Canning Notes

Boil sugar and water to make a medium syrup. Or you can use per jar method: 2/3 cup sugar and 3/4 cup boiling water in each quart for a medium syrup. After adding fruit to each jar, top up with boiling water.

For a light syrup, use 2 cups sugar and 4 cups water.

Hard water: Using hard water is imperative for crisp pickles. I am also trying hard water for canning beans and peaches, to achieve optimum crispness.

Peas: Bring water in a Dutch oven to a loud boil. Add up to 8 cups peas. Simmer 4–5 minutes; drain. Freeze in ziploc packages.

Green beans: Chop beans and place in jars. Add 1 teaspoon pickling salt per quart. Fill with boiling water to 1 inch from the top. Pressure can 25 minutes at 12 lb. or water bath 3 hours from boiling.

Green beans, frozen: Chop beans (or leave whole). Blanch up to 8 cups beans in a Dutch oven of boiling water until tender-crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain, cool, and freeze in resealable packages. Or spread beans on cookie sheets and freeze first, then bag.

Peaches or pears: Place 2/3 cup sugar in each quart. Add 1 teaspoon Fruit Fresh. Pour in a little boiling water and stir to dissolve sugar. Cut in peaches or pears. Fill jars with boiling water to 1/2 inch from the top. Pressure can 10 minutes at 7 lb. or water bath 25 minutes from boiling.

Raspberries: Place 2/3 cup sugar in each quart. Pour in a little boiling water and stir to dissolve sugar. Pack in firm fresh raspberries. Fill jars with boiling water to 1/2 inch from the top. Pressure can 7 minutes at 7 lb. or water bath 15 minutes from boiling.

Applesauce: Prepare sauce and pour into quart jars to 1/2 inch from the top. Pressure can 10 minutes at 7 lb. or water bath 30 minutes from boiling.

Cooked jams:
Raspberry: 5 cups crushed raspberries, 6 cups sugar, 1 cup water, 1 box Certo
Strawberry: 4 cups crushed berries, 4 cups sugar, 1 cup water, 1 box Certo. Make each jam recipe in a separate saucepan.

Pie filling (see my recipes for blueberry and peach): Use clear-jel, not cornstarch to thicken pie fillings. Pressure can pints 10 minutes at 7 lb.

Stewed tomatoes: Blanch, peel, and chop or blend tomatoes. Pour into jars to 1/2 inch from the top. Add 1 teaspoon pickling salt and 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart. Pressure can 20 minutes at 12 lb. or water bath 60–90 minutes from boiling.

Dry beans: Place 1/2 cup dry beans in each pint jar or measure beans and soak overnight. Then place about 1 1/2 cups beans in each pint. Add 1 teaspoon pickling salt per pint. Fill with boiling water to 1 inch from the top. Pressure can 80 minutes at 12 lb.

Canned corn: Blanch corn cobs 3 minutes in boiling water. Cut off cob and pack into jars up to 1 inch from the top. Add 1/2 teaspoon pickling salt per pint. Pressure can 60 minutes at 12 lb.

Frozen corn: Blanch corn 5 minutes after boiling point is reached. Cool completely in a sink full of cold water. Cut corn off cobs, scrape, and pack into freezer bags.

Pumpkin: Bake as per Ree’s Pumpkin Puree recipe. Pack puree into pints leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon pickling salt per pint. Pressure can 55 minutes at 12 lb.

Chicken breast: Pack chunks into pint jars leaving 1 1/4-inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon pickling salt per pint. Pressure can 65 minutes at 12 lb. 8 pounds chicken yielded 8 pints.

Beef stew meat: Cut in chunks, brown batches in hot oil in a frying pan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pack into pint jars leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon per pint, and boiling water to 1 inch. Pressure can 75 minutes at 12 lb.

Headspace in jars:
1 inch for corn, beans, dry beans, pumpkin, meats, and soups (will cause liquid to boil out if over-filled)
1/2 inch for peaches, pears, raspberries, applesauce, pie filling, and stewed tomatoes
1/4 inch for open-kettle canning such as salsa, pickles, jams, and jellies

Jar lids: Boil clean jar lids for 5–10 minutes before using.

Do not pressure can salsa, pasta sauce, pickles, jams, or jellies. These can be successfully preserved using the open-kettle canning method.