Canning fruit is NOT hard!

I helped my mom bottle lots of things as a kid but when it came time for me to be a grownup and do it myself, I wasn't sure how to do it. So, I called my mom. That was in 1980 when I was a new bride and had been given some free pears. I rounded up some bottles, new lids and followed my mom's instructions.

Whether you have old bottles and free fruit or have to buy everything new, bottled fruit is so much tastier than store bought. So get some fruit and get going!!

It's been 32 years since I first bottled my own fruit and I still use my mom's instructions. It's the same for apricots, peaches, pears and apples. Other people do it other ways, I like the way my mom did it.

Round up everything you'll need:

Bottles - wide or small mouth jars, they have to be able to accept a lid that will seal
White sugar
Wide mouth funnel
Large bowls
Knives (including one butter knife)
Rings (that screw onto the bottles)
New lids to match the size of your jars (if you are using old jars)
Lemon juice (just to put in the water with the cut fruit before it goes in the jars)

Find a friend. It's way more fun to bottle fruit with a friend!

1) Put 1 cup warm water in each jar. (Hopefully you have enough fruit to do at least seven quarts, the amount a canner will hold.) Use the wide mouth funnel to pour 1/2 cup sugar into each jar. Stir until dissolved. (If you don't, it might cake in the bottom of the jar.)

2) Fill your kettle with water and put on medium heat to get it heating up. You don't want the water to get too hot before you put the filled jars in or they might crack. But you do want to get it heating so it doesn't take so long to get to a boil.

3) Put your clean, new lids in a saucepan with water and start simmering. (Not the rings.)

4) Prepare your fruit. Different fruits require different prep. Wash all fruit before beginning but don't let it sit in water or it might become mushy.

Apricots - cut in half, take out the pit, cut any bad spots off.
Peaches - blanche, slit skin and peel it off, use knife to cut into the pit into slices and they will fall off. Or half and take the pit out. (I do mine in slices, then they are ready for a pie, crisp or whatever.)
Pears - peel with a vegetable peeler, cut in half, use a Victorio pear corer. They are the BEST tool to use for pears. I've had mine for 35 years!
Apples - use a handy dandy apple corer/slicer/peeler. You will jump for joy at how dang easy this thing makes bottling apples! Cut off any bad spots.

As you cut the fruit, put it into cool water in a large bowl with about a cup of lemon juice added to keep it from browning.

5) When you have lots of cut fruit, pack your jars. Make sure the sugar is dissolved! Pack it tight to about 3/4" from the top. Use a butter knife to slide down inside and get any air bubbles out. Then fill with water if it needs it. Peaches and pears are juicy and might not need extra water. Apples seem to need a little extra.

6) Wipe off the top of each jar with a clean, damp rag or paper towel. Using tongs, get a hot lid from the stove. Place on top, screw a ring on, comfortably tight and place on rack in kettle. When you have seven on the rack, lower it. The bottles need to be covered by at least 1" of water, 2" is ok.

7) Turn heat to high. It needs to come to a full rolling boil, then set your timer for 25 minutes. (It takes a while ...) I know many people time for 30 or more minutes. My mom always did 20. I usually do 25 just to be safe. You could let it go longer if you are a worrier.

When the timer goes off, turn off the stove. Lift the rack so it sits on the edge of the pan. Use hot pads or a glove or tool to remove the jars. Be careful!! They are hot. Set jars on a cutting board or towel to sop up any juice that seeps out. Don't feel the tops of the lids to see if they are sealed, they need to do that by themselves! A favorite memory of mine from my childhood is the sound of the lids "popping." I love it! When they are sealed, wash with warm water if they are sticky. Let them dry. Mark them with the year and store for delicious fruit in the middle of winter!!

See! I told you it was easy!!!

What I did on my spring/summer "vacation"

I haven't blogged for a while. I've been doing projects - you know, those things you put on a list and then hopefully find time to do. And time is key right now - I have plenty of it, being unemployed and all. So in a few weeks I will come back and list my accomplishments and post pictures. And even though it might look like I'm done, I will still have more projects in the works. I like it like that.