Read The Amish Canning Cookbook Online
Authors: Georgia Varozza
The Amish Canning Cookbook (16 page)
Citrus (Grapefruit, Mandarins, Oranges, Tangerines, etc.)
Wash and peel. Remove as much of the white membrane as possible, as this will turn bitter when canned if left on. Remove seeds. Pull apart the sections.
Pack pint jars with citrus fruit sections, pour boiling syrup over the fruit to cover, leaving ½-inch headspace. Do not use quart jars.
Process pints in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 15 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, or 20 minutes at 6,001 to 8,000 feet.
Select firm, ripe figs; do not choose fruit that has very soft flesh. Do not peel or remove stems. Figs
must
be hot packed; do not raw pack.
To hot pack figs, put the fruit in a large pot, cover with water, and boil 2 minutes. Drain. Place the figs back into the large pot, add light syrup, and boil gently for 5 minutes.
Figs need additional acid in order to be safely processed. Before adding the figs, add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart jar or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice per pint jar. Fill the jars with figs and cover with cooking liquid.
Process in water-bath canner for the correct amount of time as follows:
Fruit Juice (Apple, Berry, Citrus, Grape, or Pineapple)
Wash fruit. Remove pits or seeds. Crush fruit. Heat fruit to simmering, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and scorching. When fruit is very soft, strain juice through a bag or use several layers of dampened cheesecloth. When the juice has completely drained, measure juice and add about 1 cup sugar per gallon, or to taste.
Reheat juice to simmering and then pour hot juice into jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Process in water-bath canner for the correct amount of time as follows:
Nectarines do not need to be peeled. Halve, quarter, or slice the nectarines, removing the pit. Use an acid water solution to prevent darkening when working with them. Follow the directions and processing times for apricots.
To peel the skins of peaches, plunge clean peaches into boiling water for 45–60 seconds or until skins just begin to crack. Rinse peaches in cold water and then slip off the skins; remove pit. Halve, quarter, or slice the peaches. Use an acid water solution to prevent darkening when working with them. Follow the directions and processing times for apricots.
Pears (Including Asian Pears*)
Carefully peel pears. Halve, quarter, or slice them. Remove the core and seeds. Use an acid water solution to prevent darkening when working with them. Follow the directions and processing times for apricots.
*If canning Asian pears, you
must
add lemon juice. Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart jar or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice per pint jar.
Plums may be canned whole or halved. Remove stems and wash. If canning whole, prick two sides of the plum with a fork to break the skin and prevent the fruit from splitting. The pit doesn’t get removed. If halved, go ahead and remove the pit.
To hot pack, add plums to hot syrup and boil 2 minutes. Cover the pot and let set for 20 to 30 minutes. Fill jars with hot plums and cover them with the hot cooking liquid. Leave ½-inch headspace.
To raw pack, fill jars with raw plums, packing firmly. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving ½ inch headspace.
Process in a water-bath canner as follows:
Hot pack:
20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts
Raw pack:
25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts
Wash rhubarb and cut into ½-inch pieces. Measure the amount of rhubarb you have and then place it in a pot. Add ½ cup sugar for each quart of fruit and mix gently but thoroughly. Let mixture set to draw out the juice, about 30 minutes. Bring the rhubarb and syrup to a boil.
Fill pint jars with the hot rhubarb and syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace. Process pints in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes over 6,000 feet.
Having canned pie filling on your pantry shelves means you can throw together a sweet treat quickly and easily anytime the mood strikes or unexpected guests arrive on your doorstep. In fact, you don’t even need to use these pie fillings to make pies—they are equally good spooned over ice cream, French toast, or chiffon cake, added to coffee cakes or muffins, or used to make fruit crisps and cobblers.
You can use a bit less or more of the sugar and spices listed in each of the pie filling recipes to suit your tastes, but
always use the amount of lemon juice called for in the recipe
. This will ensure that your canned pie filling is safe once it’s canned.
When working with light-colored fruits such as apples and peaches, place the cut slices in an anti-darkening, acidified water solution so they don’t turn brown after they are cut. You can use 1 tsp. of ascorbic acid or citric acid dissolved into each gallon of water used or ¾ cup of lemon juice stirred in per gallon. When all your fruit has been prepared, drain it, give it a quick rinse, and drain again.
