Canning fruit that is in season for Wintertime is such a treat. Knowing that I control the ingredients and the flavor profile is even better! I like when fruit has a hint of vanilla taste to it. I switched over to adding vanilla bean paste to my canning items this past year . I love seeing the vanilla bean flecks in the syrup and the bean paste withstands canning so much better then vanilla extract. When canning fruit - its always best to boil the fruit in the syrup so that you release any air trapped within the fruit, this also expands the fruit for jarring so that you don't have siphoning during canning, I believe that all fruits canned in syrup need to have what I call a "fat 1/2" of head-space" While its always best to follow the NCHFP Guidelines of 1/2" head-space, I do use 3/4" head-space when canning any fruit and have had much success in doing so, My de-bubbling tool has a 3/4" head space step on it - I use that - don't just "eye" your head-space. You need to use the tool and measure!
Pears can also be canned in any syrup - from very light to heavy. You can use apple juice to water as well. I find that a mixture of sugar and honey with vanilla bean paste produces the best flavor without masking the fruit flavor. I will share my fruit syrup recipe below. I also probably go 'against the norm" by pressure canning most of my fruits when allowed by the NCHFP - I find it makes for a better product overall (personal opinion.) ~Enjoy! Diane Honey & Vanilla Pears {Pressure Canned} Six Pounds Ripe Pears, Peeled and sliced or cubed Fruit Fresh & Cold Water in a large bowl Syrup: 5 Cups Water 1 -1/4 Cup Sugar 1 Cup Light Honey 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste Yield: Six Pint Jars **can be Pressure Canned OR Waterbath Canned Wash and peel pears, cutting into cubes, Place pears into cold water sprinkled with Fruit Fresh to preserve the fruit as you spend time peeling and cutting the remaining fruit. Once all the pears are cubed and added to the fruit fresh in water - start your syrup on the stove top and at this time prepare your canner for canning. Once your syrup is at a medium boil, drain your pears from the fruit fresh/water and add into pot with syrup. Bring mixture up to a boil. Once at a high boil, cook pears in syrup for 5 minutes, Distribute pears evenly into six pint jars and fill with syrup from pot up to 3/4" head-space. Process according to the NCHFP Guidelines for the Canning process of your choice. (see below for link) Recipe Note: I use a whisk and whisk in the vanilla bean paste into the syrup, it is the best way to get this type of vanilla product incorporated. Syrup Recipe: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home Pear Process: NCHFP Pears (CLICK HERE for processing)
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so, there I was standing in the kitchen getting ready to start my day and my husband walks in the front door with a cool filled with wild plums that he just picked for me! I was so excited! These little gems pack quite a flavor. Sometimes they are super sweet and very peach-like and sometimes they carry just the right amount of tart to make you pucker a bit LOL. I decided not to try and remove the skins and instead - canned them whole in a medium syrup with some vanilla bean infused taste (hoping that mellows out any bitter/tart skin) I ended up with 7 pints this time around and now that they are canned, I can use them in Holiday pies, hand pies, mix into desserts, crush into a quick jam or sauce for Christmas Dinner...the possibilities are endless...Enjoy - Diane Colorado Wild Plums with Vanilla Bean Infused Medium Syrup *I split one large vanilla bean down its center, scrape bean paste into saucepan and then toss the remaining pieces of bean in also...I remove the intact bean before using the syrup in jarring/canning. PREPARE syrup by combining 2-1/4 cups granulated sugar and 5-1/4 cups water for light and 3-1/4 cups granulated sugar and 5 cups water for medium in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until needed, taking care not to boil the syrup down. PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside. PRICK whole plums in several places using a fork. (I used a sewing needle) In a large stainless steel saucepan, one layer at a time, warm plums in hot syrup over medium-low heat until heated through, about 2 minutes per layer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer each batch to a bowl and keep hot. After all the plums have been heated, remove saucepan from heat and return plums to the syrup. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Return to a boil before packing. PACK hot plums into hot jars, using a slotted spoon, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup into hot jars to cover plums leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot syrup. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. Recipe Adapted from: Ball Canning Photo by: Canning and Cooking at Home Diane's Colorado Wild Plum Jam Ingredients: 4 pounds whole ripe wild plums (we have awesome wild plums here in the Rocky Mtns.