not want to over tighten the band, just make it tight enough to hold the lid in place.
Place the jars in the canner filled with boiling water. The water should completely cover the top of the jar lids.
Put the lid on the canner and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the canner lid, wait for 5 minutes, then lift the jars from the canner.
Set them on a secure surface. I lay an old towel on top of my table and set the canning jars on it. Remember these jars are hot so use hot pads and jar lifters.
Tighten the bands as tight as possible.
Allow the jars to cool overnight. When the jars are completely cool, remove the bands and check the lids to make sure they are sealed.
To check the lids, simply try to lift them up with your fingers. If they come off, set the food in the refrigerator and eat it within a week. If they do not come off, the cans are sealed. Replace the band and store in a cool, dark place.
Be sure to label the jars with the name of the food in them and the date.
Filed under Canning, Canning Fruit, Food Preservation by on Jan 3rd, 2010. Comment.
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