And remember: When canning your pie fillings, follow the directions for water-bath canning in chapter 3.
A Note About Clear-Jel
All of the pie filling recipes in this chapter call for Clear-Jel. This is a type of cornstarch that has been made in such a way that it won’t separate or become runny once canned. If you can’t obtain Clear-Jel where you live, try buying a supply online, or substitute cornstarch. If your pie filling separates or becomes runny, you can always add some tapioca granules to the filling when you get ready to bake your pie to help thicken the filling, but it’s not necessary. Your pie will taste just as good…but you might have to eat it with a spoon. If that happens, just tell your family you made a double crust cobbler—they’ll be pleased either way!
Individual Fruit Pie Filling Recipes
Use fresh fruit for each of these recipes. While it is possible to make canned pie filling using frozen fruit, the end results won’t be as pleasing, so use freshly picked ripe fruit whenever you can.
The recipes that follow each make 7 quarts of pie filling, enough for one canner load in most canners. Each quart will make one 8-inch pie.
6 quarts tart pie-type apples (such as Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Pippin)
5½ cups sugar
1½ cups Clear-Jel or cornstarch
1 T. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
2½ cups cold water (or use apple juice for more flavor)
5 cups apple juice
¾ cup bottled lemon juice
Wash, peel, core and slice apples ½-inch thick. Keep them in an anti-darkening, acidified water solution so they don’t darken while you are preparing the fruit. You can use 1 tsp. of ascorbic or citric acid dissolved into each gallon of water used or ¾ cup of lemon juice stirred in per gallon.
Blanch the sliced apples in batches by placing them in a gallon of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove apples, drain, and place them in a covered pot to keep warm.
Combine sugar, Clear-Jel, and spices in another large pot. Add the water and/or apple juice and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. To the pot of cooking liquid, add the lemon juice and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in the apples.
Fill quart jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Following the directions in “Water-Bath Canning: A Step-by-Step Guide,” process the filling in pint or quart jars in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 30 minutes at 1,001 to 3,000 feet, or 35 minutes at 3,001 feet and over.
To Use:
Open a jar of apple pie filling and spoon into a baked or unbaked 8-inch pie shell. Cover with a top crust if desired and bake in a preheated 425° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is baked and golden and the filling is hot.
6 quarts blackberries, stems and caps removed
7 cups sugar
1¾ cups Clear-Jel or cornstarch
9⅓ cups cold water (you can substitute berry juice for some or all of the water for a richer fruit flavor)
½ cup bottled lemon juice
Wash blackberries by very gently rinsing and draining them.
In a large pot, combine sugar and Clear-Jel and stir to mix. Add the water and/or juice and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add the lemon juice and boil 1 minute, continuing to stir constantly. Gently stir in blackberries.
Fill quart jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Following the directions in “Water-Bath Canning: A Step-by-Step Guide,” process the filling in pint or quart jars in a boiling water canner for 30 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 35 minutes at 1,001 to 3,000 feet, or 40 minutes at 3,001 feet and over.
To Use:
Open a jar of blackberry pie filling and spoon into a baked or unbaked 8-inch pie shell. Cover with a top crust if desired and bake in a preheated 425° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is baked and golden and the filling is hot.
6 quarts blueberries
6 cups sugar
2¼ cups Clear-Jel or cornstarch
7 cups cold water or juice (you can substitute berry or grape juice for some or all of the water)
½ cup bottled lemon juice
Remove blossom bits and stems. Carefully wash and drain the blueberries.
In a large pot, mix together the Clear-Jel and sugar. Add the water and/or juice and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add the lemon juice and continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in blueberries and cook until heated through.
Fill quart jars, leaving 1½-inch headspace. Following the directions in “Water-Bath Canning: A Step-by-Step Guide,” process the filling in pint or quart jars in a boiling water canner for 30 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 35 minutes at 1,001 to 3,000 feet, or 40 minutes at 3,001 feet and over.
To Use:
Open a jar of blueberry pie filling and spoon into a baked or unbaked 8-inch pie shell. Cover with a top crust if desired and bake in a preheated 425° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is baked and golden and the filling is hot.
6 quarts sour (pie) cherries
7 cups sugar
1¾ cup Clear-Jel or cornstarch
9⅓ cups cold water or juice (you can substitute cherry juice for some or all of the water)
½ cup bottled lemon juice