Making Caramel

There are 2 reasons you dont' can caramel.  1:  it's to dense to can and 2:  it's a dairy product.  It is not safe to store in the pantry when done this way.  This must be stored in the refrigerator.

I am making Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving dinner and it just wouldn't taste the same without some of my yummy caramel on top.

This also makes a great addition to gift baskets.

To make this caramel you will need

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (or as many as you want)
• 3 of the 4 ounce ball jars
• A pot to boil them in

Directions:
Open the milk and pour into the 3 jars.  Wipe the rims of your jars with a damp paper towel and put on your lids and rings.  Tighten finger tight.

Put in your pot and cover with water by at least one or two inches. 

Do not set the jars directly on the bottom of the pot.  Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and boil steadily for 3 hours.  

It is imperative that you keep an eye on the pot and add more boiling water as needed to keep the jars covered at all times and always boiling until the 3 hours is up.

Place on counter to cool.  Remove Rings and Wash jars.  Label and Store in the refrigerator.  I have kept it this way for 6 months but it will keep at least a year, it just doesn't last us that long.  

Crab Apple Jelly

When I finished up at the farmer's market today I came home with about 6 or 7 pounds of Crab Apples.  I thought I would try out my steam juicer.

Here's a photo of the one I have.

 Before jumping into making jelly, I decided to show you how the steam juicer works.

the Juicer comes in several parts. 

The base has a heavy bottom that you fill 3/4 full with water when you are ready to juice your fruit.

The center pot collects the juice as it drips from the fruit

The top section is the strainer where you put your fruit.

Once your top basket is filled with fruit you put on the lid and bring the kettle to a boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a slow steady boil and start your timer.  My apples will take 60 minutes.  The juice will drain to the center pot and when ready you drain it off into jars for canning or another pot if you are going to use it right then.

Now here is what I did to make my juice and then my jelly.

First I washed my crabapples in lukewarm water.

I dumped them into the strainer and put on the lid.

I turned the heat on high and got my water boiling.  Once it was boiling I turned the heat down a little and set my timer for 60 minutes.  I set an extra pot on my barstool and when the juice was ready to drain from the middle pan I could release the clamp and drain the juice into the extra pot to use for making jelly. 

Here's how to prepare Crab Apple juice if you don't have a steam juicer

The following yields 1 1/22 cups of Crabapple juice.

You will need: 1 1/4 lbs (17 medium) crabapples and 1 cup + 2 Tbsp water.

1. WASH; crush one layer at a time using a potato masher.
2. PLACE in a saucepan. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
3. STRAIN mixture through dampened jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth to extract juice. Let juice drip, undisturbed, for 2 to 4 hours. Note: Squeezing the jelly bag may cause jelly to be cloudy.

1. Wash; remove stem and blossom ends; do not peel or core. Cut into chunks.
2. Combine fruit chunks and water in a saucepan. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crush and simmer additional 5 minutes.
3. Strain mixture through dampened jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth to extract juice. Let juice drip, undisturbed, for 2 to 4 hours. Note: Squeezing the jelly bag may cause jelly to be cloudy.

Ingredients needed to make Crab Apple Jelly

Yields 6 half pints jars (with a little left over)

4 1/2 cups of juice

5 cups of white sugar

1 box regular Pectin or 6 tbsp of Ball Classic Pectin 

A pat of butter (optional, to reduce foaming)

If you don't want to use added pectin, then just mix equal amounts of  juice and sugar in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir constantly until the jelly sheets from a spoon.  I'm always in a hurry and don't use this method.  I add pectin to mine because it's quick and I'm sure to get a good jelly that sets up well.

If using pectin

• Combine prepared juice in an 8-quart stainless steel pot.
• Gradually stir in pectin.
• Add butter, if using.
• Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
• Add entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve.
• Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.

For either method
• Ladle hot jelly into clean, hot sterile jars. 
• Leave 1/4 inch headspace.
• Wipe rims of jars with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar to clean and ensure a good seal.
• Put on lids and rings and tighten down finger tight.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. 
• Turn off heat, Remove lid and wait 5 minutes before taking jars out of canner.
• Remove jars from canner and place on counter to cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
•  Clean and store jars in a cool, dark place.

If you live at a higher altitude.  Adjust your processing time.

Syrups for Canning Fruit

Syrups 

Adding syrup to canned fruit helps to retain its flavor, color, and shape. It does not prevent spoilage of these foods.  Quantities of water and sugar to make enough syrup for a canner load of pints or quarts are provided for each syrup type.

Procedure: Heat water and sugar together. Bring to a boil and pour over raw fruits in jars. For hot packs, bring water and sugar to boil, add fruit, reheat to boil, and fill into jars immediately.

Other sweeteners: Light corn syrups or mild-flavored honey may be used to replace up to half the table sugar called for in syrups.

Table 1. Preparing and using syrups.
		Measures of Water and Sugar
Syrup Type	Approx. % Sugar	For 9-Pt Load (1)		For 7-Qt Load		Fruits Commonly packed in syrup (2)
		Cups Water	Cups Sugar	Cups Water	Cups Sugar
Very Light	10	6-1/2	3/4	10-1/2	1-1/4	Approximates natural sugar levels in most fruits and adds the fewest calories.
Light	20	5-3/4	1-1/2	9	2-1/4	Very sweet fruit. Try a small amount the first time to see if your family likes it.
Medium	30	5-1/4	2-1/4	8-1/4	3-3/4	Sweet apples, sweet cherries, berries, grapes.
Heavy	40	5	3-1/4	7-3/4	5-1/4	Tart apples, apricots, sour cherries, gooseberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums.
Very Heavy	50	4-1/4	4-1/4	6-1/2	6-3/4	Very sour fruit. Try a small amount the first time to see if your family likes it.
This information was obtained from NCFHFP Website

Do I need to add Lemon Juice to Applesauce?

I recently answered a question in a canning group as to why The Ball Blue Book and the Ball Website have different recipes for making applesauce.  The Blue Book doesn't say to add lemon juice to the sauce but the website does.  I explained that adding lemon juice just helps the sauce maintain a good color and that I would contact Ball for verification.  Below is the question I sent to Ball and their reply to me.  Lemon Juice in Applesauce is optional, but does help it to keep a good color over time.

 

9/30, 7:52pm

Kathy Wellman

Someone asked me why the Ball Blue book doesn't say to put lemon juice in applesauce and the recipe on the site says that you do put lemon juice in apple sauce. Here's a link to the one on the site. I told them the lemon juice was probably just to help the sauce maintain a good color over time but wanted to ask you about it to make sure. Can you give me an answer? Thanks for the help.

Applesauce

www.freshpreserving.com

Makes about 8 (16 oz) pints<br /> Kids of all ages will love this delicious homemade applesauce for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Mix sweet and tart apples for a unique flavor.

Today

11:28am

 

Ball® Canning & Recipes

Hi Kathy! You are correct! The lemon juice does act as a color protector. Either recipe will work for home canning, so it simply comes down to a personal preference. Thank you for the question.