Summer

Adapted from:

from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving pg. 50

Preserving Method: Water bath or steam canning

Makes about 6 (8 oz.) half pints 

You will need

• 4 ½ cups    blueberries
• 6 tablespoons regular powdered fruit pectin
• 5 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lime peel
• 1/3 cup bottled lime juice

Directions

1. PREPARE boiling water or steam canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil.  Wash lids and bands in warm soapy water and aside.
2. CRUSH blueberries one layer at a time.
3. COMBINE prepared fruit and pectin in a large pot. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
4. ADD sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in grated lime peel and juice. Return mixture to a full rolling boil.  Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim foam, if necessary.
5. LADLE hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
6. PLACE filled jars in canner ensuring jars are covered by 1-2 inches of water.  Place lid on canner.  Bring water to gentle, steady boil. Begin timer once boiling.
7. PROCESS in a boiling water or steam canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat.  Remove lid of canner and let jars stand for 5 minutes.  Remove from canner and cool.
8. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Photo credit: freshpreserving.com

Adapted from:

https://www.freshpreserving.com/blog?cid=corn-relish

Preserving Method: Water-Bath-Canning  

Makes about 6 (8 oz) Half Pint Jars

You will need

• 2 cups white vinegar (5% acidity) 
• 2/3 cup sugar 
• 1 Tbsp salt 
• 4 cups cooked corn kernels (about 8 ears) 
• 2 cups diced mixed red and green bell peppers (about 2 large) 
• 3/4 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks) 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 small) 
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard 
• 1 tsp celery seeds 
• 1 tsp ground turmeric

Directions

1. PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.  
2. COMBINE vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add corn, red and green peppers, celery, onion, mustard, celery seeds and turmeric. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  
3. LADLE hot relish into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled. 
4. PROCESS jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove lid and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. 

Photo credit: freshpreserving.com

https://www.freshpreserving.com/blog?cid=strawberry-blueberry-freezer-jam

Preserving Method: Freezing

Makes about 6 (8 oz) half-pint jars 

Recipe excerpted from The All New Ball® Book of Canning and Preserving, published by Oxmoor House (2016).

You will need

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 4 cups halved fresh strawberries
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 5 Tbsp. Ball® Real- Fruit Instant Pectin

Directions

1. Pulse blueberries in a food processor until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Place in a medium bowl. Pulse strawberries in food processor until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
2. Add to blueberries in bowl. Stir in sugar; let stand 15 minutes. Gradually stir in pectin; stir 3 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Spoon into jars, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Center lid on jars. Apply bands and adjust loosely. Once jam is frozen, adjust bands to fingertip-tight.
3. Store in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator. Refrigerate after thawing and use within 3 weeks. 

Photo credit: freshpreserving.com

Adapted from:

https://www.freshpreserving.com/blog?cid=bruschetta-jar-1

Preserving Method: Water-Bath-Canning

Makes about 7 (8 oz) half- pint jars 

You will need

• 9 cups chopped cored plum tomatoes (1-inch pieces)
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup white wine vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp dried basil
• 2 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (5% acidity)

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 aside with bands.
2. In a large, deep, stainless steel saucepan, combine garlic, wine, wine vinegar, water, sugar, basil, oregano and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until garlic is heated through. Remove from heat.
3. Pack tomatoes into a hot jar leaving a ½ inch headspace. Ladle hot vinegar mixture over tomatoes, leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner, making sure water covers jar by at least 1 inch. Repeat until all jars are filled.
4. Process jars 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid, let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed.

Photo: Cari Curtis

Recipe from:

So Easy To Preserve, University of Georgia Extension, Copyright 2014

Preservation Method: Dehydrating

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• Water, boiled
• 1/2 cup honey
• Nectarines

Directions

1. Prepare honey syrup: In a large bowl, combine ½ cup white sugar with 1 ½ cups boiling water to dissolve sugar. Allow mixture to reach lukewarm temperature. Add ½ cup honey.
2. Prepare fruit: Wash fruit in cold water. Drain or pat dry. Cut in half and remove pit or leave whole.
3. Soak fruit in honey syrup for 3-5 minutes. Remove and let drain.
4. Load dehydrator trays: If you left the fruit whole, you’ll want to halve them and remove the pit. Lay cut side face down.
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until your trays are full.
6. Run Dehydrator: Preheat the dehydrator to 130-140 degrees. Place loaded trays on the dehydrator. Run the dehydrator for approximately 36-48 hours depending on the size of fruit. Check the progress at various times to ensure you are not over-drying. You may also want to turn the fruit halfway through. The fruit should be dry but pliable.
7. Store the Fruit: Allow the fruit to cool before placing in
   storage containers. Be sure to harden the fruit for the first week, making sure to shake contents to distribute any remaining moisture. If condensation builds, put the fruit back in the dehydrator for a while longer.

Tips from Cari Curtis, Master Food Preserver

• Always start with clean, sanitized equipment
• Use ripe fruit and remove any spoiled parts before soaking
• I’ve found that most fruit will naturally release from the trays when done. However, if you have extra sticky fruit then you may spray the trays with a non-stick cooking spray prior to loading.

Photo: Cari Curtis