- Author: Jennifer Codron, UC Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Jennifer Hopkins
Lately, I've been experimenting with making jam the “old fashioned way,” which means a long cooking time and no added pectin. I'm finding that the fruit's flavor is much more concentrated and the jam has an extra layer of richness that I don't taste from jams made with added pectin. These jams require quite a bit of sugar, so you may prefer to use a low or no sugar pectin to reduce the sweetness.
Today I made raspberry jam using the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (2016) recipe, Berry Jam, pg. 23. After purchasing the raspberries at my local farmer's market, cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen and gathering my canning supplies I set out to create some delicious jam during the height of raspberry season.
First, prepare your canner and jars.
Wash the raspberries and pick through making sure not to use any moldy or badly blemished berries. Ideally, you want a mix of ripe fruit and some of the berries a little underripe. These contain more natural pectin which helps the jam set.
When making a full sugar no pectin jam you will need to cook the jam longer and use the spoon gel test to make sure it will properly set after canning. To do this, take 3-5 teaspoons and set them on a plate and place in the freezer as you are cooking the berries.
Combine berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large heavy bottom pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Bring this mixture to a boil and let boil for about 10 to 15 minutes until the foam recedes and the mixture starts to become glossy.
You can now take one teaspoon from the freezer and dip it into the mixture and return the spoon about half full to the freezer for about 3-4 mins. After that time, take the spoon out, make sure the bottom feels cool, not warm, and tilt it to the side. The drops should run together and form a sheet as viewed in the last spoon photo. If the jam runs quickly, keep stirring and cooking the mixture. Repeat the test after another 5 minutes.
When the jam is done, remove from heat and ladle into the warm jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. You can measure with the ruler tool and scrape down the sides of each jar to remove any bubbles that may have formed. Now take a damp paper towel and wipe the rims to remove any drips that may have occurred. After ensuring a clean rim on the jar, place the lids on and screw on the bands until fingertip tight. You don't want the bands too tight. You want to allow the air to move out under the band to help seal the lid during the canning process.
Process the jars in a boiling water canner at a full roiling boil for 10 minutes. Steam will escape through the side of the lid during this process. If the water ever drops below the boiling point, start your timer over for the full processing time as directed by the recipe. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid and let the jars stand for 5 minutes.
After this time, use a jar lifter and carefully remove each jar to a towel on your counter. You can use a tray lined with a towel if you want to move the jars to a different location before letting them set for 12-24 hours.
Don't worry about the water that pools on top of the lids. Just leave it be. Do not tilt the jars to remove it. Once the jars have sealed you can remove this with a paper towel and a little vinegar to remove any white sediment.
After 12 hours make sure the lids have sealed properly, the lids should be concave. Label the jars and store without the bands in a cool, dark location. If a jar or two has not sealed properly simply place them in the refrigerator and use them within a month. Once opened, store jam in the refrigerator. Use unopened jars within a year for best flavor.
I love this jam spread on toast but also plan on filling thumbprint cookies with it. The long cooking time creates a thicker jam with a richer color than what you usually get with a pectin added jam. The process is more labor intensive but well worth it!
/span>It's peak season for fruits and vegetables from now through September: peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, apricots, plums, berries … the list goes on and on. It's not unusual for a neighbor to drop off a bag of peaches, or to find a roadside stand offering melons, or to encounter a box of cucumbers or zucchini labeled with a “free” sign when out on a walk. Our farmers markets offer an amazing selection of locally-grown fruits and vegetables, and wild blackberries thrive on the banks of our creeks and rivers. If you find yourself in the enviable position of having more fresh produce than you can possibly consume or give away, it's time to start canning and preserving. You'll be glad you did when you can pull out a jar of homemade bread & butter pickles at Thanksgiving, or slather your own apricot jam on a piece of toast come February.
Apparently the ancient Greeks and Romans loved jams and jellies. Around 500 BC, traders began pulverizing over-ripe fruit, then boiling the juice and adding honey to turn what would have been waste into something useful. One of the first known cookbooks is De Re Coquinaria (“The Art of Cooking” in English), from the fourth century AD or earlier. It includes a recipe for jam which is simply fruit and sugar boiled together. Those living in northern climates with insufficient sunlight to properly dry fruits soon added this method to their food preservation techniques.
Toward the end of the 18th century, natural refrigeration became a means of preservation in areas where snow and ice were available. Holes were dug into the ground and meat was stored and covered with snow during the winter. This method of preservation reduced both enzymes and bacteria, keeping meat from going rancid. But it wasn't until the invention of mechanical refrigeration that cold storage became more widespread.
