I was Canning when Canning wasn't Cool

I may be dating myself with the title of this entry, but it’s true.  There seems to be a trend recently in the food magazines putting an emphasis on canning and preserving local foods.  Canning has been a passion of mine since the late 80's.  Call me old fashioned or a trendsetter, I’ll take either one.

Typical Water Bath Canner - Used for canning high acid foods

Canning has always been a Zen experience for me.  I love taking all the wonderful fresh ingredients of summer, cooking them down and turning them into jars that look like little jewels.  It’s wonderful to crack open a jar of jam in January and be able to spread the taste of summer peaches on a biscuit.  I give away most of what I make and it’s a gift that’s more personal and from the heart than anything I could ever get from the store.

Every year I try to find something new to try.  If it’s a hit, it becomes part of the list of “must make” recipes for the next year.   Last year’s new additions were Cherry Preserves, Apple Butter and Sweet Jalapeno Slices.  This year’s new favorite is Heirloom Hot Sauce, made with heirloom tomatoes and Serrano peppers from our CSA share.  My list of “must make” recipes is up to 12 recipes now, so my summers are pretty busy in the kitchen.

Heirloom Tomatoes - They have amazing flavor

 

There can be no discussion about my canning passion without revealing the truth of why I started doing it in the first place.  It was the summer of 1988 and Tom and I had been living in our new house for about 6 months.  I was in a very domestic frame of mind and was looking to expand my cooking repertoire.  My mom had canned pickles a few times over the years so I thought I would give it a try.  I made Bread & Butter pickles and was pretty pleased with how they turned out.  The Gwinnett County Fair was coming up that September and on a lark, I submitted a jar to compete in the Adult Food Preservation contest.

And then it happened.  I won the blue ribbon! 

I couldn’t believe it.  To give you an idea how excited I was, I immediately ran to the bank of pay phones (pre-cell phones) and called my mom and my mother-in-law.  I had never won anything in my life and it felt good.  I was hooked.  I liked winning and I wanted to do it again. 

So I did. 

Over the years since that first win, I have managed to win 60 ribbons.  To date, I have 29 Blues, 14 Reds and 17 Whites under my belt.  I don’t have them on display; they are tucked away in a special box just for them.  It’s good enough for me just to know I have them. 
 

Every year I convince myself that the streak is going to end and we won't win anything.  I am nervous up to the point we go to the fair and look at the winner's list.  But  happily, we had another winning season at this year’s fair.  We took away 2 Blues, 2 Reds and 1 White. (I am making a point to say we because none of this is possible without Tom.  He is in this as much as I am.  He has carted bushels of produce; pitted mountains of cherries and been an unwavering source of support the whole way.)   

One of this year’s Blues was awarded to one of my most consistent winning recipes:  Peach Pineapple Orange Conserve.  (I am reluctant to give out any of my winning recipes but my niece Anna specifically asked for this one, so I must oblige.)  This spread is also one of my most versatile recipes.  It is delicious slathered on toast or biscuits.  It also makes a fantastic glaze for ham.  I have mixed it with a little bit of soy and used it to glaze a chicken on the smoker.  I think it would be beautiful glaze for salmon.  Or, if you are so inclined, just eat it straight from the jar.

This never gets old!

Peach Pineapple Orange Conserve

 8 to 10 medium peaches

2 medium oranges
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple (undrained) – I use juice packed
6 cups sugar

Peel, pit and then finely chop peaches in a food processor to yield 4 cups of fruit and juice.

Wash but don’t peel oranges.  Remove any seeds and finely chop the oranges in a food processor.
 

Thank God for food processors!  Chopping these oranges would take forever with a knife.

Put the chopped peaches and oranges into a 6 to 7 quart pot.  Add the crushed pineapple and sugar and stir until well combined.  Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 35 minutes until thickened.

Big ol' pot of yummy goodness!

While the conserve is cooking, sterilize your jars.  Put 10 clean half pint jars into your canner (a lidded stockpot with a wire cake rack in the bottom will work as a canner), fill it with water to cover the jars and boil the jars for 10 minutes.  Keep the jars in the hot water until ready to fill your jars.  Prepare your two-piece lids just before beginning to fill your jars by putting them in a pan or bowl and pouring boiling water over them.

When the conserve is ready, fill your jars, one or two at a time, up to 1/8 of an inch of the rim.  (Anything you can should be very, very hot when you pack into the jars.)  Wipe the jar rim and put on the two piece lid, tightening the ring portion of the lid.  Wiping the jar rim carefully is very important, as if there is anything between the lid and the jar rim, the lid won’t seal properly.  Return the filled jar to the rack in the canner.  After all the jars have been added back to the canner, the water should be at least two inches about the tops of the jars.  Add more hot water if needed.

These two accessories are essential for canning.  The jar lifter and lid lifter
 keep your hands far away from the hot water.  They are found easily at the grocery
store or online.

 

Turn the heat under the canner to high and bring the water to a rolling boil.  Your processing time begins only when the water reaches a full boil.  Process the conserve for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, carefully remove the jars and set them on the counter that has been covered with a kitchen towel.  The glass jars are at their most fragile state when they are fresh out of canner and the towel makes a nice soft surface for cooling.

As the jars cool, you will begin to hear a little pop as each lid seals. After the jars have completely cooled, to check if the lids have sealed, press down on each lid with your finger.  If it moves up and down, the lid did not seal and you will need to put that jar in the fridge and eat the contents within a couple of weeks.  If you are diligent about wiping the jar rims, this shouldn’t be an issue.

So there, my secret is out.  I can say that being thrifty, preserving local foods and giving homemade gifts are my motivation for canning and I would be telling the truth.  But the whole truth would have to include the simple, All-American desire to win and keep winning.  I can live with that.