- you want 4 cups of mashed fruit) 1 cup water (reserve the water from boiling the plums to release the pits) 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup honey 3 tablespoons dark rum 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 1 package Pamona Universal Pectin *sugar amounts listed are part of using Pamona Pectin - if you use a different brand pectin - your sugar requirement will be increased dramatically. Directions: Discard the plum pits, but leave the skin on, and finely chop the fruit (or if pitting is too difficult, throw the plums into the pot whole). Simmer the plums and 1 cup water in a stainless steel pot over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. (If fruit still has pits, let the mixture cool slightly and pull out the pits. Discard pits.) reserve water for jam. The water will be red from the plums, this is normal. Place the plum water and mashed fruit into large sauce pot with a vanilla bean. Add the calcium water: stir well. Measure out your sugar in a separate bowl, and mix in the pectin powder. Bring fruit mixture to a boil and add in the rum, cook for 15 seconds and add in the honey and sugar/pectin mixture, stirring vigorously 1-2 minutes to dissolve the sugar and pectin. Once entire mixture returns to a full boil, remove from heat. Test to see if the mixture is set, put a tablespoon of jam onto a freezer safe plate that has been placed in your freezer for at least 10 minutes, jam should not run when dolloped onto plate and held vertical/tilted. Meanwhile, sterilize the jars, lids and bands according to manufacturer's directions. Ladle the jam into the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head-space. Wipe the rims and threads of the jars clean and seal with lids and bands. Place filled jars into the boiling water bath. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. (*or according to local regs.) Remove jars and let cool 24 hours. Label, and store in cool, dry place. Makes approx eight 8-ounce jars Recipe and Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home #fall #jam #plums
My Favorite fruits: Peaches & Cherries! While I am still waiting for peaches to roll in from Colorado's Western Slope - I found wonderful Sweet Cherries at the Farmers Market this week. Problem is (not really a problem) I bought 15 lbs of cherries! I am suddenly becoming the "bubba gump" of cherries - dreaming up new ways to utilize all these! The hardest part - the pitting! I have a nice Cherry pitter from Oxo that has a nifty little splatter guard - I suggest you consider a good pitter if attempting this recipe and another few I will be sharing! I love these done in a simple syrup so that I can lock in the freshness of the cherries but, take time to use in baked goods and salads later on - Enjoy! ~ Diane Sweet Cherries in a Light Syrup *Cherries are an acid food and can be safely water bath canned. *These directions are for sweet cherries from Simply Canning. Prepare light or medium syrup. I prefer light syrup. Simply heat water and sugar in a sauce pan until sugar dissolves: Light – 2 cups sugar to 1-quart water Medium -3 cups sugar to 1-quart water wash and pit cherries. Actually canning cherries with the pits is perfectly acceptable. It just makes them quicker and easier to use if you go ahead and pit them now. If you want to can them with the pits just prick each cherry with a sterilized needle to prevent it from bursting. Place cherries in jar. I have found it works to add 1/2 cup or so of syrup to the jar, then fill half way with cherries. I added a bit of split vanilla bean to each jar *Optional Tap the bottom of the jar on a pot holder laid on the counter to settle contents. Fill the rest of the way tapping to settle without smashing. Cover cherries in jar with syrup leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles and clean rim of jar. Wipe the rims clean, remove any air bubbles and place your lids. Process pints or quarts for 25 minutes* check your local regs for increasing processing time for altitude (I have to add 10 mins due to the altitude in which I live.) *I did take two vanilla beans and split - then let them set in syrup until ready to can...I then took those and cut up and divided between the 5 pints. Adapted from: Simply Canning Photos by Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home I thought I'd share the step by step process for making my Apricot & Vanilla Bean Jam with you all... This versatile jam is great on fresh homemade warm biscuits or toast but, even better: Mixed into a homemade apple galette, topped as a glaze over chicken and pork dishes, and mixed into vanilla ice cream or cobblers - a must have staple for my cooking pantry! Enjoy ~ Diane Diane's Apricot Vanilla Bean Jam Ingredients: 3 lbs apricots 2.5 cups sugar *1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice (approx, the juice of one lemon) 3 tablespoons spiced rum 3 whole vanilla beans (split open for canning jars) 2 vanilla beans (insides of pods scraped into a small pile) Directions: Wash the apricot and cut each in half, remove the pits. Place the apricots in a bowl. Add 1 Cup of the sugar, toss to coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator to macerate overnight or longer *at least 24 hours. Heat the apricot-sugar mixture in a large sauce pot over medium heat, add in 1.5 cups sugar, stirring frequently, until boiling and the fruit softens, about 20 minutes. Add the lemon juice, brown sugar and scraped vanilla bean paste, stir to combine. Continue to cook the jam for another 20-30 minutes. This is a chunky jam, mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher as it cooks. Once the fruit starts breaking up, use an immersion blender or food processor to break down larger chunks - stop blending when the mixture (thickness of jam) is to your liking. When the jam has thickened, taste and adjust for sugar. I added another *1/2 cup sugar at this point (but yours may not need it) Check for doneness to can. I use the cold plate test. The 'cold plate test' - about 10 mins before you think your jam is ready - place a small freezer safe plate into freezer, when jam is ready - drop a spoonful of jam on plate and tilt vertical - jam should not run. ((in this photo I am holding plate perfectly vertical to the floor)) It's Ready to Can!! When jam is ready to jar, turn heat down to low and stir in the rum. place half of a vanilla bean inside each sterilized jar, and fill with jam. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rim with a damp cloth, and seal the jars. Leaving 1/4" headspace.
Process the Pint jars in a water bath for 10 minutes (or according to regs in your area.) Makes approx: 5 Pints Recipe and Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home Final Step. Eat. Enjoy! Diane |