A few years ago I decided that I wanted to try to can some fruit cocktail. Let me tell you it was so much better than the store bought in a can. My son would open a pint sized jar and eat the entire jar himself. He absolutely loved it. I hope to can some more sometime soon. I just need to get some more lids for my canning jars and I also need to get the fruit to can. You can make this anytime of the year if you buy your fruit at the grocery store.
When I made it I bought pears, peaches, apples, grapes and maraschino cherries in a jar. I peeled the pears, peaches and apples. I used the cold pack method to pack my jars. Then I poured the hot simple syrup on top.
Simple Syrup:
6 cups water
2 cups sugar
By using the cold pack method you can put in as many of each piece of fruit that you want in your jar. I packed it tight then ladled the simple syrup in each jar leaving a 1 inch head space at the top.
I used pint sized jars, but you can use quart sized if you like.
I used a water bath canner.
I processed 7 pint jars for 20 minutes.
* I bought the maraschino cherries and added them to each jars.
* I'm using my blog as my cookbook in case I loose my recipes. :)
Angela
I decided I would can some apples. With all that is going on I wanted to make sure we had something to eat that would be good and healthy for my family. I ordered two bags of apples from Sams. The recipes that I looked at suggested you use two different types of apples so I bought Granny Smith and Fuji.
I went by the
recipe from my Ball Blue Book guide to preserving. I did it a little
different though. I didn't soak the apples in a lemon juice water mixture so
they wouldn't brown. I peel the apples fast enough that they don't have
time to brown.
I made a simple syrup using 5 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/4 cups of sugar. Once the apples were peeled I put them in the simple syrup to heat them until they were a little tender. You want them to be soft enough so it will be easier to put them in the jars.
Once the apples are ready I spoon them into the jars then use a ladle to add the simple syrup in the jars leaving a 1 inch headspace.
As I get each jar filled I put them in my water bath canner until I have it full of jars. I used seven pint sized jars.
This is what they looked like when I took them out of my water bath canner.
My Recipe:
5 pounds Granny Smith Apples
5 pounds Fuji Apples
* you can use any variety of apples or even three different types of apples if you like
Simple Syrup:
5 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cup sugar
I peeled 16 apples. I cut them in half and quartered them taking off the core. Once I had them sliced I added them to the simple syrup for around 5 minutes until they were soft. I used my funnel to spoon them into my pint jars. I then used a ladle to spoon the simple syrup into the jars leaving a 1 inch headspace. I used a wet dish towel to wipe off the rims of the jars then I put the lid and ring on. As I get each jar filled I place it in my canner using the jar lifter because the jar will be hot.
I used a water bath canner.
Process them for 20 minutes.
* I had 6 apples left that I didn't peel from my 10 pounds of apples that I used for make 7 pint jars of apples.
Angela
