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86-Uneuter Farming, Saturday, July S, 1997
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
“I’ve never canned before but
I’d like to try making jams and jell
ies” or “I’ve always made jelly, but
I want the best method to make
reduced sugar jelly."
These were a few of the reasons
participants noted for attending the
jam and jelly workshop held recen
tly at the Farm and Home Center.
Extension home economist
Nancy Wiker taught a morning and
evening class to give the latest
update on proper methods for jam
and jelly making.
“Follow directions exactly.
Jams and jellies are not forgiving
when it comes to over and under
cooking. Under cooking results in
a runny mixture. Over cooking
results in a gummy, stiff mixture,”
she said.
Unsafe practices
Several of the old-methods our
mothers and grandmothers used
for jelly making are no longer con
sidered safe. Using paraffin wax to
seal jars is considered an absolute
no-no. Even the inversion method
of sealing the jar by turning the
filled jar upside down on the lid
upside down for five to 60 minutes
is frowned upon.
“A boiling water bath is needed
to ensure a proper seal and to
destroy all mold and yeast,” Wiker
said.
Any pinholes, shrinkage or
cracks in the wax paraffin allow
airborne molds to contaminate and
grow on the product. In addition,
leaks or holes in the paraffin can
allow product to seep out during
storage and once on the surface, it
will provide nutrients for molds to
grow on the surface and enter into
the jam or jelly.
Some research indicates that
mold growth on fruit products may
not be as completely harmless as
believed in the past.
When the inversion process
does not work, the vacuum seals of
filled jars tend to be weaker than
those produced by a short boiling
water canning process. The head
space of the jar may retain enough
oxygen to allow some mold growth
if airborne molds contaminated the
surface of the product after it
cooled below a temperature that
would kill them on contact.
Water processing
If you have a canner, water pro
cessing is no problem. But novice
cooks who are wary of investing
money in equipment for fear they
won’t get their money’s worth
from the investment in case they
Recipe Topics
if you have recipes for the topics listed below, please
share them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that
you include accurate measurements, a complete list of ingre
dients and clear instructions with each recipe you submit.
Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming,
P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Recipes should reach our
office one week before publishing date.
July-
12 Blueberries, Raspberries, etc.
19 Peaches
26 Garden Vegetables
August- 5 Sensational Summer Salads
In A Jam? Try These Jelly Recipes
don’tcontinue making jam and jel
ly annually.
A make-shift canner can be
devised by placing a rack in the
bottom of a large kettle.
' Preparing lids and jars
Wiker recommends using small
glass canning jars and two-piece
jar lids. Buy the exact apiount or
lids needed because the gummi
ness on the lid breaks down over
several years and leftover lids may
not give an adequate seal. Jar rings
may be reused from year to year,
but throw away rusty rings. Pour
boiling water over the lids just
before using.
A lid wand is a gadget that mag
netically pulls the lid from the hot
water to place on the jars. A lid
wand is a handy tool that elimi
nates the possibility of touching the
rubber seal or from burning your
hands in hot water. Turn lids firm.
Do not readjust after processing.
Old jars break quicker than new
ones, especially if a pressure can
ner is used. Sterilze jars in a water
bath canner for 10 minutes.
Freezing methods
Of course, you can save a lot of
time, if you decide to freeze the
jam and jelly instead of canning it
Freezing has distinct advantages.
In addition to the time factor, the
taste offers a fuller fresh fruit fla
vor.
When selecting fruit, stems of
berries should look fresh.
RHUBARB JAM
1 box Sure-Jell
314 cups sugar
4 cups rhubarb
cut rhubarb into 14 -inch pieces.
Add 14 cup water. Bring to a boil.
Add Sure-Jell and bring to a boil
again. Add sugar and boil for 3
minutes.
Ida Swartzentruber
FREEZER
STRAWBERRY JAM
With Artificial Sweetener
1 quart clean strawberries
3-4 teaspoons artificial
sweetener
\V* -ounce package powdered
fruit pectin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crush fruit in saucepan. Stir in
sweetener, fruit pectin, and lemon
juice. Bring to boil and boil for one
minute. Remove from heat Con
tinue to stir 2 minutes, pour into
freezer containers, cover, freeze.
Thaw before serving. Store in
refrigerator after thawing.
fr
Great-tasting jams and Jellies can be made without a lot of expertise and expensive
equipment.
MICROWAVE FRESH
STRAWBERRY JAM
4/2 cups crushed strawberries
1 box regular pectin
7 cups sugar
Heat berries and pectin in
3-quart casserole. Stir well, cover.
Microwave on high 8 to 10
minutes until mixture has full roll
ing boil. Remove cover, add sugar
and stir well. Microwave at high
for 8 to 10 minutes uncovered until
it reaches a full rolling boil—then
time for one minute of boiling.
Skim off foam and stir for S
minutes before filling sterilized
jars. Process in boiling water bath
for 5 minutes. Makes about 8 cups.
GRAPE JELLY
WITH GELATIN
2 tablespoons unflavored gela
tin powder
24-ounces unsweetened grape
juice
2 tablespoons bottled lemon
juice
2 tablespoons liquid artificial
sweetener (Saccharin)
Yield: 3 half-pints.
In a saucepan, soften the gelatin
in the grape and the lemon juice.
Bring to a full rolling boil to dissol
ve gelatin. Boil one minute and
remove from heat. Stir in sweeten
er. Fill quickly into hot sterile half
pint jars, leaving ’/< -inch heads
pace. Adjust lids. Do not process
or freeze—store in refrigerator and
use within 4 weeks.
Featured Recipe
An increasing number of families are finding getting into making
their own jams and jellies can be a great thing to do.
No matter whether you are a novice or an old-hand at preserving
fruit, always use up-to-date food preservation methods. One of the best
sources for information is your county extension office. They have
many free handouts with instructions and with recipes. In addition, a
loose-leaf cookbook published by Penn State, “Complete Guide to
Home Canning,” is available for a charge at the extension office.
Another good resource is the “Ball Blue Book Guide to Home Can
ning, Freezing, and Dehydration.” To odftr the guide by mail, send
your request and $5.95 to Dept. NAP, Alltrista Corporation, P.O. Box
2005, Muncie, IN 47307-0005.
For additional recipes and information, write or call the following:
• Sure Jell —General Foods, Crop. White Palins, NY 10625. Phone
1-800-431-1001.
• Mrs. Wages Dacus Inc., Tupelo. MS 38803. Phone
1-800-647-8170.
• Ball Consumer Affairs—P.O. box 2749, Muncie, 1N47307-0729.
Phone 1-800-240-3340.
• Equal—NutraSweet Brand 1-800-323-5316.
• Sweet One with Sunette 1-800-544-8610.
• Produce Partners McCormick and Co., Inc, 1-800-632-5847.
REFRIGERATED GRAPE SPREAD
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin powder
24-ounces unsweetened grape juice
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid low-calorie sweetener
Yield: 3 half-pints.
In a saucepan, soften the gelatin in the grape and lemon juices. Bring
to a full rolling boil W'disSolvc gelatin. Boil one minute and remove
from heat. Stir insweeSner. Fill jars quickly, leaving V* -inch heads
pace. Adjust lids. Do not process or freeze. Store in refrigerator and
use within 4 weeks. «•'
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