How to Can Citrus
How to can Citrus
Ingredients and Equipment
Fruit - An average of 15 pounds of whole fruit is needed per canner load of 7 quarts. To can in pint jars, an
average of 13 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. This works out, overall, to an average of about 2
pounds to yield 1 quart. You can scale this recipe up or down as you need.
Water - 6 cups water (I substitute orange juice instead of water, for extra flavor)
Sugar - about 4 cups of dry, granulated (table) sugar (not needed if you use orange juice)
Large spoons and ladles
Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars) - WalMart carries it sometimes - or order it here. It's a tremendously useful
to put cars in the canner and take the hot jars out (without scalding yourself!). The kit sold below has everything
you need, and at a pretty good price:
At least 1 medium or large pot; I prefer 16 to 20 quart Teflon lined pots for easy cleanup: to make the sugar
syrup (or heat the orange juice or water)..
1 Canner (a huge pot to sterilize the jars after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at
WalMart (seasonal item). Note: we sell canners and supplies here, too - at excellent prices - and it helps support
this web site!
Ball jars (Publix, WalMart carry then - about $8 per dozen quart jars including the lids and rings)
Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They may only be
used once.
Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may be reused many times.
Ingredients and Equipment
Fruit - An average of 15 pounds of whole fruit is needed per canner load of 7 quarts. To can in pint jars, an
average of 13 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. This works out, overall, to an average of about 2
pounds to yield 1 quart. You can scale this recipe up or down as you need.
Water - 6 cups water (I substitute orange juice instead of water, for extra flavor)
Sugar - about 4 cups of dry, granulated (table) sugar (not needed if you use orange juice)
Large spoons and ladles
Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars) - WalMart carries it sometimes - or order it here. It's a tremendously useful
to put cars in the canner and take the hot jars out (without scalding yourself!). The kit sold below has everything
you need, and at a pretty good price:
At least 1 medium or large pot; I prefer 16 to 20 quart Teflon lined pots for easy cleanup: to make the sugar
syrup (or heat the orange juice or water)..
1 Canner (a huge pot to sterilize the jars after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at
WalMart (seasonal item). Note: we sell canners and supplies here, too - at excellent prices - and it helps support
this web site!
Ball jars (Publix, WalMart carry then - about $8 per dozen quart jars including the lids and rings)
Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They may only be
used once.
Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may be reused many times.
Canning Citrus Directions
This example shows you how to make homemade canned citrus. The yield from this recipe is about 18 eight-ounce jars (which is
the same as 9 pints).
If you are lucky enough to live in Florida, southern California or the deep south of Texas, you can go pick your own Oranges in
January and February! Otherwise, you'll have to go to the grocery store for the oranges and lemons.
Pick fresh citrus that are not soft, moldy or discolored.
The flavor of sweet citrus (such as oranges and clementines) is best if the sections are canned with equal parts of grapefruit.
Grapefruit may be canned without oranges. Sections may be packed in your choice of water, citrus
juice or syrup. We'll see how to do any below!
Step 2 - Wash the fruit
I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit in plain cold water, no soap.
Step 3 - Get the jars and lids washed
The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sterilze" cycle; you don't really have to sterilize the jars - the boiling water
bath sterilizes everything, jar, lid, contents and all; but you DO want to get the jars as clean as you can first, it it can reduce the
process time ithe water bath which improves quality. I get the dishwasher going while I'm preparing everything else, so the jars are
clean and hot (and less likely to crack when you put boiling hot fruit in them) by the time I'm ready to fill the jars.
Lids: Put the lids into a pan of hot water for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids.
Using your fingers, peel the skins and remove any remaining white portion of the rind, discard this - it is a tasteless and spongy.
Step 5 -Pull the segments apart or slice the oranges and lemons in segments or in half; however you like!
Pull the segments apart by hand or cut in half, across the segments, as shown; whichever you prefer. You may want to also remove
any seeds, as well. Beats spitting them out later (yes, I know some people just swallow the seeds, but do you really want to risk
having a citrus tree growing out of your, um, ears? :)
More seriously, your should cut out and discard the tough, white part in the center - it's tough, bitter and tasteless! Basically,
anything that is white, is bitter, and can be removed.
In the photo above, there are 4 types of oranges, from top left, clockwise, pink oranges, navel oranges, honey oranges and blood
oranges.
The easiest way to remove most of it is to just pull it off with your fingers. The tough part in the center of the fruit by the seeds
usually must be cut out with a pair of scissors.
Save any juice that leaks out! You can use it in the syrup solutions you will make in the next step!
Step 7 - Prepare the syrup solution
Obviously, there needs to be some type of liquid around the fruit in the jars. It is up to you whether you want to use a light or heave
sugar solution, plain water , or an artificial sweetener solution. If you want a sugar solution, a very light, light, or medium syrup work
best.
Adding syrup to canned fruit helps to retain its flavor, color and shape. It is not a preservative; it does not prevent spoilage of
the fruit. That is accomplished by a combination of the water bath processing to create a sterile environment, the jar sealing
mechanism (lid and ring) to keep it sealed, and the natural acidity of the fruit to prevent anything from growing.
Step 8 - Heat the syrup solution to a boil
Heat the water and sugar together (or fruit juice, or plain water, as you chose!). Bring it to a boil and pour over raw fruits in jars.
At left is a sugar solution being prepared. FYI, I prefer using orange juice instead; but you still have to heat it to boiling.