At around this same time in England, there was increasing need to feed the navy as well as arctic explorers over long periods of time. Drying, pickling, or preserving in jars were the only methods of longer-term food preservation. Metal cans came into the picture when Peter Durand, a British merchant, patented a method of storing food in cans on behalf of French national Phillippe de Girard who had invented the method in 1811. Durand sold the patent to Bryan Donkin, a British inventor and manufacturer. Donkin began processing meat in iron tins, and this canned meat made its way to the English Royal household. Several days after King George III and Queen Charlotte tasted the canned meat, Donkin received a letter from the Duke of Kent telling him how much the King and Queen had enjoyed the meal. Soon the manufacturing company of Donkin, Hall, and Gamble began distributing canned foods to the British navy and eventually selling canned perishables throughout England and across the Atlantic to merchants in New York City.
In the early years of the 20th century the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its first guide to home food preservation. “Canning Vegetables in the Home” was published in the Farmer's Bulletin 359 in May 1909; a year later, “Canning Peaches on the Farm” appeared in the same publication.
Since that time, home canning has played a critical role in important eras of American history: growing and preserving one's own food helped many citizens supplement rationed food supplies during World Wars I and II; home canning was a means of survival for many families during the Great Depression of the 1930s; and the back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s and 1970s saw increased interest in preserving home-grown food. As many of us are well aware, a home canning resurgence occurred during the COVID pandemic, so much so that it became difficult to find canning jars for sale on grocery shelves.
The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources offers a Master Food Preserver Program in some counties (alas, not in Butte County; the closest program is in Yuba County). The Program's website contains all the information you need to start canning safely – including plenty of useful recipes.
If you'd like to try some very easy ways to preserve the summer's bounty, here are two simple no-fuss recipes.
Fruit Leather: Any fruit or combination of fruits works well
Wash fruit (peel stone fruits)
Puree three cups of your chosen fruit or fruit combination in a blender
Add a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice
Add a tablespoon of honey (optional)
Spread mixture on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and either bake at 150 degrees or leave in the sun (covered with cheese cloth) until dry.
Bread & Butter Pickles:
Mix together: 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup cider or white vinegar
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
Slice three to five cucumbers into rounds about 3/16ths of an inch thick and put into the mixture cold. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes. Pack into jars and seal (or just pack into jars, forego the canning process and store in refrigerator – super easy!). Makes 2 pints.
- Author: Dayna Ravalin, UC Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Jennifer Hopkins
Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover wine or perhaps a bottle that didn't quite suit your taste? I know I have been in this predicament a few times. It's a shame to pour it out, so what do you do with it? How about make some wine jelly? The procedure is simple, and it will yield a flavorful product that can accompany a variety of cheeses, meats, and charcuterie boards. Or, if you're like me, enjoy it on a cream scone or slice of sourdough toast with a cup of tea. YUM!
Recently, I opened a bottle of champagne and didn't like the taste so I decided to use it to make wine jelly. I chose the Herbes de Provence Wine Jelly recipe from the Ball® Complete Book of Home Preserving 2012 edition. Since I used champagne instead of still white wine (my champagne was flat) and dried lavender for the Herbes de Provence, the variation I made is called Lavender Wine Jelly.
First, before starting any preservation project, make sure your workspace is very clean, including all equipment. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before you begin. Next, gather your supplies.
Then, measure your ingredients using appropriate utensils for the job. Use dry measuring tools for non-liquid ingredients and liquid measuring tools for liquids, of course!
Next, wash all your jars, lids, and rings and prepare them according to the manufacturer's recommendations. As you can see from the photo, I use reusable lids for my canning projects. Single use lids work very well too.
Pour your measured wine into a stainless-steel pot and add the dried culinary lavender.
Note: Make sure the variety of lavender you are using is meant to be used in cooking. Not all lavender is created equally.
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Bring the lavender and wine to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.
After steeping, I transferred the liquid using a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth set over a deep bowl and let it drip for several minutes. You can also use a dampened jelly bag for this step. You will need 1 ¾ cups of infused wine. You may need to squeeze the cheesecloth or jelly bag to get enough liquid.
Meanwhile, heat your jars in your atmospheric steam canner or boiling water canner. I use a steam canner, when possible, to minimize the amount of needed water for processing and ease of use. The processing time is the same as for a boiling water canner. Recipes must require less than 45 minutes of processing time and be considered a high acid food in order to be safely canned in an atmospheric steam canner.
