What You Need:

3 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed and sliced
1/4 C of water
1 3/4 oz. pkg. powdered fruit pectin
6 C of sugar
1/2 C of orange liqueur
3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

How to Make It:

Prepare the canning jars, lids and seals according the manufacturer’s directions.
Keep the jars and lids hot while canning the jam.
Place the strawberries and water into a 5 qt. pot.
Stir in the pectin and place the pan over high heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously to dissolve the pectin.
Briskly boil the mixture for 1 minute then stir in the sugar.
Bring back to a brisk boil, stirring continuously and boil hard for 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the liqueur and lemon juice.
Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
If any foam forms on the surface skim it off and discard.
Lade the hot jam into jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace.
Release any air bubbles and add more jam is necessary to maintain the correct headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars and hand tighten the lids.
Place in a water bath canner and process for 10 minutes from the point of boiling.
Allow the jars to cool in a draft free area then check the seals.

Makes 6 half pints

Who doesn’t love some good strawberry jam? No reason to wait for the strawberry season because this jam is just as good as any jam made from fresh strawberries. If you grow your own strawberries slice them and freeze them to use later in this tasty jam. Powdered pectin comes in a 1 3/4 oz. size or a 2 oz. size. Always use the amount the recipe calls for. You can also purchase low sugar fruit pectin. Again if the recipe doesn’t call for low sugar pectin then don’t use it as the two are not compatible

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 5 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 25 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 1 tbsp serving)
Calories 53; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 14g; Fiber 0g; Protein 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg

What You Need:

10 lbs. of blueberries, washed and stems removed
2 C of sugar
Water

How to Make It:

Prepare the jars, lids and screw bands according the manufacturer.
Place the clean blueberries into saucepan.
Pour the sugar over the top and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
Fill another pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Ladle the berries through a funnel into the prepared jars.
Add enough boiling water to maintain a 1/2 inch headspace.
Release the bubbles and add more berries and water if necessary to maintain the correct headspace.
Wipe the rims and hand seal the jars.
Place them into a water bath canner and process for 20 minutes from the point of boiling.
Remove carefully with a jar lifter and cool in a draft free area.
Check the seals and refrigerate any jars that did not seal correctly.

Makes 4 quarts

Hard berries need to be cooked before canning to soften them just a little. It also helps to sweeten the berries by adding the sugar when cooking. Hard berries such as blueberries or cranberries hold up well when canned and are a great addition for all your winter baking ideas. The rule of thumb for adding the sugar is 1/2 C for each quart of berries.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 5 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 20 minutes
Total Time: approximately 40 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 1/2 C serving)
Calories 124; Fat 1g; Saturated Fat0g; Carbohydrates 32g; Fiber 6g; Protein 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg

What You Need:

12 lbs of carrots, peeled and tops removed
3 tsp canning salt

How to Make It:

Prepare the canning jars according the manufacturer’s instructions and keep them hot.
Dice the cleaned carrots trying to keep all them as close to the same size as possible.
Place the carrots into a 12 qt. pot and cover them with water.
Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until tender on the outside but still firm in the middle.
Fill each jar with the hot carrots and with enough of cooking liquid to leave a 1 in headspace.
Add 1/2 tsp of salt to each jar and release the air bubbles.
Add more carrots and liquid if necessary to retain the recommended headspace.
Wipe the rims and seal the jars.
Place the jars in the pressure canner and bring the pressure to 10 lbs.
Process the jars for 25 minutes then allow the pressure to drop to 0.
Let the carrots stand in the unopened canner for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove and cool in a draft free area then check the seals.
Boil your carrots for 10 minutes before eating or tasting.

Makes 6 pints

Use carrots that are 1 to 1 1/2 in diameter for best results. Canned carrots will retain their sweet flavor and the texture will be perfect for any dish you use them in. To check the seals to ensure the jars have sealed correctly wait until the jars have cooled completely which can take up to 24 hours. Push the center of lid and if it doesn’t indent the jar has sealed correctly. If the lid does indent after applying pressure then the seal did not take and you need to refrigerate the jar. Most unsealed canned foods will stay fresh when chilled for up to 2 weeks. Always refer to your recipe for the period of time the food will remain safe to eat. These carrots may also be sliced in 1/4 in slices before canning if you prefer.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 25 minutes
Standing Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 50 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 1/2 C serving)
Calories 94; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 22g; Fiber 7g; Protein 2g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 424mg