Step 9 - Fill the jars with the prepared citrus fruit
While you are waiting for the syrup solution to come to a boil, fill the cleaned jars with fruit. Fill the jars, snuggly BUT do not pack
them down, and be sure the top 1/2 inch of the jar is empty and clear. Slide a butter knife inside each jar along the glass to help
free any trapped air bubbles and air pockets.
Step 10 - Pour the hot syrup into the jars and put the lid and rings on
Fill them with the hot syrup solution to within 1/2 to 1/4 inch of the top, wipe any spills off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring
around them. Then put them into the boiling water canner! This is where the jar tongs come in really handy!
Step 11 - Process the jars in the boiling water bath
Keep the jars covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Boil them for 10 minutes (if you are at sea level, up to
1,000 ft in altitude, above that see the chart below).
Step 12 - Done
Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You
can then remove the rings if you like. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been
sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not
sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, the
that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.
Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last about 9 months. After that, the get darker in color and they lose some
firmness. They are safe to eat, but the flavor is bland. So eat them in the first 6 to 9 months after you prepare them!
This example shows you how to make homemade canned citrus. The yield from this recipe is about 18 eight-ounce jars (which is
the same as 9 pints).
If you are lucky enough to live in Florida, southern California or the deep south of Texas, you can go pick your own Oranges in
January and February! Otherwise, you'll have to go to the grocery store for the oranges and lemons.
Pick fresh citrus that are not soft, moldy or discolored.
The flavor of sweet citrus (such as oranges and clementines) is best if the sections are canned with equal parts of grapefruit.
Grapefruit may be canned without oranges. Sections may be packed in your choice of water, citrus
juice or syrup. We'll see how to do any below!
Step 2 - Wash the fruit
I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit in plain cold water, no soap.
Step 3 - Get the jars and lids washed
The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sterilze" cycle; you don't really have to sterilize the jars - the boiling water
bath sterilizes everything, jar, lid, contents and all; but you DO want to get the jars as clean as you can first, it it can reduce the
process time ithe water bath which improves quality. I get the dishwasher going while I'm preparing everything else, so the jars are
clean and hot (and less likely to crack when you put boiling hot fruit in them) by the time I'm ready to fill the jars.
Lids: Put the lids into a pan of hot water for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids.
Using your fingers, peel the skins and remove any remaining white portion of the rind, discard this - it is a tasteless and spongy.
Step 5 -Pull the segments apart or slice the oranges and lemons in segments or in half; however you like!
Pull the segments apart by hand or cut in half, across the segments, as shown; whichever you prefer. You may want to also remove
any seeds, as well. Beats spitting them out later (yes, I know some people just swallow the seeds, but do you really want to risk
having a citrus tree growing out of your, um, ears? :)
More seriously, your should cut out and discard the tough, white part in the center - it's tough, bitter and tasteless! Basically,
anything that is white, is bitter, and can be removed.
In the photo above, there are 4 types of oranges, from top left, clockwise, pink oranges, navel oranges, honey oranges and blood
oranges.
The easiest way to remove most of it is to just pull it off with your fingers. The tough part in the center of the fruit by the seeds
usually must be cut out with a pair of scissors.
Save any juice that leaks out! You can use it in the syrup solutions you will make in the next step!
Step 7 - Prepare the syrup solution
Obviously, there needs to be some type of liquid around the fruit in the jars. It is up to you whether you want to use a light or heave
sugar solution, plain water , or an artificial sweetener solution. If you want a sugar solution, a very light, light, or medium syrup work
best.
Adding syrup to canned fruit helps to retain its flavor, color and shape. It is not a preservative; it does not prevent spoilage of
the fruit. That is accomplished by a combination of the water bath processing to create a sterile environment, the jar sealing
mechanism (lid and ring) to keep it sealed, and the natural acidity of the fruit to prevent anything from growing.
Step 8 - Heat the syrup solution to a boil
Heat the water and sugar together (or fruit juice, or plain water, as you chose!). Bring it to a boil and pour over raw fruits in jars.
At left is a sugar solution being prepared. FYI, I prefer using orange juice instead; but you still have to heat it to boiling.
Step 9 - Fill the jars with the prepared citrus fruit
While you are waiting for the syrup solution to come to a boil, fill the cleaned jars with fruit. Fill the jars, snuggly BUT do not pack
them down, and be sure the top 1/2 inch of the jar is empty and clear. Slide a butter knife inside each jar along the glass to help
free any trapped air bubbles and air pockets.
Step 10 - Pour the hot syrup into the jars and put the lid and rings on
Fill them with the hot syrup solution to within 1/2 to 1/4 inch of the top, wipe any spills off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring
around them. Then put them into the boiling water canner! This is where the jar tongs come in really handy!
Step 11 - Process the jars in the boiling water bath
Keep the jars covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Boil them for 10 minutes (if you are at sea level, up to
1,000 ft in altitude, above that see the chart below).
Step 12 - Done
Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You
can then remove the rings if you like. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been
sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not
sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, the
that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.
Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last about 9 months. After that, the get darker in color and they lose some
firmness. They are safe to eat, but the flavor is bland. So eat them in the first 6 to 9 months after you prepare them!
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Survival Guide by worlds expert. How to find drinkable water. How to scavenge for food. How to deal with Weather. For Readable E-Book for preparedness; $8.00 |