Transfer the steeped wine into a large stainless-steel pot. As you can see, my wine turned a beautiful rose color thanks to the newly dried lavender pigment.
Stir in the sugar all at once.
Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down and stir in the pectin.
Boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and quickly skim off the foam.
Quickly pour the hot jelly into the hot jars removing air bubbles and adjusting headspace to ¼ inch. Wipe jar rim and lid your jar.
Apply the jar ring and load into the canner.
Process these jars in a boiling water canner or atmospheric steam canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars from the canner after the recommended wait time and allow to cool for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, check seals, remove rings, and store in a dark cool place. Make sure to place any unsealed jars in the refrigerator to enjoy right away.
This recipe is such fun and doesn't require the longer preparation time that other jelly recipes do. Enjoy this during the upcoming holidays or enjoy now during the warmer months as part of a charcuterie board, or just pair it with a wedge of brie cheese and your favorite cracker. Either way, you'll always want to have some in the pantry! It also makes a great gift!
Recipe:
Lavender Wine Jelly
Ingredients
2 cups dry white wine
1 Tbsp. dried culinary lavender
2 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch (3oz.) liquid pectin
Directions:
- In a large stainless-steel saucepan combine wine and lavender. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a dampened jelly bag or a strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip undisturbed, for 20 minutes. Measure 1 ¾ cups infused wine. If you do not have the required amount, squeeze the bag.
- Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars, and lids according to manufacturer recommendations.
- Transfer infused wine to a clean, large, deep stainless-steel saucepan. Stir in sugar.
- Stirring constantly over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.
- Quickly pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met then increase to fingertip tight, or according to manufacturer directions for reusable lids.
- Place jars in canner and process for 10 minutes. Once process is complete, remove jars according to canner type after recommended wait time (5 minutes for boiling water canner), and cool for 24 hours. Label jars with contents and date of preparation and store in a cool, dark place.
UC Master Food Preservers do not endorse or promote any brand of products.
Without preservation, food begins to spoil soon after harvest. Spoilage affects the quality, nutrition, flavor, and safety of the food. Different foods need different methods for best results. And some foods respond well to several different methods.
First of all, what causes spoilage?
Molds can grow on any type of food and are tolerant of drier conditions than other microorganisms. They are destroyed by heat, particularly temperatures between 140°F and 190°F.
Yeasts can grow in all types of food. They are destroyed at temperatures between 140°F and 180°F.
Bacteria come in many varieties. They grow and multiply, making food soft and slimy with an unpleasant odor. Some bacteria produce dangerous toxins. They grow at a variety of temperatures and some can grow without oxygen. Most bacteria thrive in low acid foods such as vegetables or meat. While most bacteria are destroyed by heat some highly toxic ones can ONLY be killed by the sustained higher temperature (240°F) of steam.
Enzymes are chemicals that make fruit and vegetables mature, but also to break down and rot. You blanch food before freezing to inactivate the enzymes and retain quality.
Now, how to safely preserve food?
Canning is a wonderful way to preserve meat, fruit, and vegetables without the need for electricity over a long storage time. High-acid foods, such as fruits, pickled vegetables or relishes, and some tomato products, are safely processed in a Boiling Water Bath or Steam Canner, using specific processing times to ensure the temperature is achieved throughout. Low-acid foods, such as most vegetables and all meats MUST be processed in a Pressure Canner.
Canning inevitably softens most foods (with the exception of pickled ones) and some prefer freezing vegetables such as peas, green beans, or squash because of this. Color and texture of food can degrade over time, but is slowed by keeping the home-canned foods in a cool and, particularly, dark storage area. As a rule of thumb, unopened home canned foods have a shelf life of one year and should be used before two years. Here is a source for extensive reliable information on canning methods: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html
Dehydration removes moisture from food so microorganisms cannot grow and enzymes are slowed. Store dried foods in airtight containers to keep out moisture. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and meat (as in jerky) can be safely preserved through dehydration. Note that dried foods are susceptible to insect contamination and moisture re-absorption and must be properly packaged and stored immediately. Store in clean, dry home canning jars (here's a place you can re-use lids), plastic freezer containers with tight-fitting lids or in plastic freezer bags. Vacuum packaging is also a good option. Pack foods in amounts that can be used all at once. Each time a package is re-opened, the food is exposed to air and moisture that can lower the quality of the food and result in spoilage.
