Canning fruits and high acid veggies are the easiest foods to start with if you are new to canning. Tomatoes, rhubarb, and sauerkraut are high-acid vegetables and are processed the same way as fruits. The high-acid content in these foods will prevent most spoilage organisms from affecting the food. Temperatures reached in the boiling water bath are adequate for destroying the spoilage agents present. The recipes are usually simple and easy to follow.

TABLE 8-1

AMOUNT OF RAW FRUIT FOR 1 QUART CANNED

With most fruits you can add in sugar or leave it out, depending on your preference. Most recipes call for sugar in a syrup form, and you can make your own by mixing sugar with water or juice, then heating the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Use 2 cups of sugar to 4 cups of water or fruit juice for a thin syrup, 3 cups sugar to 4 cups water or fruit juice for medium, and 4 and ¾ cups sugar to 4 cups of water or fruit juice for a heavy syrup.

Jarred fruits

Always wait until the water in the canner is at a boil before placing the filled jars of fruit into it. The fruit will start to cook before the water boils, and processing fruit too long or at too high of a temperature will cause your fruit to float in the jars. Fruit that is overripe will also have a tendency to float, so avoid canning overripe fruit.