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Latest Changes - All Parts
See the differences
file for a complete, chronologically ordered sequence of changes.
I. The techniques of food preserving (Parts 2-5)
A. Canning (Part 2)A.1.1 What do I *really* need to know about canning?
Basically, canning food is preserving food by: 1) placing it in an
hermetically sealable container, then 2) applying a heat treatment that will
destroy microorganisms and inactivate enzymes that would spoil the
product or render it unsafe. (from Jean Bergeron, foodchemist,
What you absolutely need to know is whether your product is highly acidic (low pH) or not. High acid foods, like fruits and pickles, can be canned in a boiling waterbath; relatively low acid foods, like vegetables and meats, need to be pressure canned. You also need to know what your altitude is, because the higher you are, the lower the boiling temperature of water. Since you are creating an anerobic state, you need to be concerned about _C. botulinum_ toxin. For a more detailed discussion on botulism, see Part 8, Section D
In addition, you also need to know that working with pH is not like working with most things. pH is measured on a logorithmic (base 10) scale. What that means is that if one liquid has a pH of 7.0 (like water) and another liquid has a pH of 3 (like a 5% vinegar solution), if you mix them equally (equal amounts of each by volume), you can't average the pHs to get a pH of 5. A pH of 3 is 10,000 times more acidic than a pH of 7 (which is considerred neutral-neither acidic nor basic). Thus that mixture would have a pH of approximately 3.3.
A.1.2 I made/got some home-preserved foods as a gift. How do I check them for safety?
----
[File from Susan Brewer, no longer available online to the best of my knowledge. --JTE]
----
Return to ToC
A.1.3 Is home canning safe?
Yes. As long as you know the limitations.
Only two home-canning (processing) techniques are considered safe. The boiling waterbath process is used for high-acid (low pH) foods like fruit, while pressure canning is used to process low-acid foods such as vegetables.
Open kettle canning, oven canning, crockpot canning, compost canning, canning with pills, microwave canning, dishwasher canning, steam canning (don't confuse with pressure canning) are all outdated or disreputable canning techniques.
A.1.4 What foods can be home canned, and what foods shouldn't be?
Foods considered high acid (pH lower than 4.6/4.7) can be boiling waterbath canned. This next
chart is reworked from _Putting Food By_.
| Foods at pH 2.0-3.0 | lemons, gooseberries, underripe plums |
| Foods at pH 3.0-3.5 | ripe plums, underripe apples, ripe oranges and grapefruit, strawberries, rhubarb, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, very underripe peaches and apricots |
| Foods at pH 3.5-4.0 | ripe apples, oranges, grapefruit, overripe blackberries, cherries, raspberries, and peaches, ripe apricots, underripe pears, pineapple, sauerkraut, (other pickles?) |
| Foods at pH 4.0-4.6 (BORDERLINE) | tomatoes, figs |
| Above 4.6 or so | must be pressure canned |
| Foods at 4.6-5.0 | some tomatoes, depends on the variety. (Green tomatoes are below 4.6). Pimentoes, pumpkin. USDA suggests that pumpkin butter cannot be canned safely. |
| Foods at 5.0-6.0 | carrots, beets, squash, beans, spinach, cabbage, turnips, peppers, sweet potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, white potatoes |
| Foods at 6.0-7.0 | peas, tuna, lima beans, corn, meats, cow's milk, salmon, oysters, shrimp. |
| Above 7.0 | hominy, black olives (each are lye cured). Leave these to the pros. |
Check the list of pH readings for common foods and condiments below. Need to also consider the size of your jars (half gallon size jars are made, but you probably shouldn't can with them), the physical properties of your food and the gooeyness of what you are canning. Pumpkin/squash purees and butters, and refried beans probably shouldn't be home canned--it will take a long time to get the center of the jar hot enough. However, squash and pumpkin chunks (raw pack) can be pressure canned. [Interestingly, spinach and chard shouldn't be home canned because the leaves will condense into a mass, insulate the center of jar, and form a dangerous cold spot--Louis Nagel.]
Also, cream soups and cream-style vegetables shouldn't be home canned for the same reason that pumpkin butter shouldn't be canned.
Return to ToCA.1.5 pH determinations of common foods and condiments.
Remember pH 4.6 is the cutoff. Above pH 4.6, a recipe must have enough added acid to be waterbath
processed, or must be pressure canned. If you still don't find your food here, citations are
listed for still more of them.
From http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/app3a.html
