What?  Why?  How?!!!

What to do with an abundance of fresh fruit at their peak of ripeness?… Can it!  No, not trash it… Can it, as in preserve it.  Yes, imagine 6 yummy 1/2 pint jars of summer goodness in the chill of winter…

Mmmm. 🙂

It’s fairly cool during the summer at 8000′ elevation in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, so any time of the year is canning time.   I don’t usually worry about over heating the house with cooking and canning.  Maina being in Texas might want to use a crock-pot to cook her fruit, this saves the house from excess heat.  Then the canning process can also be done outside on a reliable propane heat source.

Canning is a great option when local produce is plentiful and on sale. I bought locally grown Colorado Palisade Peaches for .99 cents a pound!  The large box of blueberries was on special for $2.99, and apples were $1.99 for a 3 pound bag.  We ate some of the fruit and froze some for smoothies and made preserves.  What a deal!  Shop the farmer markets and watch the sale papers

  Eat it, Freeze it, Can it!

 Apple, Blueberry, Peach Preserves

 What you’ll need: 

• 6  1/2 pint mason jars
• water bath canner
• large pot or crock-pot
• 2 pounds apples (core and slice or cut in chunks, no need to peel)
• 1 pound peaches (remove pits and slice or cut in chunks, no need to peel)
• 1/2 pound blueberries
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups demarara sugar (or your choice of sweetener: raw, coconut or palm sugar)

Core and slice apples, remove pits and slice peaches, no need to peel, add blueberries and remaining ingredients to pot or crock-pot.  Save the apple cores for the horses!

Don’t freak out over the amount of sugar!  If you do the math it works out to 16 tsp of sugar per 1/2 pint jar.  Now think about the amount used to spread on a piece of toast… Whew, and it’s way better than store bought.  Homemade with no preservatives or artificial anything.

        Cooking directions: 

• Stove top:  Add all ingredients to pot.  Bring to boil, stirring to keep from sticking.  Reduce heat to medium. Cook 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes till fruit and skins are soft.
• Crock-pot option:  Add all ingredients to crock-pot and cook 3-5 hours till fruit and skins are soft.
• Mashing:  I prefer it chunky so I use a potato masher. Immersion blender, mixer and food processor all produce different results. Mash it to your liking.

         Preserving the Harvest: 

• Water bath can:  Ladle into sterilized jars leaving 1/2″ head space. Process 15 minutes for 1/2 pint jars.  Adjusting head space and processing time for your altitude (high altitudes need more head space and time).

Another option is freezing (good for 1 year) in glass or plastic containers or freezer bags.

Remember to label and date your jars 🙂

More uses:  Stir into smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, topping for ice cream, filling for cake, tarts, cobbler…

Enjoy a taste of summer in winter!

  Namasté

M&M