Canning - The Sweeter Side of Canning (James, Jellies, Preserves, Etc.)

By Hklbrries

Recipes in collection associated with this article: Blueberry Blackberry Jelly, Brandied Apricot Preserves, Peach Jam, Pear Apple Jam, Plum and Crabapple Jam.


This is the fun part of canning class.

Jams, jellies, preserves, marmalades and other spreads are easy and fun. They make great gifts and there are almost endless possibilities.

Did I mention that they're delicious?

They're not foolproof. Pectin can be picky, and testing for gel sometimes feels like a guessing game.

The general rules are the same as for other canning recipes: Follow the directions carefully, add ingredients in order and process in a boiling water canner.

Here's what you need to know to make spreads as good as anything at the supermarket and worthy of gift-giving:

Soft spreads are made from the same basic ingredients. Fruit, sugar, pectin and acid are needed.

Preparation varies a bit, but here are the most common spreads:

Butters: Made of thickened fruit pulp cooked with sugar and spices until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

Conserves: A jam-like spread that generally contains nuts, raisins and/or coconut. They're more popular in Europe than the U.S.

Jams: Jams are made by cooking crushed or chopped fruit with sugar. The consistency is usually less firm than jelly.

Jellies: Juice strained from fruit is used to make jellies. It doesn't contain any solid pieces of fruit and holds its shape when scooped from the jar.

Marmalades: Soft fruit spreads containing small pieces of fruit or peel suspended in a clear jelly.

Preserves: Made from small, evenly sized pieces of fruit suspended in thick or slightly gelled syrup.

Chutneys are actually pickled because they contain vinegar. Look for chutney recipes in next Wednesday's story on pickling and sauerkraut.

Start with the best fruit. Don't use soft, overripe fruit on the verge of mold. For the best jams and jellies, fruit should be slightly underripe or just barely ripe, which has a higher amount of natural pectin. Wash fresh fruit under cold, running water or with several changes of water. Spreads can also be made from unsweetened frozen fruit or canned fruits.

Pectin is not interchangeable in recipes. Pectin is naturally found in many fruits and is essential for proper gel formation.

Recipes that do not call for added pectin rely on the pectin naturally found in the fruit to make the gel. They have less sugar but must be cooked longer.

Tart apples, Concord grapes, sour blackberries, cranberries, currants, gooseberries, quince and sour plums are high in natural pectin. Fruits with low pectin content include: apricots, blueberries, sweet cherries, peaches, pineapple, rhubarb, strawberries and raspberries.

Commercial pectin is added to help other fruit spreads with gelling. They come in liquid and powder form and cannot be substituted for one another. Be sure to follow the recipe instructions for the type of pectin and refer to the manufacturer's directions for use.

Also, old pectin may not gel, so new pectin should be purchased every year. Store it in a cool, dry place.

Traditional pectins require a delicate balance of sugar, fruit and pectin. So, if you're making a reduced or no-sugar spread, simply cutting the sugar in a traditional recipe will not work.

However, using a modified pectin (those you see at the supermarket that are marked for use in low and no-sugar recipes) will work. For more details, look below in the section on "Reduced and No-Sugar Spreads."

Acid adds flavor and helps the gel form. It also varies depending on the fruit. Lemon juice is generally added to recipes low in natural acid. One tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of fruit juice or pulp is the standard recommendation. Citric acid can be substituted for lemon juice, with 1/8 teaspoon citric acid replacing each tablespoon.

Sugar is required for gel formation. It also flavors and helps to preserve the jam. Jams and jellies made with traditional pectins contain 65 to 68 percent sugar. Both cane and beet sugar are fine.

Honey can be substituted for half of the sugar in recipes that do not call for pectin and for 1/4 of the sugar in recipes with added pectin. These spreads will have a slightly darker color and different flavor than those made with sugar.

Light corn syrup can also replace sugar. In recipes without added pectin, 1/4 of the sugar can be replaced with corn syrup. When powered pectin is used, corn syrup can replace half the sugar. In recipes calling for liquid pectin, you can replace up to 2 cups sugar with corn syrup.

Testing for gelling can be done three ways. You need only test for gelling in recipes for long-cook jams and those that do not call for added pectin.

Use a jelly or candy thermometer to see that your mixture reaches the right temperature. At sea level, it should reach 220 degrees, at 1,000 feet it should be 218 degrees, at 2,000 feet it should be 216 degrees and at 3,000 feet 214 degrees.

Use the sheet or spoon test. To do it: Dip a cool metal spoon into the boiling mixture and raise it about a foot above the pan and out of the steam. Turn the spoon so the liquid runs off the side. It is done when it forms two drops that flow together and sheet (or hang) off the edge of the spoon.

To test for gel using the freezer test, pour a small amount of boiling jelly on a plate and put it in the freezer for a few minutes. If the mixture gels, it should be done. Take the rest of the jelly off the stove while you do this test.

Low and no-sugar jams and jellies won't be the same as their traditional counterparts. They're softer, more tart and more opaque. Extension agents recommend experimenting with different methods to find the one you like best.

In general, it is easiest to use a modified pectin (those marked for use with low or no-sugar required at the supermarket) and follow the insert instructions.

To use non-nutrative sweeteners (saccharin, aspartame or sucralose), you must use a modified pectin. Follow the directions in the pectin package for best results.

There are other gel substitutes such as Instant Clear Gel or Quick Thick (both modified starches), and agar flakes. Recipes for those products can be found on a handout offered by Washington State University extension offices called "Fruit Spreads: Reduced and No-Sugar Options."

Since low and no-sugar spreads are more susceptible to spoiling, they should be stored in the refrigerator. They'll keep about three weeks. Throw them out if there is any sign of mold.

Give them a bath. Jams, jellies, marmalades and other soft spreads need to be processed in a boiling water canner. Outdated recipes may not call for processing, but it is necessary to make them shelf stable. It kills mold spores and makes a vacuum seal. Recipes from many sources are generally safe to use, although they may need added steps for processing since open kettle canning and the use of paraffin wax is no longer recommended.

Leave 1/4 inch of headspace and don't forget to adjust processing times in recipes for altitude. Processing time must be lengthened when canning at elevations higher than 1,000 feet above sea level.

For elevations between 1,000 and 3,000 feet, add five minutes of processing time to those given in the recipes. For elevations between 3,000 and 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes. At 6,000 to 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes.

Step-by-step instructions for water bath canning were included in two previous stories in our canning series. Find them online at www.spokesman review.com/food or in the July 23 or July 30 editions in the Food section.

There are some common problems you can avoid. To reduce foaming in jams, jellies and spreads, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of butter or margarine when cooking.

When making jelly, follow the directions for heating fruit to extract juice. Place it in a jelly bag for straining (several layers of cheesecloth in a colander also work) but be sure not to squeeze the bag. If you do, fruit fibers will cloud the juice and your jelly won't be clear.

Jellied products are best if they are not stored longer than six months. Throw them out if they develop any signs of mold.

If your jams or jellies didn't set, use them for syrup. Or, you can remake them. Instructions for remaking jelly and jam can be found on the Fresh Sheet blog at www.spokesmanreview. com/blogs/freshsheet.

There also are links to extension service publications on making jam and jelly and more recipes.

Ingredients

• _ _ _

Preparation

Step 1

_ _ _