Canning Basics: Syrup Options for Canning Fruit

All fruits need some sort of liquid to be added to fill in the space in the jars between the chunks of fruit. There are many options to fit this requirement and we can make our choices based on personal tastes and still get very good results.

Canned in Water- Using straight water to can fruit is the least desirable option. Fruit canned in water, is frankly, watery as nearly all fruit will absorb pure water and end up tasteless and mushy. If you truly do not want to add any sweetener, take the extra step and can in juice made from the fruit you are canning.

Canned in Homemade Juice- Mash a sufficient quantity of fruit to make 2 quarts of mash. The very ripest fruit, peels and cores from the rest of the fruit is fine for this. Add a small amount of water and place together in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes at medium heat. Mash the fruit to a smooth consistency. Pour cooked mash into a colander lined with cheese cloth and allow the clear juice to drain. Use this juice as the syrup for canning your other fruit. The remaining mash can be placed in a food processor until smooth and used as an addition to yogurt or smoothies or oven dried into fruit leather as desired.

Canned in Fruit Juice-Commercial apple and white grape juice are excellent syrups for home canning. Use bottled juices to approximate a "Light Syrup". Use frozen concentrates to make sweeter syrups. A mixture of frozen concentrate with an equal measure of water will approximate a "Medium Syrup". Frozen concentrate, thawed and used at full strength will approximate "Heavy Syrup". For even more flavor, commercial pear, peach and pineapple juices can be used.

Canned in Sugar Syrup- This is the traditional syrup for home canned fruit and is usually the least expensive option. Make syrup by measuring out the amounts of sugar and water and bring them to a boil. Extra syrup may be stored in jars in the fridge for 6 months or more or may be canned for future use by processing in a water bath canner for 10 minutes and storing in the pantry.

• Very Light: 10% sugar approximates the natural sugar levels of most fruit while adding the fewest calories. This level of sugar is acceptable to people who are accustom to a low sugar diet. Formula is 6.5 cups of water to 3/4 cup of white granulated sugar.
• Light: 20% sugar is for very sweet fruits like mangoes or papaya. Try a small batch to make sure this is going to be sweet enough for your taste. Formula is 5.75 cups of water to 1.5 cups of white granulated sugar.
• Medium: 30% sugar is the standard for most home canned fruits and approximates the sweetness of commercially canned peaches and pears. Formula is 5.25 cups of water to 2.25 cups of white granulated sugar.
• Heavy: 40% sugar is used for certain application such as gooseberries, sour pie cherries, and other very tart fruits. Formula is 5 cups of water to 3.25 cups of white granulated sugar.

Note- Medium and Heavy syrups will seem like a lot of sugar to most new canners, but remember that only a small amount of the syrup is used for each jar of fruit. For example, a full jar of peach slices will typically only need 1/4-1/2 cup of syrup and the fruit may be drained before being eaten. Personally, I drain fruits to eat at breakfast or as a light dessert and use the juice to sweeten a half gallon of sweet tea or lemonade--2 treats from each jar.

Canned with Honey or Agave: Both honey and agave are about the same amount of sweetness as sugar *by weight*. A small adjustment in measuring is needed to prevent over-sweetening. Keep in mind that both agave and honey will add their own flavor to the canned product so start with small batches to make sure that the flavor is going to meet your taste preferences.

• Very Light: 10% sugar approximates the natural sugar levels of most fruit while adding the fewest calories. This level of sugar is acceptable to people who are accustom to a low sugar diet. Formula is 6.5 cups of water to 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of Honey or Agave.
• Light: 20% sugar is for very sweet fruits like mangoes or papaya. Try a small batch to make sure this is going to be sweet enough for your taste. Formula is 5.75 cups of water to 1.25 cups of Honey or Agave.
• Medium: 30% sugar is the standard for most home canned fruits and approximates the sweetness of commercially canned peaches and pears. Formula is 5.25 cups of water to 2 cups of Honey or Agave.
• Heavy: 40% sugar is used for certain application such as gooseberries, sour pie cherries, and other very tart fruits. Formula is 5 cups of water to 3 cups of Honey or Agave.