VEGETABLES pH VEGETABLES pH Artichokes 5.6 Peas 5.8 - 7.0 Canned 5.7 - 6 Frozen 6.4 - 6.7 Asparagus 4 - 6 Canned 5.7 - 6.0 Canned 5.2 - 5.3 Dried 6.5 - 6.8 Buds 6.7 Pepper 5.15 Stalks 6.1 Pimiento 4.6 - 4.9 Beans 5.7 - 6.2 Potatoes 6.1 String 4.6 Tubers 5.7 Lima 6.5 Sweet 5.3 - 5.6 Kidney 5.4 - 6 Pumpkin 4.8 - 5.2 Beets 4.9 - 5.6 Radishes (red) 5.8 - 6.5 S [huh?] 4.2 - 4.4 (white) 5.5 - 5.7 Canned 4.9 Rhubarb 3.1 - 3.4 Brussel sprouts 6.0 - 6.3 Canned 3.4 Cabbage 5.2 - 6.0 Rice (all cooked) Green 5.4 - 6.9 Brown 6.2 - 6.7 White 6.2 White 6.0 - 6.7 Red 5.4 - 6.0 Wild 6.0 - 6.4 Savoy 6.3 Sauerkraut 3.4 - 3.6 Carrots 4.9 - 5.2 Sorrel 3.7 Canned 5.18-5.22 Spinach 5.5 - 6.8 Juice 6.4 Cooked 6.6 - 7.2 Cauliflower 5.6 Frozen 6.3 - 6.5 Celery 5.7 - 6.0 Squash (all cooked) Chives 5.2 - 6.1 Yellow 5.8 - 6.0 Corn 6.0 - 7.5 White 5.5 - 5.7 Canned 6.0 Hubbard 6.0 - 6.2 Sweet 7.3 Tomatoes (whole) 4.2 - 4.9 Cucumbers 5.1 - 5.7 Paste 3.5 - 4.7 Dill pickles 3.2 - 3.5 Canned 3.5 - 4.7 Eggplant 4.5 - 5.3 Juice 4.1 - 4.2 Hominy (cooked) 6.0 Turnips 5.2 - 5.5 Horseradish 5.35 Zucchini (cooked) 5.8 - 6.1 Kale (cooked) 6.4 - 6.8 Kohlrabi (cooked) 5.7 - 5.8 FRUITS Leeks 5.5 - 6.0 Apples Lettuce 5.8 - 6.0 Delicious 3.9 Lentils (cooked) 6.3 - 6.8 Golden Delicious 3.6 Mushrooms (cooked) 6.2 Jonathan 3.33 Okra (cooked) 5.5 - 6.4 McIntosh 3.34 Olives (green) 3.6 - 3.8 Winesap 3.47 (ripe) 6.0 - 6.5 Juice 3.4 - 4.0 Onions (red) 5.3 - 5.8 Sauce 3.3 - 3.6 (white) 5.4 - 5.8 Apricots 3.3 - 4.0 (yellow) 5.4 - 5.6 Dried 3.6 - 4.0 Parsley 5.7 - 6.0 Canned 3.74 Parsnip 5.3 Bananas 4.5 - 5.2 FRUITS (contin.) pH MEAT, POULTRY pH Cantaloupe 6.17-7.13 Beef Dates 6.3 - 6.6 Ground 5.1 - 6.2 Figs 4.6 Ripened 5.8 Grapefruit 3.0 - 3.3 Unripened 7.0 Canned 3.1 - 3.3 Canned 6.6 Juice 3.0 Tongue 5.9 Lemons 2.2 - 2.4 Ham 5.9 - 6.1 Canned juice 2.3 Lamb 5.4 - 6.7 Limes 1.8 - 2.0 Pork 5.3 - 6.9 Mangos 3.9 - 4.6 Veal 6.0 Melons Chicken 6.5 - 6.7 Cassaba 5.5 - 6.0 Turkey (roasted) 5.7 - 6.8 Honey dew 6.3 - 6.7 Persian 6.0 - 6.3 FISH Nectarines 3.9 Fish (most fresh) 6.6 - 6.8 Oranges 3.1 - 4.1 Clams 6.5 Juice 3.6 - 4.3 Crabs 7.0 Marmalade 3.0 Oysters 4.8 - 6.3 Papaya 5.2 - 5.7 Tuna fish 5.2 - 6.1 Peaches 3.4 - 3.6 Shrimp 6.8 - 7.0 In jars 4.2 Salmon 6.1 - 6.3 In cans 4.9 Whitefish 5.5 Persimmons 5.4 - 5.8 Freshwater (most) 6.9 - 7.3 Pineapple 3.3 - 5.2 Sturgeon 5.5 - 6.0 Canned 3.5 Herring 6.1 - 6.4 Juice 3.5 Plums 2.8 - 4.6 DAIRY PRODUCTS/EGGS Pomegranates 3.0 Butter 6.1 - 6.4 Prunes 3.1 - 5.4 Buttermilk 4.5 Juice 3.7 Milk 6.3 - 8.5 Quince (stewed) 3.1 - 3.3 Acidophilus 4.0 Tangerines 4.0 Cream 6.5 Watermelon 5.2 - 5.8 Cheeses BERRIES Camembert 7.44 Blackberries 3.2 - 4.5 Cheddar 5.9 Blueberries 3.7 Cottage 5.0 Frozen 3.1 - 3.35 Cream cheese 4.88 Cherries 3.2 - 4.1 Edam 5.4 Cranberries Roquefort 5.5 - 5.9 Sauce 2.4 Swiss Gruyer 5.1 - 6.6 Juice 2.3 - 2.5 Eggs Currants (red) 2.9 White 7.0 - 9.0 Gooseberries 2.8 - 3.1 Yolk 6.4 Grapes 3.4 - 4.5 Egg solids, whites 6.5 - 7.5 Raspberries 3.2 - 3.7 Whole 7.1 - 7.9 Strawberries 3.0 - 3.5 Frozen 8.5 - 9.5 Frozen 2.3 - 3.0 BAKERY PRODUCTS pH Bread 5.3 - 5.8 Eclairs 4.4 - 4.5 Napoleons 4.4 - 4.5 Biscuits 7.1 - 7.3 Crackers 7.0 - 8.5 Cakes Angel food 5.2 - 5.6 Chocolate 7.2 - 7.6 Devil's food 7.5 - 8.0 Pound 6.6 - 7.1 Sponge 7.3 - 7.6 White layer 7.1 - 7.4 Yellow layer 6.7 - 7.1 Flour 6.0 - 6.3 MISCELLANEOUS Caviar (domestic) 5.4 Cider 2.9 - 3.3 Cocoa 6.3 Corn syrup 5.0 Corn starch 4.0 - 7.0 Ginger ale 2.0 - 4.0 Honey 3.9 Jams/Jellies 3.1 - 3.5 Mayonnaise 4.2 - 4.5 Molasses 5.0 - 5.5 Raisins 3.8 - 4.0 Sugar 5.0 - 6.0 Vinegar 2.0 - 3.4 Yeast 3.0 - 3.5
A.1.6 What does home canning entail?
These are two sample recipes, just to give a general idea of what is involved, one is for a
waterbath treatment, the other involves pressure canning. Some comments of special interest have
been added in [with initials]), to benefit the canning newbie. Both of these recipe files are
taken from Susan Brewer's fact sheets.
Initials: LEB = Leslie Basel, ED = Eric Decker, LN = Louis Nagel
Fresh fruit for home canning should be at the peak of ripeness--they should have lost their greenish color and should yield slightly when squeezed. [The peak-ripe fruit has the most dependable amounts of acid and pectin--LEB]. Fruit should be prepared (peeled, trimmed), treated to prevent browning, and hot-packed to exhaust air and make fruit more pliable. Hot-packing will help prevent fruit from floating in the syrup. Prepare syrup, hot pack fruit and water bath can. Use USDA Complete Canning Guidelines or "Canning Card" (EHE-660) for processing time. [The USDA Canning Guide is on-line, check Part 9, Section VII under Internet Sites for the url. --JTE]
Recommended Quantities:
Peaches, apples, pears:
17 1/2 lb fresh = 7 qt. ll b = 9 qt.
1 bushel = 48 lb = 16-24 qt (2 1/2 lb per quart)
Berries:
1 1/2-3 lb (1-2 qt) fresh = 1 quart canned
Plums:
1 1/2-2 1/2 lb fresh = 1 quart canned
(a) For ease of use, sugar may be added directly to the jars, then
processed --LN, Embarcadero Home Canning
(b) Need the sugar to maintain plant cell osmotic pressure-LEB.
