Jamtastic: Canning tips for beginners

Not as many people can fruits and vegetables at home any more as the convenience and quality of store-bought canned goods has increased, but there are still some who persist.

Many people seem put off by the process and perhaps canning their own vegetables, much less meats or stews is a different matter, but canning your own jams or jellies is a simple process and can be fun, too.

A good way to get a feel for what can be made at home is to visit one of the local farmers markets, and there you will almost always find a vender selling a variety of homemade jams.

I visited the Biloxi, Miss., farmers market recently and talked to Virginia McCowan and Merle Miller.

Between the two of them they had a huge variety of jams, jellies, even chow-chow and other hard-to-find Southern specialties.

I found jams made with muscadines, figs, dewberries, blackberries, kumquat, mayhaw, strawberries and some interesting combinations like pears, peaches and oranges.

The basics

If you decide to give home canning a try you will need some basic equipment -- a large cooking pot, canning jars, jar lids and bands, a

colander and a boiling-water canner.

The "Blue Book Guide to Preserving" by Ball is also advised. I must also include a word of caution from home-canning expert Dita McCarthy, "Anything that one is preparing to put up unrefrigerated with a shelf life needs to be properly canned and preserved." In other words make sure you've got the basics down before you get started.

McCarthy has been canning for 11 years and got started because of the abundance of her garden and orchard. She cans enough now to almost last through the winter months. Her specialties include hot pepper jam, Kieffer pear, pear and ginger preserves and blueberry jam. She also suggests that you look to your local extension service for classes on canning and demonstrations.

Equipment needs and words of caution aside, getting started can be as simple as this: wash and pit the fruit, add water and cook until soft, add sugar and boil until done, pour into jars, then seal and boil in a boiling-water canner.

This is obviously a simplification and a lot more information is required but it does illustrate how simple it can be. Following are a few recipes that are perfect for beginners.

HOT PEPPER JELLY

1/2 pound sweet green and red peppers

1/4 pound hot peppers

3-4 cloves of garlic

6 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 pouches Ball liquid pectin

Cut stems, chop peppers very fine or puree, leaving in seeds. Combine with vinegar, sugar, and garlic in large saucepan. Bring to boil and boil 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add liquid pectin and return to boil. Boil one minute, stirring constantly and remove from heat and skim any foam that rises to the top. Ladle into hot jars, leaving1/4-inch headspace. Apply caps and process according to directions.

-- Dita McCarthy

GINGER PEAR HONEY

10 pounds cooking or sand pears, peeled, cored, quartered

1 whole lemon

Grated rind and juice of 2 whole lemons

3-5 ounces of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated finely

7-3/4 pounds of sugar

Process pears and whole lemon in food processor. Add rind and juice of other lemons. Place all ingredients in large heavy pot. Bring to boil and once boiling, cook slowly over low heat until thick and syrupy, about 2 hours. Ladle into hot jars, leaving1/4-inch headspace. Always process according to directions.

-- Dita McCarthy

MAYHAW JELLY

5 cups mayhaw juice

5 cups sugar

1 box sure-jell (pectin)

1/2 teaspoon butter

Stir pectin into juice in sauce pan. Add 1 teaspoon butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat. Stir in sugar quickly. Return to full rolling boil and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon. Ladle quickly 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 or 2 inches. Cover, bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool. After jars cool, check seals. Let stand 24 hours at room temperature. Store in cool dark place.

-- Marie Birkhead

This story was originally published March 28, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Jamtastic: Canning tips for beginners ."