Plum Syrup Canning Recipe

So you may remember this picture...

From this post Banana Stuffed French Toast with Plum Syrup

Yes, I'm drooling just looking at it! I have had a whole lot of requests for the syrup recipe, but couldn't find it anywhere. Distressing? I know!! Well, my food storage shelf is now empty right where the plum syrup should be so I felt extra motivated to find the recipe. Yippee!

Plum Syrup

10 cups plum juice (I use a steam juicer, but you can get the juice whatever way works for you)
14 cups sugar
1 pouch *Certo liquid pectin

Bring juice and sugar to a rolling boil (one that doesn't stop when you stir). Add pectin and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute (this activates the pectin).

Makes 4 quarts + 1 cup

**This is the recipe doubled. I find it too tedious to split a liquid pectin into two parts. But you can make it that way if you want smaller portions.

* You will get different thicknesses of syrup depending on the pectin you use, but this is the one I like.

To can this recipe you can process your jars of syrup in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. This is my favorite site for canning instructions:

Pick Your Own- Plum Jelly

How to can Spicy Pickled Carrots

I am all about simplifying my life, so I searched the internet high and low for instructions on how to cold-pack carrots. All I found was hot-pack and refrigerated recipes. Finally I caught my break at the grocery store where a kind lady told me just how to do it. (One of the many perks of living in a small town is the friendly grocery store visits!!)

What you will need:
3 lbs of Carrots
4 Jalapeños
4 teaspoons Dill
4 teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 Tablespoons Dry minced garlic
1/3 cup Canning Salt
3 cups White Vinegar
3 cups Water

Boiling Water Canner or Large Stock Pot
4-6 quart pot
7 pint canning jars, lids and bands

Fill your canner/stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Let the jars boil for at least a minute to sanitize. You can skip this step if you want to sanitize them in your dishwasher.

Peel carrots and slice into sticks. Rinse them in a large bowl of water and leave them sitting in water until ready to use.

Cut jalapeños into quarter strips leaving the seeds in them. Set aside.

In your 6 quart pot bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil.

Mix your three spices in a little cup.

Fill your hot sanitized jars with carrots and 1-3 strips of jalapeño. Add 2 teaspoons of the spice mix to each jar and fill with the hot liquid. Be sure to leave 1/2 - 1 inch headspace in each jar. Place a clean lid on each jar and screw the bands on.

Put the jars in your hot water bath and bring to a boil- make sure they are covered in at least one inch of water above the lid. Boil for 15 minutes (if you are below 3000 feet boil for 10 minutes).

Remove from hot water and cool on a towel in a draft free area. Make sure the seal button has depressed on each jar before storing.

FYI: I always reuse my lids if the rubber seal looks good and the metal isn't bent. I just learned that I shouldn't do that...although I probably still will for some things... just be aware. :o)

How to Can Peaches

You will need:

Fruit

Ladle or cup with a pouring spout

Quart Jars

Sugar

Water

A Water Bath Canner

           

Directions

1. Choose peaches that are ripe and sweet- as ripe as you would like to eat them fresh.

It takes about 5 peaches to fill one quart jar (so you will need about 15 pounds to make 6 quarts).

 

2. Prep the jars and lids

Place the jars in the dishwasher and run it on a hot rinse so they get hot and sanitized. If not you can just boil them for 10 minutes.

 

3. Wash and slice the peaches

Wash the peaches in cold water. Peel them. Slice them and remove the pits. You can either can them as halves or slices.

4. Bring the syrup to a light boil and remove from heat

I pack my peaches in a light syrup. Sugar helps improve flavor, stabilize color and retain  the shape of the fruit.

Syrup Recipe (yields 6 quarts)

2 cups sugar + 6 cups water = 7 cups of syrup

5. Fill the jars

Remove the hot jars from the dishwasher and fill them with the fresh sliced fruit. Pour hot syrup over the fruit and fill until there is only a 1/2 inch headspace (1/2 inch to the top of the jars rim). Remove any air bubbles with a wooden or plastic spoon (do not use metal). Wipe the rim of the jar, add the lid and screw on a band.

 6. Process the jars in a hot water bath

Put the jars in the canner and covered them with water. Boil for 20-35 minutes depending on altitude (we are at 6000 ft and I did them for 30 minutes).

7. Remove and cool

Remove jars from water and cool. Gently press the center of each lid to make sure it sealed before storing in a cool, dark dry place.

Canning Apple Pie Filling

This makes, hands down, the best apple pie ever!! It is the only apple pie that disappears in less than 24 hours in my household!

How to can Apple Pie Filling

You will need the following:
7 Quart canning jars
A cold pack canning pot or large stock pot with water 
Around 50 crisp apples peeled and sliced (crisp apples will still be a little crisp in your finished pie)
Syrup (recipe below)

Clean jars and lids. Fill to about an inch from the rim with peeled and sliced apples, pack them in so you can have lots of apples in your pie. Pour the prepared syrup over the apples until the syrup is just 3/4 to an inch from the rim. Get rid of as many bubbles as you can with a knife or canning wand. Place lids and bands on jars until nice and snug (no need to make it super tight). Place in pot with enough hot water to cover jars completely. Allow to process or boil for 20-25 minutes. Remove from water and set on a towel on your counter until the lids pop to seal. Store in a cool dry place.


Syrup recipe:
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp. cinnamon*
1/4 tsp. cardamom or nutmeg (I personally can't stand nutmeg so I use cardamom)
1 tsp. salt
10 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix the dry ingredients and then add the wet. Stir until well dissolved (it will get a light gummy texture).

When baking with this filling just use your favorite crust recipe and bake until the crust is perfectly golden as the apples are already partially cooked.

*If you like lots of cinnamon in your pie add an extra Tbsp. of cinnamon. Jesse is quite the fan of cinnamon, so that's what I do.