(a) 2" far better than 1", because the water will boil off. Too
little water will leave an underprocessed jar.--LN Should add boiling water instead of just hot
water, to keep the water boiling.--ED, LN If you are a newcomer to all this, might want to
measure the water depth.--LEB
(b) Remember that you need to know your elevation, and convert
accordingly. Recipe times assumed for sea level. Check Section V for way to determine your elevation.
NOTE: Hot glass can break or crack if cooled too quickly. BTW, If you hear a loud pop or click, the vacuum seal formed very quickly. This is the nicest sound in all canning.--LEB
(a) Another seal test: hold the jar up by the lid w/o the ring. If
the jar falls, the seal was bad. (Catch the jar. :)
(b) If the jars are very sticky, might want to
reprocess, because some of this is trapped in the seal.--LN
(c) Must do the reprocessing within
24 hrs of original processing time.
Tomatoes are a somewhat acid food. To make them safe for home canning ACID MUST BE ADDED. To each quart jar of tomatoes or tomato juice, 2Tbsp of lemon juice, or 4 Tbsp of 5% vinegar, or 1/2 tsp of citric acid must be added. When adding vegetables which are low in acid, the instructions must be followed exactly.
You may add less vegetable, but you must not add more vegetable than the recipe calls for. You may adjust the spices and seasonings to your taste, for example more or less pepper, add a little tabasco, or more sugar. And, you may vary the kinds of vegetables as long as you do not add more than three cups total vegetables to 7 quarts of juice. For example, you may use 2 cups of onions and 1 cup of celery, or 1 cup each of green pepper, onion, and carrots. But no more than 3 cups total of vegetables will be safe. [Check out Part 9, Section V. Recipe Caveats and Troubleshooting Guide, specifically see Table A.2 2 and the following paragraph for the vegetable/acid rules.]
An average of 22 pounds of tomatoes is needed per canner load of 7 quarts.
Preparation for Canning:Boiling Water Pressure Canner (10/11 psig) Pints 35 minutes 15 minutes Quarts 40 minutes 15 minutes[Check your p.canner gauge at least once/year.--LN] [Remember to alter times/pressure for your elevation. If you live in the US, check the geographical nameserver listed in Section V.--LEB]
A.1.7 Where do I get the Ball Blue Book? And the USDA Canning Guide?
Most of the food preservation sources are in the back of this FAQ, but the Ball Blue Book (BBB) is
the great canning classic of all time (unless you have the Kerr Canning Guide). First time canners
are *well* advised to pick up a copy. Places where you can order or find the BBB are:
A.1.8 What if my recipe doesn't have processing instructions?
Check out the section in this FAQ entitled Recipe Caveats and Troubleshooting (
Part 9, Section V). Or follow the recipe, *don't*
process, and simply refrigerate the results.
A.1.9 Where can I find out my elevation so I can alter my processing times?
You have a few options:
If you find any urls to handle places not in North America, please let the FAQ amintainer know.
A.1.10 How do I obtain a good stable jel (or 'set')?
The following is taken from from a document on the ITDG (the Intermediate Technology
Development Group)
website.
It will have been noted that the pH of a preserve has to lie between 3.0 and 3.3 in order to
obtain a good stable gel (or 'set'). Most fruits lie in this pH range. Those above 3.3 require
the addition of citric acid to bring the pH down to the required range. Lime juice however has
a pH of 2.7 to 2.9 and so the PH has to be increased. This, it has been found, can be easily
done with sodium bicarbonate (baking powder [actually this is baking soda - JTE]). In this
particular case it was found that the addition of 20g of sodium bicarbonate/litre of juice gave
the required pH adjustment.
These are templates which can give you ideas for unusual gifts, or really unusual jams and jellies. YMMV.
A.2.1 Sweet, gelled, fruity, cannable things 101 as taught by: May I have your attention, please? Ms. Schaller, Famed Fruit Spread Preserver, will now conduct a seminar on The Proper Terminology of Preserves. This seminar will be worth .5 CEU credit. There WILL be a test. It WILL count.
Preserves:
The broad category AND a specific product: Whole fruits (or
similar-sized cut pieces of fruit too large to be done whole) preserved in a thick sugar syrup
varying in viscosity from that of honey to soft jelly, so that the fruit retains its shape.
Jelly:
The jelled *juice (only)* of the fruit or vegetable. A
prize-winning one will be clear, lacking crystallization, and will be firm enough to hold its
shape outside the jar, yet will be soft enough for easy spreading.
Jam:
Will contain fruit bits. Fruit prepared for jamming is typically
crushed or chopped and cooked with sugar. Pectin may be added to assist the jel. A leetle softer
than jelly.
Butter:
The smooth pureed pulp of the fruit, cooked and sweetened
until very thick. Often enhanced with sweet spices. Must be cooked slowly. Refer to FAQ for sad
stories and a couple good recipes [look down :)--LEB].
Conserves:
Jam-like combinations of two or more fruits, traditionally
without added pectin and traditionally containing nuts and raisins. YMMV. A good one is on the soft side.
Marmalades:
Soft fruit jellies, typically citrus products,
containing small pieces of fruit or peel evenly suspended in the transparent jelly.
Good definitions from the Ball Blue Book.
A.2.2 What is the scientific formula for making low sugar jam/jellies? --Mary Going
From our expert in low sugar jams, Sandy Fifer ---Proportions, from Sandy Fifer A.2.3 Fruit butters in general, and apple butter in particular... That said, let me say this about that: This is not a fast project. Time and patience are
everything. I do not bring my pulp to boil over high heat; medium high at best, watching and
stirring diligently to it won't stick and scorch. Then reduce the heat! A mesh spatter shield is
invaluable to me when I do this because the pulp thickens as the liquid evaporates; as the pulp
thickens the spattering increases; covering the pan to protect from spattering hinders evaporation.
