Strawberry and Cherry Jams

For great jam and jelly recipes, check out the Ball and Sure-Jell sites. I made jam a couple years ago, but it didn't turn out right because I didn't process it long enough. This year, I tried my luck at strawberry and cherry ('cause I couldn't find a cherry pitter). Both are EXCELLENT! You never know what you can do until you try - so try! You just might like it. Happy canning!

SURE.JELL Strawberry Jam Makes: About 8 (1-cup) jars* or 128 servings, 1 Tbsp. each 5 cups prepared fruit (about 2 quarts fully ripe strawberries) 1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin 1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional) 7 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling. STEM and crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 5 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-quart saucepot. STIR pectin into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

* I used pints

SURE.JELL Cherry Jam Makes: About 6 (1-cup) jars*

4 cups prepared fruit (about 3 lb. fully ripe sweet cherries) 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin 5 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl 1/4 tsp. almond extract

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.

STEM and pit cherries. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups of the prepared cherries into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.

STIR pectin into fruit mixture in saucepot. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and extract. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars*, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

*I used pints

Canning Butter

***Edited to say: I don't actually like the taste of canned butter, so disregard what I said about saving it for spreading. That was before I had actually tasted the stuff! At least I will not be saving mine for spreading; but, lot's of people love this stuff. If you try it, you'll figure out what to do with yours.

I recently taught how to can butter at Enrichment Night. Even though our current focus is the Sample Basic Menu, I wanted to include it. I realize butter is not a BASIC, but oil is necessary for cooking, and is recommended as storage. If you are going to can butter, I recommend saving it for spreading. You can use it to cook with; but personally, I'd rather use oil, shortening, and apple sauce, and save the butter to put on hot home made rolls and toast. This recipe is from End Times Report, and is the same method Windy DeWitt uses and has published on page four of this booklet.

CANNING BUTTER

Now you can purchase canned butter from The Internet Grocer http://www.internet-grocer.net/butter.htm or make it yourself using the directions below.

1. Use any butter that is on sale. Lesser quality butter requires more shaking (see #5 below), but the results are the same as with the expensive brands.

2. Heat pint jars in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes, without rings or seals. One pound of butter slightly more than fills one pint jar, so if you melt 11 pounds of butter, heat 12 pint jars. A roasting pan works well for holding the pint jars while in the oven.

3. While the jars are heating, melt butter slowly until it comes to a slow boil. Using a large spatula, stir the bottom of the pot often to keep the butter from scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes at least: a good simmer time will lessen the amount of shaking required (see #5 below). Place the lids in a small pot and bring to a boil, leaving the lids in simmering water until needed.

4. Stirring the melted butter from the bottom to the top with a soup ladle or small pot with a handle, pour the melted butter carefully into heated jars through a canning jar funnel. Leave 3/4" of head space in the jar, which allows room for the shaking process.

5. Carefully wipe off the top of the jars, then get a hot lid from the simmering water, add the lid and ring and tighten securely. Lids will seal as they cool. Once a few lids "ping," shake while the jars are still warm, but cool enough to handle easily, because the butter will separate and become foamy on top and white on the bottom. In a few minutes, shake again, and repeat until the butter retains the same consistency throughout the jar.

6. At this point, while still slightly warm, put the jars into a refrigerator. While cooling and hardening, shake again, and the melted butter will then look like butter and become firm. This final shaking is very important! Check every 5 minutes and give the jars a little shake until they are hardened in the jar! Leave in the refrigerator for an hour.

7. Canned butter should store for 3 years or longer on a cool, dark shelf. [It does last a long time. We have just used up the last of the butter we canned in 1999, and it was fine after 5 years.] Canned butter does not "melt*" again when opened, so it does not need to be refrigerated upon opening, provided it is used within a reasonable length of time.

*It melts. It just doesn't melt and separate like butter sometimes does when left out for long periods of time.

