Preserves 2019

Preserves 2019

Updated recipes for cherry, peach, strawberry, and pear preserves; orange marmalade.

General concepts

• Be careful! You’re dealing with a lot of hot materials. Rubber-tipped tongs are a real good idea.
• Sterilize jars and utensils in boiling water to cover for 15 minutes. Sterilize everything you’ll use.
• All these recipes have less sugar than original recipe.
• I’ve started cooking fruit and juice until the fruit is done (20-30 minutes), removing the fruit and app
  

  Strawberry and pear preserves backed by cyprus vine (iDallas)

  ortioning it in the sterilized jars, then reducing the syrup. In some cases I add pectin to syrup to thicken. (See directions inside pectin box.) When syrup desired consistency pour over fruit, affix top and sterilize.

• Setting point is determined by putting a couple of plates into the fridge for ~15 minutes. Put a spoonful of preserves or marmalade onto a plate and back into fridge for 5 minutes. Then push the edge of preserves or marmalade with finger. Wrinkly = set.

You are really in for a treat!

Cherry preserves

4 # cherries, pitted
3 + cups sugar
Juice 2 lemons
Eight 8 oz (or four 16 oz) Ball jars sterilized (boil jars, tops, utensils for 15 minutes)

Directions
Pit cherries – important to pay attention here
Put in pot, stir in lemon juice and sugar, let sit 1+ hour
Cook for about 20 minutes – until cherries are soft/firm
Cherries to jars, lids on tight
Reduce syrup
Add syrup to jars of cherries – lids on tight
Submerge in boiling water for 15 minutes

(I filled 2 16 oz jars, then added pectin to remaining syrup for 2 jars. Those with pectin were still runny, so needed more pectin)

Peach Preserves

Juice from 4 large lemons (approximately 8 tbsp)
6 lbs fresh peaches, firm, not hard or soft
2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar (the amount used depends on how sweet peaches are)
Eight 8-oz or four 16 oz glass jelly jars – Sterilized (boil 15 minutes)

Directions

Pour the lemon juice into a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan. Peel, pit and chop the peaches into small, bite-size chunks. Add the peaches to the lemon juice as you chop, stirring with each addition to coat the peaches in the lemon juice to prevent browning.

Pour the sugar over the peaches and stir gently to coat the peaches in the sugar. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Check the fruit in about 20 minutes. When done at 20-30 minutes, place fruit in sterilized jars and reduce the syrup to thicker consistency (takes about one hour).

Add syrup to jars. Lids on tight.

Put jars covered in boiling water for 15 minutes

Strawberry Preserves 

Recipe from Martha Stewart, with adjusted sugar

Super-sweet berries are not necessary. The main thing is good flavor. The sugar takes care of the sweetness.

2 pounds strawberries, hulled
11/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1.5-2 cups sugar

Directions

Put strawberries and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until juices are released, about 40 minutes. Stir in sugar.

Can take berries out, put in jars, then cook the syrup down and pour over berries. This will result in firmer berries.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 210 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Original recipe says “Let cool completely; skim foam from surface with a spoon. Preserves can be refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 2 months.” I pour them up hot, jars in boiling water for 15 minutes.

Amber Pear Preserves

From COOKS.COM

This recipe is about 75 years old.

4 C under-ripe pears (I use 4#)
3 C sugar (try a little less – with 4# pears, I used <4# sugar)
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice (3 T if increasing as above)

Directions

Peel and chop under-ripe pears, stirring them into lemon juice as you cut them up to help retain color.

Stir in sugar

Let stand overnight with sugarand lemon juice.

Stir then put on low fire and let simmer until pears have turned amber color, about 2 hours (BUT do not over-cook). Go by color. Stir to be sure it isn’t sticking. Pour in prepared jars and seal. Use all juice.

Boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Orange Marmalade

From About British Foods

Seville oranges are smaller and not as “pretty” as the oranges most often seen in stores. But they are the right oranges (bitter) for this recipe. Usually available December-February.

Need ~12” square of muslin, large non-reactive stock pot with 4 liters water, sterilized jars.
5# Seville oranges
2 large or 3 small, unwaxed lemons
5# sugar (original recipe calls for a little more)
4 liters water in a large pot

Directions

Halve the oranges and lemons and juice them, saving pips and peel.

Add juice to water.

Put the pips and rubble onto the muslin, tie it off, and put into the water.

Pull the membranes out of the oranges (reserving the pith and peel) and discard. I think the membranes add a stronger bitterness.

Cut orange and lemon peel into strips 1/4” wide. If too thin they will dissolve.

Put into water. Bring to boil, then heat, and bring to boil. Boil for about 20 minutes, removing any scum – until setting point* is reached. When setting point reached, turn off heat and let sit for 20 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

The original recipe doesn’t call for a 15 minute boiling water bath, but I think it’s a good idea.

*Setting point is determined by putting a couple plates into the fridge for ~15 minutes. Put a spoonful of preserves or marmalade onto a plate and back into fridge for 5 minutes. Then push the edge of preserves or marmalade with finger. Wrinkly = set

Hooray for homemade preserves!!!