The closer you think you are to "done," the more attention you'll want to give it. Too-fast cooking
at too high a heat will caramelize the sugar in the recipe and leave you with something akin to
jam. Trust me on this; I've ruined more than one batch of apricot butter in my time. Additionally,
I'd process them longer than the 10 minutes, especially if the butter is less than boiling when
it's put into the jars -- I had a couple of jars not seal. The butter is dense and takes longer to
heat through to ensure the seal. The butter can also be baked (a fine alternative, especially if you're in a cool climate and
welcome the warmth of the oven). Pour the seasoned and sweetened pulp into a shallow (9x13 inch
pan minimum) pan -- or a shallow roasting pan. Bake at about 325 degrees F until thick, stirring
every 20-30 minutes so an evaporation-induced crust doesn't form on the top. Not as complicated as
it might look. Wonderful treat. Worth the effort. Apple Butter Recipe 12 cups apple pulp (I used locally grown Haralsons) If my schedule requires it, I make it a two-day project. It sits fine overnight, covered. Use imaginatively: I use as a condiment as often as a bread spread; we like it with roast pork
or chops. I swirl it into my cream cheese coffee cake filling. If it's thick enough, fill a cookie
with it. A.2.4 Conserves Conserves are multi-fruit preserves, sometimes with nuts and/or raisins. My grandmother once told
me that anything more than three different fruits in anything is a waste--you can't taste them all,
or they taste like tutti fruitti... But I really like making conserves--you can do almost any
combination of fruits, as long as they are acid enough (check the FAQ above for general pHs of
different fruits)-- and they're perfect for using up weird amounts of fruit, or cleaning up the
leftovers from different jam projects. I suspect that name "conserve" is derived from that little
operation. So without further ado, here's mine: Kitchen Sink Conserve If you try this with almonds or any other kind of nut, be stingy with them. Nuts are not acid,
so too many will invite spoilage. If you like raisins, add as many as you want. Spices are great,
if you have a light touch. Fruits that do not work well in a conserve of this type: Bananas, they get brown. Soft fruits
work alright if don't expect them to be intact afterwards, otherwise they should be added last,
perhaps to float to the top of the jar :). Figs are tasty in a conserve, but they are borderline
acid, so you need extra citric acid or be stingy with them. Citrus works okay *with* a little
advance planning; you need to prepare peels like you would in a marmalade (see recipe below). Raw
citrus peels are very bitter and icky. Stone fruits work great, I always add at least one into a
conserve. And its always great to have a few slightly underripe fruits in the conserve for pectin
and acid. So here's a place where you can be creative, and one-up your grandmother. Who knows what family
recipe you'll brew up? A.2.5 Fruit preserves
From: edeckerNOSPAM@inforamp.net (Eric Decker) Wash. Cut the pears lengthwise in halves or quarters. Remove stems, core. Peel the sections.
Treat pieces against oxidation with a solution of 1 tsp of ascorbic acid per cup of water. Make
enough so the effectiveness of the solution is not exhausted. Make a thin or medium syrup according to taste. Syrups: If using a sweet pear use thin, medium syrup for a less sweet pear. Simmer the fruit in syrup
for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the pears from the syrup; put the syrup back on to boil.
Fill sterile jars with pears leaving 1/2" of headroom. Add boiling syrup, leaving 1/2" of
headroom. Wipe down the jar lips with a clean damp cloth. Apply lids - bands finger tight. Process
in Boiling-Water Bath: Pints for 20 minutes, quarts for 25 minutes. These preserves can be enhanced by the addition of whole cloves, caraway seed or cardamon seed
prior to filling with boiling syrup. A.2.6 Anyone out there have a recipe, or any tips for marmalade? Citrus marmalade After it has jelled, you can add a little flavor. Lime marmalade with a little Club Raki (a
licorice flavored liquor) is great. Lemons with a bit of scotch is good. Orange with a little
Kirsch. This makes a firm marmalade so you can actually dilute it a little. If you want more
flavorings, add them to the pot before it jells. Once we went to the store and bought some of every different type of citrus fruit they had. We
cooked each fruit in a separate pot. After cutting we mixed the shreds in all sorts of
combinations. We made some chunky and some thin shred. We put all sorts of flavorings in. They
were all good. A.2.7 Tea jelly
from Michael Teifel For a second batch: N.B. You might want to add a bit of lemon juice/apple juice for safety. --LEB A.2.8 Flower jellies and jams
from Bess Halle Basic flower jelly 2 C flower infusion Mix infusion, lemon juice and sugar in stainless steel or enamelware pan. Bring to hard boil
you can't stir down. Add liquid pectin and return to hard boil. Boil at this temp. 2 minutes. Pour
immediately into hot sterilized jars and seal. Process for 5 min in waterbath. Makes 4-4.5 cups of jelly. I've found liquid pectin works better with flowers (and herbs) than the powdered kind. You CAN
make jellies with flowers and juice and I often make an apple mint jelly with apple juice and
apple mint. My favorite herb combination, though, is lemon mint, made with 1 cup lemon verbena
infusion and 1 cup spearmint. I never use the food coloring because I like the pale yellow and
gold and pink and ruby colors. You can also pour the jellies into pretty wine glasses or other
pretty glasses and seal with paraffin. [No, don't use paraffin. See, for example,
Part 2 of the FAQ --JTE] P.S. The word from the wine making group (where I first got the idea to make honeysuckle jelly)
is to wash the blossoms first. This is probably a good idea because I made a batch of honeysuckle
jelly over the weekend and there was an awful lot of pollen in the flowers. The jelly tasted like
honey, btw, and quite good...not at all lemony, but not enough of the actual honeysuckle flavor I
was aiming for. I'll probably increase the proportions next time. Here's another rose petal jelly recipe which makes more jelly. Boil petals in 2 quarts of water with the lid on, till 1/2 liquid is gone. Measure out 3 cups
liquid. (save the remaining cup!!) mix with lemon juice and sugar. Bring to rolling boil. Add
liquid pectin (this will be 2 packages of the liquid certo brand) and bring back to hard boil.
