What are you canning now?

[rancher hicks]

I have a huge bag full of these little geen, turning to yellow, apples that I "think" are crab apples
and I have a 5 gallon bucket of green pears that dont seem to want to ripen.

What should I make with these?

I can only water bath. I don't mind jellys but was hoping maybe to do something like an apple
sauce or apple butter but I have never made anything like that.

Whatcha all think?

I suggest looking up these fruits. Some pears don't turn, they stay green. You do want some unripened fruit or things become mushy. I personally like a chunky applesauce.

I have a book "The Apple Lovers Cookbook" and you'd be surprised at the varieties of apples. Some simply go un-named. I like to mix varieties. Even those "wild" fruits growing in an abandoned field may be fine to use, when mixed with other commercial varieties tastewise.

So you can mix the pears with apples and I'd say even the crab apples to make some jelly. Do a small batch and see how you like it. The possibilities are endless.

 

[mickey328]

You're right Rancher...I was researching a bit the other night and there are over 8000 different varieties of apple! Who knew? And lots of pears don't change color...the best way to check is by touch...if they're hard as rocks, they're not ripe, LOL. A little under ripe is good because they cook during the canning process and if they're ripe going in, they'll be mush coming out.

I like chunky applesauce too; I make it like Grandma did. Peel and rough chop the apples, stick 'em in a pan with a little water, some lemon juice, and a tiny bit of salt. Cook till tender, then toss in a handful of cinnamon hearts. This adds a bit of sweet, a nice cinnamon flavor and a gorgeous red color. Once they're melted I check the taste and add sugar if it's too tart or more lemon juice if too sweet. Hot pack and process. Easy peasy.

 

[rancher hicks]

You're right Rancher...I was researching a bit the other night and there are over 8000 different varieties of apple! Who knew? And lots of pears don't change color...the best way to check is by touch...if they're hard as rocks, they're not ripe, LOL. A little under ripe is good because they cook during the canning process and if they're ripe going in, they'll be mush coming out.

I like chunky applesauce too; I make it like Grandma did. Peel and rough chop the apples, stick 'em in a pan with a little water, some lemon juice, and a tiny bit of salt. Cook till tender, then toss in a handful of cinnamon hearts. This adds a bit of sweet, a nice cinnamon flavor and a gorgeous red color. Once they're melted I check the taste and add sugar if it's too tart or more lemon juice if too sweet. Hot pack and process. Easy peasy.

I have more than one recipe, but one that uses Nutmeg, cinnamon and All spice and some other stuff. Tastes like pie filling. DW likes it with pork.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I had bought a case of peaches and 1/2 case of pears last week, so I canned this weekend. I wasn't sure what we would like, so I made a single batch of each recipe.

I ended up with 4 pints of Sliced Peaches, 4 jelly jars of Brandy Peaches, 4 jars of Rum Peaches, 8 jars of Peach Butter and 4 jars of Peach Butter with Southern Comfort - DH calls it Peach Comfort and it is so good! From the pears I have 8 jars of Pear Butter and 4 1/2 jars of Brandy Pear Butter. I finished up with 3 of the 4oz. jars of the Pear Butter and Peach Comfort to give to the neighbors for them to try.

I have ordered another case of peaches and a case of pears - those are going to be sliced and canned in quarts. Hubby promises to eat them this winter.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Do you have the recipe for Brandy pear butter?

I'm up to my eyeballs in fruit - gotta do some serious canning in the next few days. The 2 boxes of pears are ripe, then I picked about 5 gallons of peaches, and now I see my nectarines are ripe! Time to get my butt in gear! Also have to pick more raspberries.................I'm out of peach melba jam.

 

[erinszoo]

I have a huge bag full of these little geen, turning to yellow, apples that I "think" are crab apples
and I have a 5 gallon bucket of green pears that dont seem to want to ripen.

What should I make with these?

I can only water bath. I don't mind jellys but was hoping maybe to do something like an apple
sauce or apple butter but I have never made anything like that.

Whatcha all think?

Apple sauce and apple butter are very easy. Just core your apples, cook down and strain through a ricer or chenois to remove the peels. You could also peel them ahead of time but that's a lot of work for little apples. Add sugar to sweeten to taste and you have applesauce. To make apple butter just add cinnamon and cloves to taste, more sugar (almost enough to make jam) and cook a little longer til it stands up on a spoon and doesn't slide off. I always add lemon juice or citric acid when I'm cooking my apples down to keep them from browning too much.

You can do the same with the pears if you want. Have you tried putting the pears in a brown paper bag and folding down the top and leaving it for a week or so? Our pears always ripen that way and when they are very soft we make pear honey, which in my opinion is the nectar of the gods.

 

[vfem]

Already got a batch of vanilla pear butter done, 12 more jars of orange watermelon, and 12 more pink watermelon as well. I got the juice of muscadine grapes and pears waiting for me to get that jelly done too. I just need a couple more days in the week and hours in the day I'm telling you!!!

I also need a few more shelves in the pantry at this rate. I'm making it all faster then I can sell it this time. Used to be the other way around!

 

[Cryptkeeper]

Today I finally was able to get around to doing my peach jam. 21 pints so far today.
ran out of jars had to run to nearest WM they only had 1/2 pint jars so i had to buy 12 cases, It's going to be a long night!!

 

[Cryptkeeper]

I want to use the peels of my peaches to make jelly, how much water do I need to boil them in? I do not want to use too much water, or too little for that matter.

 

[mickey328]

I always use the recipe in the pectin box and it comes out great...love the stuff!