Canning & Preserving For Dummies
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You can use canned raspberries and blueberries to make smoothies or pies, and they make a sweet addition to oatmeal. When canning and preserving berries, you want perfect whole berries that aren't soft or mushy.

Canned Raspberries

With soft berries, like raspberries, boysenberries, and blackberries, you don’t have to cook the berries before canning. Simply place them in your canning jars and pour hot syrup over them. This recipe explains how to can raspberries, but you can use it to can any other soft berry the same way. For sweeter canned berries, use medium syrup.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Processing time: Pints, 15 minutes; quarts, 20 minutes

Yield: 8 pints or 4 quarts

12 pounds raspberries

Sugar syrup, light

  1. Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

    Keep the jars and lids hot.

  2. Wash the berries gently in cold water to firm them and remove any stems or hulls. Meanwhile, bring the sugar syrup to a boil.

  3. Pack berries loosely into your prepared jars and pour boiling hot sugar syrup over them, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

    Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding more sugar syrup as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

  4. Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 15 minutes (pints) or 20 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

  5. Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts.

    After the jars cool completely, test the seals. If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 138 (From fat 8); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 34g (Dietary fiber 12g); Protein 2g.

Canned Blueberries

When you can hard berries (like blueberries and cranberries), you boil the berries and sugar together before filling the jars. This recipe shows you how to can blueberries. Follow the same directions for any other type of hard berry. For sweeter canned berries, use medium syrup.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Processing time: Pints, 15 minutes; quarts, 20 minutes

Yield: 8 pints or 4 quarts

10 pounds blueberries

Sugar syrup, light

Boiling water

  1. Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

    Keep the jars and lids hot.

  2. Wash the berries gently in cold water to firm them and remove any stems or hulls.

  3. Measure the berries into a saucepan and add 1/2 cup sugar for each quart of berries. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

    In a large pot, bring water for your reserve to a boil.

  4. Ladle the hot berries and liquid into your prepared jars, adding boiling water if there isn’t enough liquid to fill the jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

    Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding more berries and water as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

  5. Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 15 minutes (pints) or 20 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

  6. Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts.

    After the jars cool completely, test the seals. If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 124 (From fat 3); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 32g (Dietary fiber 6g); Protein 1g.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Marni Wasserman is passionate about real food. She inspires people to eat well and live well everyday. She shares many of her recipes and tips at www.marniwasserman.com. Amy Jeanroy is passionate about healthy, homemade foods and has been making and eating fermented food for 20 years. She shares daily recipes on her site, www.thefarmingwife.com.

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