Summer Canning 2014

[kklibrarian]

Nectarine Butter
24 cups of whole nectarines, washed and stoned but not peeled
4 cups of turbinado sugar (adjust to taste)
1/3 cup of lemon juice

Combine nectarines and lemon juice. Add enough liquid to prevent sticking (about 2 tablespoons or so depending on the juiciness of the fruit). Cook over medium heat until fruit is soft. Process fruit in a food mill to remove skins. Strain fruit puree to remove excess juice. Reserve 2 cups of juice and save any more excess for jelly later. Place fruit puree, one cup of the juice, and sugar in crock pot or roaster. Cook over low heat until proper consistency and flavor is achieved, adding juice as needed or desired to prevent sticking. When butter is set (will mound on a spoon and hold its shape), put butter in jars and seal with clean lids and rings. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Yield 10 half pint jars.

[Soliloquy]

Can you share your recipe for watermelon rind preserves? We eat tons of watermelon in summer and I think it'd be fun to try this.

[kklibrarian]

Watermelon Rind Preserves

1 ½ quarts prepared watermelon rind

4 tablespoons salt

2 quarts cold water

1 tablespoon ginger

4 cups sugar

¼ cup lemon juice

1 ½ quarts water

½ cup thinly sliced lemon

(about 1 medium)


To prepare watermelon rind: Trim green skin and pink flesh from thick watermelon rind; cut into 1-inch pieces. Dissolve salt in 2 quarts water and pour over rind. Let stand 5-6 hours. Drain; rinse and drain again. Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Sprinkle ginger over rind; cover with water; and cook until fork-tender. Drain.

Combine sugar, lemon juice and 1 ½ quarts water in a large sauce pot. Boil 5 minutes; add rind and boil gently for 30 minutes or until syrup thickens. Add sliced lemon and cook until the melon rind is transparent. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps, process 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

Yield: about 6 half pints



From the Ball Blue Blook

---------- Post added at 08:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:16 AM ----------

Today, I'm trying my hand at Nectarine Pepper Jam, a fruit salsa, and a nectarine blackberry combo. I've got to get these nectarines cleared out before it's tomato canning time.

[kklibrarian]

Nectarine Pepper Jam
8-10 cups of nectarines - stoned, peeled, and chunked
2 TBSP lemon juice
3-4 hot peppers (banana, cubanelle, jalapenos, whatever you've got)
3 TBSP apple cider vinegar
vanilla (optional)
1 package pectin
4 and a half cups of sugar

Remove skins and stones from nectarines. Crush fruit and add lemon juice. Slice peppers lengthwise and seed. Place peppers and fruit pulp mixture in a non-reactive container. Add vinegar. Allow mixture to rest in refrigerator over night. Remove peppers from mixture. If mixture is very thick add enough water to make the consistency of a slushee. Place this mixture in a heavy pot and stir in pectin. Heat mixture on medium heat stirring frequently until it comes to a steady boil. Add sugar and the vanilla according to your taste and return mixture to a steady boil. Boil for 1 minute. Ladle mixture into hot jars and affix lids and rings. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Yields approximately 7 half pint jars.

[Soliloquy]

for the recipe! I've seen many people recommend that book. I should get it.

Fresh or dried ginger?

[kklibrarian]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

for the recipe! I've seen many people recommend that book. I should get it.

Fresh or dried ginger?

I have always used dried ginger. It's less trouble to me, and it is easier to sprinkle on the rinds.

The copy of the Ball Blue Book that I have is my grandmother's. You totally need the Blue Book. It is my go-to canning resource. I use it as a starting point for a lot of modifications and alternative recipes that I have made over the years.

Blessings,
Kelly

[kklibrarian]

Okay - Lavender Berry Nectarine Jam is on the schedule for today. The recipe is essentially the same as Lavender Berry Jam upthread except I used some of the nectarine pulp to round out my dwindling supply of berries.

Also, I made nectarine lemonade concentrate and will be doing more nectarine hot pepper jam before the day is out. Are you sensing a theme here?

I've got watermelon rinds on to soak in salt water. I'm going to try a lemon watermelon rind marmalade. I'm going for something spreadable that my kids will eat like jam. Right now, my husband and I are the only members of the household that eat watermelon rind preserves.

[kklibrarian]

I managed to get the watermelon rind into a marmalade type consistency with lemons. It could stand some refining so that it will gel up a little better, but I'm well on my way. It's very pretty too. My oldest daughter (watermelon rind hater, but lemon lover) pronounced it "very good".

---------- Post added at 05:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:58 PM ----------

I did some blackberry infused vinegar that I decided had steeped long enough today. It's in the refrigerator now, settling. I have to decide whether to can it or just keep it in the refrigerator for salad dressings, etc.

Would any of you mind if I posted some pic of my work? I don't want to be a bore, but I will post if anyone is interested.

I've gotten quite a lot put up, and am seriously considering a couple of entries into the state fair canning contest. The deadline for entry is July 25. I'd welcome feedback on whether or not I should go for it.

[kklibrarian]

Today is special requests. I am making mayhaw jelly from juice my parents gave me because I have a friend whose grandmother always made it for her. I am also going to try either today or tomorrow to make a Haitian grapefruit marmalade that another friend of mine described to me. I've never really done marmalades until just recently, so please pray this works out for me.

[kklibrarian]

I got some almost soft tomatoes from the farmers market and I had a few of my own, so today I am putting up marinara sauce. This is the first time to break out my pressure canner this season. I'm also looking at doing some more jellies (mayhaw, nectarine, and maybe blueberry) either today or tomorrow. Soon it will be fig season here. That's the next major canning extravaganza.

[Soliloquy]

You are making my mouth water! You should start a preserves CSA!

I have a question. I made my very first batch of jam. Marionberry (fancy blackberries) followed the Ball cookbook recipe exactly using regular pectin. It's too sweet for us and there's a texture issue . . . hard to describe. It's not grainy. It has this texture to it that I don't exactly like, the gel portion feels kind of powdery? I'm wondering if I can add some lemon juice and use less sugar and less pectin? Or will that mess it all up? I do have one pkg of "low sugar" pectin and I'm pretty sure my Ball cookbook has recipes for that kind (I guess I should've looked there before posting here .)

Just wondering what to do if you like your jam less sweet and more tart.

[kklibrarian]

I'm not sure that you can salvage this batch, but I would use the low-sugar no sugar variety of pectin for the next batch. I keep it on hand for using with those juices that are rather sweet to begin with as I don't like excessively sweet jellies.

[Soliloquy]

This batch it's almost gone. The kids think it's the best thing EVER. DH and I think it's too sweet and too set.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try the low sugar recipe next time.

We're busy picking thimble berries, trying to get enough for jam! Hoping the bears stay away.

[CelticJourney]

Question I've been following along but am more of a newbie, so.... I was given a bag of plums. I'm trying really had not to let anything go to waste but these are fading fast. I usually just make the sugar intense freezer jam because I give it as Christmas gifts . So, I bought some pectin and you apparently can't make freezer jam with plums So I am game for doing the cooking, BUT I don't have a specific 'boiling water canner'. I do have this basket you can put jars into boiling water with and a pot deep enough to put them all the way down ...... is that sufficient?

[kklibrarian]

Elizabeth,

As long as you have a deep enough pot to cover the jars and something to hold them up off the bottom of the pot so the temperature stays even, you should be able to can.