Kept in a cool, dry, location dried fruits can be stored for 1 year at 60ºF, 6 months at 80ºF. Vegetables have about half the shelf-life of fruits. Find more information of dehydration here:
Freezing slows microbial growth, but does not stop it. Frozen foods lose quality over time, limiting storage to 1 year or less. Once thawed, frozen foods must be used promptly or they will spoil. Some foods, such as cabbage, do NOT take well to freezing, you can find a chart with information on those here.
Pickling or Fermenting of food greatly increases it's acidity making it difficult for most bacteria to grow. Pickled foods should be processed in a boiling water bath for long-term storage or kept in a refrigerator. Storage times and methods vary for different products. For more information check here.
Jams and Jellies and other fruit spread's high sugar content binds up moisture making it difficult for microorganisms to grow. They still must be processed in a boiling water bath or frozen to insure protection from spoilage from molds or yeasts.
Cured and Smoked meats are a combination of dehydration and fermentation. They can contain a lot of salt and/or sugar, which binds up moisture microorganisms would need.
You can find great recipes for curing meats online here.
Now you can go ahead and plan your and garden and food preservation methods and storage space to fit your needs!
Questions about food preservation? Contact the Master Food Preserver Program through the Humboldt County Cooperative Extension Office for information: 707) 445-7431, or online at: http://cehumboldt.ucdavis.edu
- Author: Kathy Low, UC Master Food Preserver of Solano and Yolo counties
Air drying peppers can be a fun activity to do with children. For the best results, select only firm, fresh peppers free of any blemishes or other damage. Wash them thoroughly. Then use a knife to cut a slit in the stems. Using a large crafting needle, thread light string or a heavy thread through the stems of the peppers. Hang the string of peppers in a well-ventilated room since high humidity can cause the peppers to spoil. The peppers should dry within about four weeks.
Peppers can also be sun dried. Drying peppers in the sun requires a minimum temperature of 90°F for several days, with a humidity level below 60 percent. To sun dry peppers, first rinse them to remove any dirt. Then lay them on screen trays made of stainless steel, plastic, or Teflon coated fiberglass. Do not use galvanized metal, copper or aluminum screens. Place the trays on blocks to increase airflow and cover the peppers with cheesecloth to protect them from birds and insects. Once the peppers are dried, pasteurize them to kill any insect or insect eggs that may have gotten on the peppers. To pasteurize them, either seal them in a freezer bag and place the bag in the freezer (set at 0°F or below) for 48 hours, or lay the peppers out single layer on a tray and place them in the oven pre-heated to 160°F for 30 minutes.
If you have an electric food dehydrator, first thoroughly rinse the peppers and remove the stems and cores. Cut the peppers into 3/8-inch disks and place in a single layer on the dehydrator trays. The peppers generally take 8 to 12 hours to dry in a dehydrator.
You can also dry peppers in your oven, although you may not want to heat up your house using this method in the summer. To dry peppers in your oven, first make sure your oven can be set to 140°F. (Any higher temperature will cook, not dehydrate the peppers.) Place washed peppers single layer on an oven drying tray (note: cake cooling racks placed on a cookie tray work well). Make sure the drying tray clears all sides of the oven three to four inches. If you are placing more than one drying tray in your oven, make sure they're spaced two to three inches apart for air circulation. The oven door needs to be propped open two to six inches during the entire drying process. You can place an oven thermometer near the drying tray to get an accurate temperature reading and adjust the temperature as needed to reach 140°F. Since oven drying takes about twice as long as an electric food dehydrator, it will take approximately 16 to 24 hours to dry peppers using this method. Just be sure to let the peppers completely cool before packaging them for storage.
Dried peppers can be stored for several months in a cool dark place. They should be stored in moisture proof packaging such as a glass jar or freezer container. Plastic freezer bags can be used but be aware that they are not rodent proof. Rehydrate dried peppers for use in dishes like casseroles by soaking them in water. Or you may opt to crumble or turn the dried peppers into a powder to use as a seasoning.
Source of information and more reading:
For more information on drying peppers, see Peppers: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve and Enjoy from the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources accessible at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8004.pdf and Preserving Food: Drying Fruits and Vegetables from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service accessible at https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_dry_fruit.pdf.
For more information about the UC Master Food Preserver Program, including the Food Preservation Video Library, visit mfp.ucanr.edu.