My gramma made canned fruit every summer to enjoy throughout the cold snowy winter months when fresh fruit was not as readily available from the garden and the grocery store was much too far to get to often. I have always loved the taste of homemade canned fruit and I enjoy making it, reminiscent of my gramma’s. When my brothers and I were kids, we would drive hours to get to gramma’s house out in the country, and arrived Friday evening. She would have a delicious meal prepared and often fruit was the dessert after supper. She would always ask us what kind of fruit we would like and often opened several jars since we all enjoyed something different.
She would have raspberries or rhubarb with strawberries or rhubarb with orange peel since rhubarb, strawberries and raspberries grew abundantly in her garden. She would also have canned peaches and pears and even plums which she would buy by the case. I always enjoyed the sweet fruit in a sugary syrup, eating the fruit first and then drinking the delicious fruit-flavored syrup. It was the perfect sweet ending to a meal and a delicious late night snack if we were still hungry.
Canning fruit always reminds me of my gramma and I happily share that with my family! I quit freezing fruit quite a few years ago because if it was not done just right, the beautiful summer fruit suffered freezer burn, and no one likes the taste of that! That is one of the many reasons I can. After jam is made from the fresh summer pickings we have, I always can the remaining fruit to enjoy on cold snowy days. I also buy cases of fruit from the local farmer’s market like peaches and pears that just do not grow in Alberta, specifically for canning fruit. It too is like summer in a jar.
And it is so simple to make and tastes so much better than store bought canned fruit. I wait until the fruit is ripe to can which tastes so much better and much more like fresh fruit compared to if it was green (or unripe). When I can fruit, I know what the ingredients are, where the fruit comes from, how it is prepared and I can easily control the amount of sugar. I always do a 2 to 1 of water to sugar because it is the right amount for preservation and the perfect sweetness for many fruits like rhubarb or gooseberries that tend to be quite sour. I place fruit in a sterilized jar, add fresh fruit in, pour the hot syrup over top, seal and process for 20 minutes. Store sealed jars in a cool dark place (I always store mine in the furnace room in my basement on shelves) and jars that failed to seal in the refrigerator. It is absolutely delicious and something your family will enjoy as much as mine!
Let’s get to it!
After rinsing, add your favourite summer fruit to your sterilized jars.
Combine sugar and water – 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes. The syrup is ready to be added to the jars.
Add syrup to fruit in jars to 3/4″ of headspace.
Wipe rims and place seals and rings on. Just tighten finger tight — too tight and jars may break.
Place jars in canning pot of boiling water. Place lid on and set timer for 20 minutes.
Remove from pot carefully and place on tea towels on a cutting board. Do not bump or bang and set gently to avoid breaking. Let cool completely. Sealing jars will make popping sounds. Once cooled, tighten rings. Jars that have sealed can be stored and those that have not sealed can be placed in fridge (where they sometimes seal). I shake up the fruit 24 hours later and place them upside down which helps loosen the fruit so the fruit is not packed at the top of the jar.
When canning peaches and pears I have discovered that adding a few pieces of orange peel (I chop up a washed orange and add pieces to my fruit jars – orange fruit and peel!) will prevent the fruit from browning and gives it a light citrus flavor without overpowering the actual fruit’s flavor.
I have also added a cinnamon stick to pears and it is simply delicious! One of my family’s favorites! Adding the cinnamon syrup after to a bit of ginger ale, cranberry juice or apple juice gives it a wonderfully spiced taste!
When we can crab apples, we can them whole and often add whole cloves or pieces of cinnamon stick to them which also gives the crab apples a nice spiced taste without taking away from the apple flavor! It is a great addition to the sweetness of the syrup.
When we can cherries from trees that grow here in Alberta, like Evan’s Cherry or Romeo Cherry, we simply rinse the fruit, toss the cherries into the jars and add syrup and can. We do not pit them, but when eating, we do spit the pits out! The cherries can totally be pitted beforehand and either canned or turned into a beautiful pie!
We also love canning berries! They are fantastic on their own for breakfast or as a dessert or even spooned over ice cream or added to smoothies! They are delicious!!
No matter what kind of fruit you like, canning is a great way to preserve the summer’s bounty to enjoy all winter long. We love enjoying our home canned fruit during the cold snowy winter months — it tastes just like it was freshly picked and reminds us of the warm summer we enjoyed!
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours