Fox & Food: Canning and Preserving 101

Sliced Dill Pickle Recipe:

Makes about 5 (16 oz) pints

PRESERVING METHOD:

Waterbath Canning

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp pickling spice
• 4 cups cider vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Ball^®Salt for Pickling & Preserving
• 5 bay leaves
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 5 heads fresh dill
• 13 1/3 cups sliced trimmed pickling cucumbers (1/4-inch lengthwise slices)
• 5 Ball® (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

DIRECTIONS:

1. PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil.  Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
2. TIE pickling spice in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag.
3. COMBINE vinegar, water, sugar, pickling salt and spice bag in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Reduce heat and boil gently for 15 minutes, until spices have infused the liquid.
4. PLACE 1 bay leaf, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and 1 head of dill into each jar. Pack cucumber slices into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover cucumbers leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and re-measure headspace. If needed, add more pickling liquid to meet recommended headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
5. PROCESS filled jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, 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.

Apple Butter Recipe 

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 5 Tbsp Ball^® RealFruit™ Instant Pectin
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 5 cups peeled, cored, coarsely chopped apples (about 5 med)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 4 Plastic Ball^® (8 oz) Freezer Jars
  

1. STIR sugar, brown sugar, instant pectin, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a bowl until well blended. Set aside.
2. ADD apples and lemon juice to food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add apple puree to pectin mixture. Stir 3 minutes.
3. LADLE jam into clean jars to fill line. Twist on lids. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes.
4. SERVE immediately, refrigerate up to three weeks or freeze up to one year.

from Freshpreserving.com

Reduced Sugar Berry Jam

Makes about 4 (8 oz) half pints

PRESERVING METHOD:

Jam Maker

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups crushed berries (about 1 1/3 lbs or four 6-oz containers)
• 3 Tbsp Ball^® RealFruit™ Classic Pectin
• 1/2 tsp butter or margarine
• 2 cups granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. CLEAN berries by rolling back and forth in an open towel. If dirt is obvious on berries,rinse carefully in cool running water and drain thoroughly. Crush berries one layer at a time using a potato masher. Measure required quantity of crushed berries and remaining ingredients for your recipe; set aside.
2. SPRINKLE pectin evenly over bottom of the Pot fitted with the Stirrer. Add crushed berries evenly over pectin. Add butter/margarine to help reduce foaming.
3. PRESS jambutton – the cook time will automatically default to 21 minutes. Press enter.
4. WAIT 4 minutes for appliance to sound 4 short beeps indicating that it is time to add sugar. Add sugar gradually while Stirrer continues running. Place the Glass Lid on the Pot.
5. THE APPLIANCE will continue to automatically stir your ingredients while it cooks. Stay within earshot of the Jam & Jelly Maker, the appliance will beep again at the end of the process signaling jam cooking is complete. Press cancel, unplug the appliance and immediately remove Glass Lid.
6. REMOVE Stirrer using a pot holder. Skim foam, if necessary, from top of jam.
7. PRESERVE berry jam immediately, using 1 of the 3 ways listed here.

Cherry Pie Filling:

Makes about 8 (16 oz) pints

PRESERVING METHOD:

Waterbath Canning

Ingredients

• 15 cups frozen red tart cherries (about 10 lbs), thawed for 24 hours in the refrigerator
• 3-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup ClearJel^®starch
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 Ball® (32 oz) quart or 8 (16 oz) pint preserving jars

HALF RECIPE:

• 7-1/2 cups frozen red tart cherries (about 5 lbs), thawed for 24 hours in the refrigerator
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup ClearJel® starch
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Ball® (32 oz) quart or 4 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

DIRECTIONS:

1. DRAIN thawed cherries in a colander, placed over a large bowl, stirring occasionally, until 8 cups of juice have been collected, about 2 hours. Set liquid and cherries aside.
2. PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil.  Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
3. WHISK together 4 cups cherry liquid, sugar, ClearJel^®and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil until thickened and mixture begins to bubble. Add lemon juice. Return to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add reserved cherries all at once. Return to a boil, stirring constantly but gently. Remove from heat.
4. LADLE hot cherry pie filling into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
5. PROCESS filled jars in a boiling water canner 35 minutes for pints and 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.

Quick Tip: Store remaining 2 cups cherry liquid in Ball® Plastic Freezer Jars. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. Use the cherry juice to flavor lemonade and citrus soda or drink straight for a tangy beverage!

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

MAKES: 6 HALF PINT JARS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups crushed strawberries (about 1½ to 2 pounds)
• 2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 3 to 6 stalks)
• 6 tablespoons Ball Classic Pectin
• ¼ cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled
• 5½ cups sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
2. Combine strawberries, rhubarb, pectin, and lemon juice in a large saucepan, stirring to blend in pectin. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3. Return mixture to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam, if necessary.
4. Ladle hot jam into a hot jar, leaving ¼-inch headpsace. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight.
5. Place jar on a rack in a boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled. Water must cover jars by at least 1-inch before processing.
6. Bring water to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cover canner, and process jars for 10 minutes (time starts when full boil begins).
7. Turn off heat, remove cover, and let jars cool in the water for five minutes. Then, remove the jars from the canner, and place on a towel on the counter to cool completely—do not retighten any bans that have loosened.
8. Cool 12 hours. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. Label and store jars. Any jars that have not sealed should be stored in the fridge and eaten within a week.

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