Canned with Stevia or Splenda: Since stevia and Splenda don't add any "body" to the consistency of the syrup, they are not recommended(see Canned in Water, above.)

Basic Skills: Water Bath Canning

Background Information

Boiling water bath canning is recommended for processing high-acid foods. The temperature of the boiling water bath canner is 212 degrees F (100 degrees C) and will kill bacteria in high-acid foods. The boiling water bath canning method is used for processing fruits, pickles, relishes, acidified tomatoes, fruit jellies, jams, butters, marmalades, and preserves. Always check up-to-date canning information for correct processing times. For higher altitudes, processing times will need to be extended one minute for each 1000 feet above sea level. The time needed to process high-acid foods in boiling water ranges from 5 to 85 minutes depending on the food, style of pack, and jar size.

Equipment Preparation

Steps to Follow

• Assemble all equipment and utensils.
• Place boiling water bath canner, filled half full with water, on the stove burner and begin to heat. Make sure canner has a removable rack that will fit inside the canner. The canner should be large enough to allow the water to boil 1 to 2 inches over the jars when they are placed on the rack in the canner.
• Place an extra kettle of water on the stove burner in case extra boiling water is needed to cover the jars in the canner.
• Check all canning jars for nicks or cracks. Discard if damaged.
• Wash jars and bands in hot soapy water; rinse in hot water. Jars for pickles and fruit juices (which have less than 10 minutes of processing time) should be boiled in hot water for at least 10 minutes. Each 1000 feet above sea level will require 1 additional minute.
• Use new canning lids for each jar. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.

NOTE: Use only standard canning jars for boiling water bath canning. Peanut butter or mayonnaise jars are not acceptable for canning.

Processing

• Make sure water in canner is boiling.*If using the raw pack method, have the water in the canner hot, not boiling. Placing raw pack jars in boiling water may cause the jars to break.
• Place jars in canning rack, then place rack in canner while water is boiling. ** Place jars far enough apart to allow for circulation of water around jars. Water should be 1 to 2 inches over the tops of the jars when boiling.
• Begin timing for processing as soon as the water returns to a rolling boil. Use the table as a processing guide; however, at higher altitudes (over 1,000 feet) you will need to adjust processing times.

The canner should be covered during processing. The hot boiling water should cover the tops of the jars during the entire processing time. (See individual recipes for exact processing time.)

After processing time is completed, remove hot jars and place on a towel or rack to cool. Keep jars out of drafts. DO NOT TURN JARS UPSIDE DOWN. When jars have cooled, check for sealing.

Testing the Seal

3-Way Test For Checking The Seals On The Jars:

• Hear the seal - Hear the "plink" as lid snaps down while jar is cooling, or tap lid with spoon when jar is cold. A clear ringing sound means a seal.
• Observe the seal - If the lid is curved down, the jar is sealed.
• Press the seal - After the jars have cooled, press the center of the lid. If it is down and will not move, the jar is sealed.
• Remove ring bands from jar and store in a cool, dark, dry place. Ring bands free of rust may be reused. Never reuse lids for canning purposes.

NOTE: If a jar is not sealed within 24 hours, reprocess contents with a new lid or refrigerate and use in the next 1 to 2 days.

CAUTION: Never taste or eat food from a jar with an unsealed lid, swollen lid, or if the food shows signs of spoilage.

Welcome!

Seattle Can Can and we have been proving it! Classes have been forming up and folks have been stuffing stuff in jars with great enthusiasm, but we are just getting started! There are so many recipes to explore that they just cannot be covered in a single 2-hour class.

That is where this blog will attempt to fill the gap by offering recipes and tips that may be missed in a quick class.

Summer in a Jar. Nothing beats home canned tomatoes!