Boil 2 minutes and pour into hot sterilized jars. Seal in preferred manner. I use the little 4 oz jelly jars so that I can give away a lot. This makes about 15 little jars. The remaining cup can be mixed with a 1 cup infusion of a favorite herb like mint or lemon balm
and used in the previous recipe. I also boiled a cinnamon stick in with the jelly-making part (not
the first boiling of petals) I think because I heard of a restaurant called Cinnamon Rose and the
name stuck. Anyway, at first the cinnamon seemed a little strong. A friend said the jelly tasted
like the apple pie from heaven. BUT after opening a sealed jar a few days later I DID detect both
the rose and the cinnamon flavor. Be sure to discard the cinnamon stick before bottling. **I've used less and I've used more, so the exact proportions probably don't matter. In fact,
even when I pick them at night when I get home from work, and they have little scent, cooking them
brings it out a lot. Just remember, for a good red color you will need some red roses and also
remember.. Canned breads and cakes are not recommended for home cooks or canning; choose cake or bread
recipes that you can freeze. Many cake and quick bread recipes contain very little or no acid and
thus have the potential for supporting the growth of hazardous bacteria, such as Clostridium
botulinum, if they are present inside the closed jar. C. botulinum causes an often fatal food
borne illness, called botulism. Given that many of these bread and cake recipes have been shown to
be low in acid, the major barriers to prevent microbial growth are limited to: (1) the dryness of
the product and (2) the lack of oxygen inside the closed jar (because of vacuum seals). Recipe
variations such as the addition of fruit, zucchini, liquids, etc. all contribute to available
water for microorganisms to use. In addition, lack of oxygen alone does not prevent the growth of
all harmful bacteria. The vacuum seals do not remove all oxygen, so some would still be available
to the bacteria which do need it. Source: Cooperative Extension Service, The University Of Georgia College of
Family and Consumer Sciences and the College of Aquiculture and Environmental Sciences
Cooperating A.3.1 I am curious; why do some jam/jelly recipes call for a little bit of butter/margarine?
--Andrea Midtmoen Fease My dad always told me it kept the foam quantity down. That seems to be pretty much true, as I
tried leaving it out of the strawberries this last summer, and had more foam. [BTW, for a beginner,
cutting down on the foam is helpful. Less foamy jam gives a more accurate reading for your candy
thermometer; too much foam is hard for a beginner to control.] A.3.2 Sugar A.3.3 I'm looking for sources of pectin, like bulk pectins or low sugar pectins. Low sugar pectin, from Sandy Fifer A.3.4 Where can I find me some citric acid? From Joel Ehrlich From several in rec.food.preserving: Safeway. Food Lion. Look in the kosher or ethnic
Jewish aisle where it is often sold as "Sour Salt". Ask around. A.3.5 Where can I find a modified starch called Clear Gel/Jel A? Captain Albert's Good Things, 254 Commercial, Salem, Or (503) 364-6511 Friedman's Microwave Store, 1120 Lancaster Dr NE, Salem, Or 364-0538 or 1-888-380-4372 Burrow's Country Store, 635 Wallace Rd NE, Salem, Or (503) 585-2898 A.4.1 What kind of equipment do I need to can foods at home? Don't you need a lot of
stuff? As you get more involved, other helpful tools are: canning funnel, clip-on candy thermometer,
lid lifter (a plastic rod with a magnet at the end of it), boiling waterbath canner, preserving
pan, and a pressure canner (not a cooker). 2-piece jars can be found in the grocery, supermarket,
and hardware stores, while canners, canning tongs, jar lifters, and canning funnels can be gotten
at the local hardware store (or Walmart). Lots of equipment can also be obtained at yard sales,
check out the Specific Equipment Question section for more information. What you really need is a desire to can food, and a bit of a perfectionist streak. Carelessness,
disorganization, and inattention cause most problems. A.4.2 What's a preserving pan? A.4.3 My grandmother always reused commercial jars and sealed her jars using paraffin.
Should I do this too? A.4.4. Can I invert my jars instead of using that nasty waterbath thing? (Nope!) "Unsaid in the news release but voiced by staff responding to telephoned queries to
the GF Consumer Center in White Plains, New York, the benefits are that the jam/jelly - being still
at a temperature to destroy spoiler micro-organisms - will sterilize the underside of the sealing
disk, and the little amount of air trapped under the lid. [How filthy are the lids and jars before
use? E.D.] A vacuum can form if the jars are hot and the contents are about 165F/74C. But it won't be a
STRONG vacuum, because any amount of air left in the jar will invite growth of mould eventually -
even though the jar is technically sealed. While a vacuum formed for us at PFB using the
"inversion" method, the "inversion" vacuum was not so strong as the vacuum seal on the B-W treated
jars. This fact is a reminder that the "finishing" Boiling-Water bath was welcomed by scientists
in the South, to counteract heat and humidity of storage in the region; and soon it was adopted
for dryer and more temperate climates. [I'd vouch for this: I've canned in Seattle, where seals
formed easily, and in Tucson and North Carolina, where the seals took their own sweet time in
forming. Give me that finishing waterbath every time--LEB.] At the same time, food scientists
determined that 5 minutes in a B-W bath was adequate (instead of a longer time advocated earlier)
to strengthen the seal and drive air from the headroom, and sanitize the surfaces where
micro-organisms could have lit. Presumably the reason for standing the jars on their heads is to hold the hot
contents against the head and the sealing disk to equal the action of the 5 minute B-W Bath. A
further help would be to deal with floating fruit as the medium gels; turned back upright, the
contents would shake down by themselves. The same results can be got by giving the jars a twirl
several times after they're set aside to cool upright after their bath." (Note: in filing and
capping the jars, we at PFB must have left the bands a bit loose. After we inverted it, one jar
spurted hot, hot jelly over a hand in a mean scald. This indirect hazard can also make "inversion"
less than foolproof.) "PFB is not gainsaying General Foods just to be tiresome; we, too, used to advocate
the quick "inversion" with almost non-existent headroom--(though never setting the jars
upside-down, regarding this practice as harking back too far to old-time ways with preserving)--so
we reverse our own recommendations, too. Postscript: extension food scientists whose work we admire have expressed their worries over
the "inversion" technique used at high altitudes and they are against it. Post-Postscript: General Foods shows fairness in their news release in saying they will
continue to mention B-W Bath method as an alternative on all their printed materials." [Conclusion:
I feel it gives a false security to the user of the "inversion" method. Neophytes especially are
at risk with this method for they do not have the experience to make valid food judgements. Far
better then, to master the basic proven techniques that work under all circumstances. E.D.] A.4.5 My dishwasher sterilizes jars, right? (No.) And from Eric Decker Develop good habits. The processes for sterilization of jar and lid must be inviolable and
independent of the canning process itself. My grandmother didn't have a dishwasher so she scrubbed
her bottles in a hot lye solution, rinsed them in soft running water, then plucked each one of
them from a pot of simmering water to use immediately. It may seem silly to iterate it but she
always put the mouth of the jar to the bottom - the inside was sealed from the outside and kept
full of steam. Talk about a simple way to maintain sterility! [Since you have to use your boiling
waterbath, I wash, then boil jars, hold them when I need them, then I have a ready 2/3 canner of
hot boiling water.--LEB] It is only necessary to sterilize jars if they are used for products processed for
less than 10 minutes. In this book, jellies are the only recipes processed for less than 10 minutes;
hence, they require sterilized jars. To sterilize jars before filling, place them in a large saucepot and cover with water. Jars must
be totally submerged. Bring the water to a boil; boil jars 10 minutes for altitudes at or below 1,000
feet above sea level. At higher elevations, boil 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000-foot
elevation. Allow jars to remain in hot water until ready to use, removing one at a time as needed. A.4.6 What about zinc rings, rubber sealed jars, and other great, but antique, canning
equipment? A.4.7 Ball or Kerr? A.4.8 Rings on the jar, or off? Gamut of opinions: From edeckerNOSPAM@inforamp.net (Eric Decker) sandyNOSPAM@chinook.halcyon.com (Sandy Fifer) wrote: And when I'm done with the jam I wash the jar and store it with the band. All of you who remove
the bands--where do they spend the winter? From: adhdmdNOSPAM@scc-uky.campus.mci.net (Jackee) From: jpnanNOSPAM@prairienet.org (Jean P Nance) A.4.9 What if I don't hear a pop from my jars? And is there a way to be sure they are
sealed since I didn't hear that magic noise? --Nancy Delly From Mary Delamater: A.4.10 I'm really cheap. How can I reuse my canning lids? Seriously, there are some things you can do with old canning lids. You might not realize this, but
lids and the mouths of jars/cans are of a fairly standard size. The Kerr lids for the narrow neck
pints/half pints fit many commercial jars, like spaghetti sauce and mayonnaise jars, even those
medium size salsa jars. I've found that the wide mouth ones fit large tomato sauce cans. It means
that if you store dried peas, lentils, beans, pasta, sugars, flours, nuts, seeds, your dried
vegetables, dried fruit, jerky, dried herbs, fruit leather, etc. in reused commercial glass jars,
you always have a lid.