Vegetable Soup with Dumplings and Apricot Jam Recipes

Even though it's not Tuesday, here's my Vegetable Soup recipe. I know it's hot outside, but I like soup. When I made this, I added dumplings 'cause I love 'em, so that recipe is at the end of the soup. And...I had a request for Apricot recipes, so I've also included a few of those! If you would like to see a couple more, please click here. Have a great day and happy cooking!

Vegetable Soup

5 small potatoes
2 celery stalks
13 baby carrots
1 can corn, undrained
3 T. dried onion
1 t. onion powder
beef bouillon to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste
water

Chop vegetables and put in a pot. Add corn. Cover with water and add dry onion and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer until crisp tender.


Dumplings

1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted

Mix dry ingredients together. Add milk and butter to form spongy dough. Drop by spoonfuls into boiling soup. Cook 15 minutes or until dumplings float to the top. (These seem to like hanging out around the top anyway, so just watch them. They poof up while cooking, so if the balls are a little bigger to start out with, they'll take longer to cook. Mine are usually done at about 8 min.).

All of these recipes are from the Ball Home Canning link on the right side of the page. (It's a new link). These processing times are for sea level, so remember your altitude conversion!

Silky Apricot Butter

Makes about 6 (8 oz) half pints

You will need:
2 lb apricots, peeled, halved and pitted (about 24 medium)
1/2 cup water
3 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
6 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:
1.) COMBINE apricots and water in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until apricots are soft, about 20 minutes.

2.) TRANSFER apricot mixture to a food mill or a food processor fitted with a metal blade, working in batches, and purée just until a uniform texture is achieved. Do not liquefy. Measure 6 cups of apricot purée.

3.) COMBINE apricot purée and sugar in a clean large stainless steel saucepan. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and holds its shape on a spoon. Stir in lemon juice.

4.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

5.) LADLE hot butter into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

6.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Fresh Apricot Jam

Makes about 6 (8 oz) half pints

You will need:
3-1/2 cups finely chopped apricots (about 30 medium)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 3-oz pouch Ball® Liquid Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp butter or margarine, optional
5-3/4 cups sugar
6 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands


Directions:
1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

2.) COMBINE prepared apricots with lemon juice and sugar in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Add up to 1/2 tsp butter or margarine to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring frequently.

3.) ADD pectin, immediately squeezing entire contents from pouch. Continue hard boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary

4.) LADLE hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

5.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Apricot Freezer Jam (with Original Pectin)

Makes about 6 (8 oz) half pints

View half-serving recipe >

You will need:
2-1/2 cups chopped pitted apricots (about 21 medium)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup water
1 1.75-oz pkg Ball® Original Fruit Pectin
5-1/2 cups sugar
6 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:
1.) COMBINE prepared apricots with lemon juice in a large bowl. Add sugar, mixing thoroughly. Let stand 10 minutes.

2.) COMBINE 3/4 cup water and pectin in a small saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute, continuing to stir.

3.) ADD cooked pectin mixture to fruit mixture. Stir for 3 minutes.

4.) LADLE freezer jam into clean freezer jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Apply caps and let jam stand in refrigerator until set, but no longer than 24 hours. Serve immediately, refrigerate up to 3 weeks, or freeze up to 1 year.

Apricot Freezer Jam (with No Sugar Needed Pectin)

Makes about 4 to 5 (8 oz) half pints

You will need:
3 cups finely chopped apricots (about 27 medium)
1-3/4 cups unsweetened white grape or apple juice
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1.75-oz pkg Ball® No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin
Up to 3 cups sugar, 1-1/2 cups SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular, 3/4 to 1 cup honey, or desired amount of other artificial sweeteners (optional)
4 to 5 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:
1.) GRADUALLY ADD pectin into white grape or apple juice until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

2.) IMMEDIATELY ADD prepared apricots into hot pectin mixture. Stir vigorously for 1 minute. Stir in sugar, SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular, other artificial sweetener, or honey according to the directions above.

3.) LADLE freezer jam into clean freezer jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Apply caps and let jam stand in refrigerator until set, but no longer than 24 hours. Serve immediately, refrigerate up to 3 weeks, or freeze up to 1 year.