I have many fond memories of Mom's canned blueberries when we lived in Ontario and how us kids would pretend the purple juice was our "medicine". Can't wait for my girls to take their medicine!
I used to be so afraid of canning, but really, just read the instructions and follow them. Don't take short cuts, and always put your best fruit in the jar. It won't come out looking better than it went in. No food does. That is the best thing I have learned about canning and freezing...only the best goes in because it won't miraculously convert to something wonderful in the freezer. Throw it out or use it in muffins, etc.
Anyhow...onto the canning of the saskatoons. I often give a lot of detail, but this is for my girls benefit.
First, gather your troops to pick the fresh berries. Sing and pick and eat |
Silly little plastic containers that I didn't throw away from the stores. The air holes work wonderfully and they stack so nicely. |
Sorted berries, took some time, but well worth it. Biggest and best for the jars! |
Canning Fruit
I use a ratio of 1:3 white sugar and water and hot water bath my jars of peaches for 20 mins and saskatoons for 15 mins.
Syrup ~ 1 cup white sugar to 3 cups of water. I used 12 cups water for 7 quarts. Lids in hot water, clean jars in hot water. This is sterilizing and getting ready. |
Fill the jars up as much as possible by shaking and gently banging the bottom of the jars on the counter to settle the berries. Unless you like more syrup and less berries ~ |
Middle jar first. The water has already boiled. Jars are hot. Syrup is hot. Otherwise you will have cracking or bursting jars. |
Add the other jars alternating side to side so it doesn't tip over |
Canning Hot Water Bath time it after it returns to a boil |
Remember to wash jars off once they have cooled. Otherwise in the winter you may give yourself a hernia trying to get the lid off |
Approx. 35 lbs of saskatoons in the freezer. |
We have since learned a trick with taking off the stems. Freeze clean berries, then when they are frozen, just roll around a bit and all the stems are OFF!
The Pectin I used for the Rhubarb-Saskatoon Jam |
So yummy. It was great warm and then warmed up on waffles the next morning. |
Saskatoon-Rhubarb Jam
8 cups chopped up rhubarb
1 cup water
Start to simmer this while you get your berries ready to go in
Add 12 cups saskatoons
1/2 cup white sugar mixed with your pectin
1 box of no sugar Pectin
Stir up and get to boiling, stirring constantly for 1 minute or so.
Add 2 1/2 cups white sugar, stirring and reducing heat.
Taste it, add more sugar if you need, more berries if you want even. It is not rocket science. Flavors blend more as it sits.
Place
in hot jars, fill with hot jam, clean jar rim, place hot lid on hot
jar. Set aside on a towel and wait for the POP POP POP. Label and
store. I leave mine on the counter for 24 hours to make sure they have
sealed before I take them to the root cellar.
Notice I say HOT a lot ~ it is important to have everything hot, it sterilizes and seals your food.This post has been shared on the Homestead Revival Blog Hop ~ Click HERE
They are very deprived, I grew up on the farm, we ate anything and everything!
ReplyDeletehttp://theredeemedgardener.blogspot.com/2012/02/veggie-seed-give-away.html
I've just stumbled across your blog - I was looking for canning saskatoons! I want to try canning this summer (fingers crossed anyway - might not have enough berries to bother).
ReplyDelete