Poke many large holes in an old canning lid, use the lid/ring/jar as a jar strainer for bean
and alfalfa sprouts. If you're like me, and you cut the can lid off completely but you don't use
all the contents, you still always have a lid. If your jars have great seals, and you have to
completely destroy the lid of a particular home-processed can, you've still got a spare lid when
you put it in the refrigerator. If your SO has a workshop, and organizes screws, nails, loose
change, spare RAM chips, matches, etc in glass jars, your SO has a lid. Just don't can with them, and if you save old lids, mark 'em well so you don't get confused.
Scratches on the top with a corkscrew do it for me--you even get planned obsolescence that way.
And for god sakes, don't pawn 'em off at a yard sale... A.4.11 How do I use a pressure canner safely and effectively? There are two types of gauge: weighted and dial. The weighted gauge has three positions: 5 pounds, 10 pounds and 15 pounds. Always use the
higher weight if the recipe calls for a weight in between one of these values. For example, the
recipe calls for 12 pounds of pressure, use 15 pounds. The disadvantage to a weighted gauge is
that food may be over processed. The advantage is that it is easy to hear the weight move during
processing. With a weighted gauge, place the gauge on the vent using the correct weight. Leave the
temperature on high until the weighted gauge begins to rock. Lower the temperature. You will have
to experiment a little with the temperature. You want the weighted gauge to rock lightly throughout
the processing time. Start the processing time when the gauge is rocking at about 2 to 3 times a
minute. [N.B. If your gauge refuses to rock, check to see if your stove is perfectly leveled.--the
gang at r.f.p] The dial gauge canner has a dial which registers from zero to 20 pounds. You should have your
gauge tested every year by the local extension office. The advantage to a dial gauge is that you
can see exactly what the pressure of the canner is during processing. With a dial gauge, close the petcock and watch the dial. When the dial has reached the proper
pressure, reduce the temperature. Maintain the pressure throughout the processing time. Start the
processing time when the correct pressure has been met. If you live above 1000' feet you must increase the pressure for processing. For every 1000' feet
add 1/2 pound of pressure. You do NOT add time to the processing, only pressure. he end of the processing time, turn off the heat. Do not open the lid or vents. It will take
about an hour for the pressure to drop inside the canner. Wait till pressure reaches zero, or the
safety valve drops before opening the lid. Open the lid away from you. There will still be steam
rising from the water and it is easy to scald yourself. Remove the jars from the canner. Place them on a towel on the counter and leave them alone for
12 to 24 hours before checking the seal. Do not check before the 12 hours as this could cause the
jars to not seal. Sealing is the result of heating and then cooling the jars. [For more about
pressure canners especially information about the vagaries of the gauges, please checkout the
Equipment Section in Part 4 of this FAQ.] A.4.12 I'd like some sources for non-standard size jars, decorative bottles, unusual
size rings, and other items that I just can't find in the usual places. lost the attribution here, sorry.. A.5.1 My jars refuse to seal! Some of my preserved food is turning colors! What is happening? PROBLEMS WITH HOME-CANNED FOODS Even when you follow directions, occasionally you may have problems with home-canned foods. Many
of these problems can be traced to use of non-standard canning jars, lids and rings or use of
other-than-recommended canning equipment or procedures. Checking your equipment and reviewing
current canning recommendations can go a long way towards preventing potential problems. If you do
have a problem, you may be able to determine the cause and prevent its reoccurrence by consulting
this "trouble-shooter's guide". PROBLEMS IN HOME-CANNED FRUITS
I decided to type in my recipes for all the jams I've made. Remember, these depend on using
Pomona's Universal Pectin, which doesn't require sugar to set the jam. And one box of Pomona's
will last for 3 to 5 batches of jam (where one batch equals 5 cups of fruit).
Pureed fruit Sugar Lemon juice # tsp. *each* of Optional
pectin & calcium
Strawberries: 5 c. 7/8 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 tsp.
Raspberries: 5 1/2 c. 2/3 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 tsp.
Cherries: 5 c. 1/2 c. 2 Tbsp. 1 3/4 tsp.
Marionberries: 6 c. 3/4 c. 2 Tbsp. 1 3/4 tsp.
Blueberries: 5 c. 1/2 c. 2 Tbsp. 1 1/2 tsp. lemon
zest
Peaches: 5 c. 1/2 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 tsp.
Plums: 5 c. 3/4 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 tsp.
Apricots: 5 c. 1/2 c. 2 1/2 Tbsp. 2 1/4 tsp.
Pears: 6 c. 1/2 c. 2 1/2 Tbsp. 2 1/2 tsp. 1 tsp. fresh
ginger, grated
Yield: 4 to 6 cups of jam, depending on conditions.
