Archive for the ‘Preserving’ Category

Raspberry Jam

2 pounds raspberries
3 cups granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Rinse and mash berries. Place in a 6-quart or larger pot with sugar and slowly bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and scorching, until thickened. Jam will thicken as it cools. Add lemon juice at the end of cooking time.

Remove from heat and skim off foam with a spoon. Ladle jam into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield 4 to 5 half-pints.

Port Wine Jelly

You can use any wine you like for this jelly. Just substitute your favorite, and eliminate the cinnamon sticks.

2 cups good-quality port wine
3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
3 ounces liquid pectin (Certo?)

Prepare canning jars according to manufacturer’s directions. Combine port, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon sticks in a heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir to help dissolve the sugar. Boil vigorously for 2 minutes; remove the pan from the heat, and immediately add the pectin. Spoon the jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Place a piece of cinnamon stick in each jar. Process the jars in a water bath according to the manufacturer’s directions, no less than 10 minutes.

Rosemary Jelly

1 1/4 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 (3 ounce) pouch liquid fruit pectin
2 to 3 drops green food coloring

In a large saucepan, combine boiling water and rosemary; cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid. If necessary, add water to measure 1 1/4 cups. Return liquid to pan; add sugar and vinegar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add pectin, stirring until mixture boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; skim off foam.

Add food coloring if desired. Pour hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Yields 3 1/2 pints.

Rhubarb Chutney

8 cups rhubarb, finely chopped
1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped raisins
3 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice

Cook first 5 ingredients until thick, about 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice and cook 5 minutes longer. Pour boiling hot into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/8-inch headspace. Seal immediately.

Makes 4 pints.

Prickly Pear Jelly

This recipe comes from the University of Arizona. The desert is just filled with this wonderful fruit, free for the taking.

2 1/2 cups juice, 1 quart fruit
Water to cover in kettle
1 package powdered pectin (not liquid)
3 tablespoons lemon or Mexican lime juice
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Sterilized jelly glasses
Melted paraffin

Use red, ripe, tuna (fruit). If fruit is very ripe, try to include some under-ripe ones to add pectin. A handy way to gather fruit is to use a long-handled fork or tongs and a heavy paper bag. It is not necessary to burn off the spines, as they will come off when fruit is pressed through cheesecloth or filter paper. Brush the pears with a vegetable brush. Wash and place in a kettle with just enough water to cover. Boil until quite tender and soft. This is necessary to extract all juice. Set juice aside so sediment will settle to bottom of container. For clear jelly do not use pectin containing sediment.

For each 2 1/2 cups juice, add 1 package powdered pectin (more successful than liquid pectin in this recipe). Bring to a fast boil, stirring constantly. Add lemon or lime juice and sugar. Bring to a hard boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil for 3 minutes. Timing is important to get a product that will jell. Remove from heat; skim and pour into sterilized glasses. Cover with a layer of melted paraffin.