Canning Fruit for the Winter

Depends on if you want to freeze or can. Ball (maker of canning supplies) puts out a good how-to book, Ball's Blue Book, that covers both methods. I think you can usually find it in the canning section at Meijer?

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Last summer, I had a BIG crop of peaches....

I blanched them, peeled, pitted and sliced them, and put them in a 4 cup measure with 1/2 C sugar, and 1 TBSP fruit fresh (I think). I then put it all in a quart-size freezer bag, squeezed all the air out, and froze them flat (on a cookie sheet) so they would be easier to store in the freezer.

I think I put in 30 quarts of peaches? We still have maybe a dozen....

Yum! We've used them for smoothies, a peach coffee cake, and different things like that. They were small peaches, but they sure were yummy!

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What kind of fruit are you getting? I like to dry apples and hard pears(texas pears)- I have a dehydrator for those. I also like to do canned apple pie filling or apple and pear butters(there is a really yummy one for caramel apple butter I found online a while back) Pear honey is super tasty(it's pear butter with added pineapple). I love making jams and jellies with softer fruits like peaches and plums. I have also canned peaches before and it's pretty easy. If you are canning or making jam, you will need clean jars(I use the smaller jars for jams and jellies- larger ones for canning fruit). Sugar, and a large pot(a canning pot). Plus various pots for boiling the lids and heating the liquid(we used sugar water, but I think you can do juice too). It's a lot easier if you find someone who does a lot of canning and jam making and have them there with you to show you how to do it. Plus it's more fun that way! But if you don't want to go to all that work- you can freeze it. Get some good freezer bags, cut the fruit up and throw it in the freezer.
have fun!
~C.

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You can also dry fruit (with a dehydrator) or make fruit leather (in a dehydrator or in the oven). I've got a batch of fruit leather made with pears in the oven as we speak.

The following is a website for canning, and it includes recipes and equipment needed. It looked helpful.

http://www.canning-food-recipes.com/canningfruits.htm

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