From: Barb Schaller
Re cooking and doneness of fruit butters, this from Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cookbook,
Doubleday, 1964:
It's what I did. And I actually *measured* things. :-)
3 to 4 cups sugar (begin with 3, I added
the 4th to my taste)
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. freshly ground
allspice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves (do not overdo cloves; taste can be
overwhelming)
1/4 cup white vinegar
From: Leslie Basel
3-4 cup whole strawberries
1 large stalk rhubarb
4 nectarines
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
slivered almonds (optional)
sugar
Subject: Pear Preserves
Thin: 4 cups water to 2 cups sugar
Medium: 4 cups water to three cups sugar
Heavy: 4 cups water to 4 and 3/4 cups sugar
Combine the sugar and water, bring to a boil, skim off the froth as required.
From: Patricia Hill
My recipe for blood oranges or for any of the
citrus fruit marmalades is easy.
Use lemon, limes, grapefruit, kumquat, oranges, tangerines, ugly fruit, tangelos
I made a half litre Earl Grey tea 4
times stronger than normal. And I simply added 500 grams of a commercially available sugar/pectin
mixture and followed the instructions for making jelly out of juices. It tastes real good, nearly
the same taste of the jelly from the mail order tea shop I tasted before. The next time I will
reduce the amount of sugar so that the tea flavour will be stronger.
I made 250 ml of green gunpowder tea with mint flavour (4 times stronger,
it means 4 times more tea, not 4 times longer brewing). Then I added 150 grams of a 1:2 mixture of
the sugar/pectin box (1:2 means that you have more pectin and less sugar in the mixture, so the
jelly results in more fruity flavour) and added a few pine nuts. (This tea is my favourite, in
Tunesia it is very common drink: chinese green tea with mint and pine nuts.) Then I followed the
instructions, and it gave a very good tea jelly with a fresh flavour of mint!
Make an infusion from edible flowers. 1 pint of flowers to 1 pint of boiling water. Most flowers
have a bitter bit where the petal joins the flower so you must cut that part off. I use scissors
and just trim the petals of flowers, leaving the points attached. (though once I actually snipped
the points off 2 quarts of rose petals....tedious beyond belief!)
1/4 C lemon juice
4 C sugar
6 oz liquid pectin
*optional; few drops food coloring
2 quarts rose petals **see note below
2 quarts water
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 cups sugar
6 oz liquid pectin
..the rose brew will stain your hands, your sink, your clothes!!!
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_can_breads.pdf
From: Anna Welborne
Unless specified otherwise, sugar is granulated sugar. Dissolves easily, easy to pour and measure,
and all the recipes are calibrated to its volume to weight.
Bulk pectins, low sugar pectins, citric acid, from Dirk W. Howard
Another source for bulk pectin, from both Zlotka
Home Canning Supply & Specialties, PO Box 1158, Ramona, California 92065 (619) 788-0520 or FAX (619) 789-4745. 1
(800) 354-4070 for orders. They sell 10# of regular pectin for $75.15 plus shipping (1995 prices--LEB).
Call and talk to them; nice folks.
From Jeff Benjamin
If there's a home brewing shop in your neck of the woods, try there.
King Arthur's Flour. Most places which sell it for baking identify it as "Sour Salt".
From Carol Nelson
Here are some sources for Clear Jel in western Oregon. I have no idea if they will mail order, but
it won't hurt to give them a call. Our local Extension offices sell Clear Jel for $2.00/pound for
an idea on price.
If you cook, you probably already have most of the stuff that you need to can (jar)
high-acid foods. Basically, you need canning jars and 2-piece lids (lids and rings), a large kettle
or stock pot that you can boil water in, several saucepans, measuring cups and spoons, light tongs
(to pick up the lids and rings), ladles, stirring spoons (stainless steel the best), an accurate
timer, clean towels, a cake rack, and canning tongs.
A wide heavy-bottomed pan but with relatively shallow sides. A large saucepan will do when you are
first starting out; many recipes call for a 6-8 qt heavy sided pot. The idea here is that you want
to heat your jams and preserves quickly and evenly throughout. If you treated your preserves like
soup, say, filling a small saucepan, the top of the jam would be undercooked and runny while the
bottom layers of jam would be overcooked and chunky.
Nothing against your grandmother, but usually you don't want to use "onetrip" commercial jars for
canning. Sealing jars with paraffin is also counterindicated, because mold and other spoilers can
slip in between the paraffin and the side of the jar. Even a common trick of turning the jar upside
down to "sterilize" the top is not advised. [More on this below.] (Use a boiling waterbath for
about 5-10 minutes instead.) Food preserving technique "rules" tend to change every few years, due
to new knowledge about microbiology and mycology, and due to rigorous testing of food preservation
recipes and techniques by many state extension services. Keep up to date!
From: edeckerNOSPAM@inforamp.net (Eric Decker)
PFB (Putting Food By) says: "and NEVER invert processed jars in the mistaken idea that you're
helping the seal - quite the contrary!" Page 264 of PFB, 4th edition debunks (in my opinion) the
1/8" Inversion theory. My comments will be indicated as [E.D.]
An argument against thinking the dishwasher sterilizes, paraphrased from Sandy Fifer
The water in the dishwasher is only as hot as the hot water setting
in your water heater. Most are set at power saver settings, 130F or so, hottest settings are at
145F. Unless you set your water heater to 212F, you're deluding yourself.
The typical dishwasher has an accumulation
of crud in the bottom that you don't even know is there. Unless the bottom spray device is removed
you have not seen the scraps of food which have not yet dissipated to nothingness and passed
through the filter. The dishwasher is not a suitable device for preparing canning jars for use
unless one adds an active anti-germ agent such as chlorox [bleach].
Note: The dishwasher cannot be used to sterilize jars.
A great question. Check out the answer under II. Specific Equipment Questions.
People have used both, and people have had problems with either.
In other words, whichever works for you. [They are owned by the same company --JTE]
In the opinion of Leslie Bener, its a matter of
taste, so here are her pros and cons of each side.
Pro ring: "looks" more natural, secures the lid if you are mailing canning jars or storing
leftovers in the refrigerator. She likes the ring on when she mails/gives something.
Con ring: can reuse ring quickly, rings don't rust on jar, doesn't hide dirty threads or a weak
seal. Rings have to be off if the canned good is to be judged at a county/state fair.
[Subsequently, it was found that this is NOT universally true -- JTE] Rings shouldn't be
removed until the seal is allowed to fully develop, about 12-24 hrs.
... "the best canners will NEVER store food with bands on". It is a point of pride with those
canners that their process does not need "nails and glue" to maintain its integrity. Get thee to
an Amish or Mennonite food/bake sale...
Yes, removing bands is the default condition in serious
canning. Heck my grandmother canned a lot of meat and fish. Never did I see a banded jar in her
cellar. Take a peek in my cellar: I have bottles of fruit in alcohol that have been there since
1986 without bands.
What's all the hubbub about leaving the bands on after canning? When I'm done canning my jam I
remove the bands, wash the jars (sometimes they're sticky from some jam leaking into the canning
water), dry them, test the seal by lifting by the lid, and then loosely replace the bands. Once
the jar is opened you need the band to seal it anyway, don't you? And don't you give a band with
each jar when you're giving the jars away?
After our canned goods have sealed we always remove the bands, wash and use again. My father says
that was what his grandmother always did, so we just do the same. They did it because they were
dirt poor, why we do I am not sure.
I find that removing the screw caps, washing them, and storing them dry prevents rust. It seems if
I leave them on, they are much more apt to rust and rust interferes with a seal. Rust and
corrosion are expecially bad in rings on pickles, where some of the acid seems to seep out and
collect on the ring.
From George Shirley:
Nancy: Be sure the center of the lid is depressed, generally that means they are sealed unless
some mean person pushed them all down while you weren't looking. I've found that if the lid didn't
seal it will usually fall off when you remove the band, but is sealed if the center is depressed.
I don't have time to listen to each individual jar.
My jars often don't pop, so I just check to see if the lids are concave. It usually happens pretty
quickly after water bathing. Also, if I'm not sure, sometimes I will remove the ring and hold the
jar by the lid--if it stays on, it's sealed! (Be sure to put your other hand under the jar in case
it is not sealed, or you will have a big mess to clean up :-)
Penny-wise and pound-foolish. The botulism antiserum shot costs a *lot* more than the $10-$20 cost
of a few dozen lids. As a public service, from the home office in Grand Rapids MI, the top ten
Things You Can Do With Old Canning Lids....
10. Windchimes
9. Coasters for the vacation house
8. Really boring mobiles
7. Palm protectors for smashing garlic cloves
6. Train your pet Chihuahua to catch teeny metal frisbees
5. 2 canning lids + 1 HD disk = yummy sandwich for your favorite USENET FAQ maintainer
4. With tinsnips, create several dollhouse-sized cookie sheets
3. Sharpen the edges, make the business end of a pizza cutter
2. Glue several canning lids into 1 slinky to contact those pesky Venusians
1. Several hundred canning lids, stitched together make the perfect dress
for your Oscar acceptance speech...
(those brass ones look great, much better than AMEX cards!)
from Wendy Milner
As with the boiling water bath, you prepare your food according to a tested recipe, place the food
in the jar, put on the two piece lid, and place the jars in the canner which has 2 to 3 inches of
water in it. The water should be hot but not boiling. Place the lid on the canner. The petcock or
vent of the lid is open. As the water boils, steam will rise out of the petcock. When steam is
steady, wait 10 minutes before closing the petcock.
Zlotka
Berlin Packaging has a great catalog of containers for all manner of things. 1-800-4-BERLIN will
get you a free catalog. Good customer service, too.
You might try Glashaus. They have some big jar sizes, the largest rings I have from them are 4.25"
at the outside. They are at Glashaus Inc., 415 W. Golf Road, Suite 13, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(312)-640-6918 Fax (312)-640-6955. Plus they have really beautiful jars. The lids are held on by
suction from canning, so it is extremely easy to tell if something didn't seal or has gone bad.
----
Prepared by Susan Brewer/Foods and Nutrition Specialist/Revised, 1992 EHE-665
----
COLOR CHANGES IN HOME-CANNED FOODS
The pigments in food which are responsible for their colors are sensitive to a variety of things which they may come into contact with during home food preservation. Acids (lemon or other fruit juices), anti-caking ingredients in table salt, minerals in water, metals in water and from cooking utensils, heat, and light are a few things which can affect these pigments causing them to change color. Most color changes which occur during home food preservation do not make the food unsafe to consume--however, if the food looks or smells bad or odd, do not take a chance, dispose of it without tasting it.
A.5.2 My jams and jellies didn't set. How can I reprocess them?
From: Barb Schaller
Here are three ways to rescue
syrupy jams or jellies.
From General Foods, makers of Sure Jell pectin products and Certo liquid pectin.
USING SURE JELL FOR LOWER SUGAR RECIPES:
If Trial Batch sets satisfactorily, follow the recipe above, using the listed amounts of Pectin Mixture and sugar for EACH 1 cup of jam or jelly. (Not going to repeat previous instructions.--BS) For convenience in measuring larger amounts of Pectin Mixture and sugar: 8 Tbsp. = 1/2 cup. 16 Tbsp = 1 cup. (Even I could do that math! :-) "Remember, if your jam or jelly still doesn't set, you can always use it as a glaze or syrup."
USING SURE JELL POWDERED FRUIT PECTIN:
USING CERTO Liquid Fruit Pectin:
For convenience in measuring larger amounts of sugar, lemon juice and Fruit Pectin: 3 tsp. = 1 Tbsp., 8 Tbsp. = 1/2 cup, 16 Tbsp. = 1 cup.
There! From "Gifts from the Harvest, Homemade Jams and Jellies, from the makers of SureJell and Certo." A 62-page booklet with beyond-the-basics recipes for sweet spreads. Got it as a freebie at our State Fair one year.
A.5.3. Anybody have a way to loosen up stiff jelly?
From: kateNOSPAM@rigel.econ.uga.edu (Kate Wrightson)
If it's jelly, try to maneuver a biggish glob (ooh, technical term) out of the jar and into a small Pyrex custard cup. Add a tablespoon or so of warm water and microwave it until the jelly begins to melt; stir and add extra water if needed to make a smooth semi-thick liquid. This becomes a glaze for whatever sorts of meats you might cook: chicken, game birds, roasts, turkey breasts....
The obvious combos are peach glaze on pork, cherry on pork, apple on pork (oops, and we don't even eat all that much pork; suffice it to say that pork goes well with any fruit glaze), strawberry or any berry on cornish hens, kiwi on chicken breasts, etc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------The cook was a good cook, as all cooks go; and as all cooks go, she went. --Saki