Quick tips for home canning

Canning your fruits and vegetables is an easy way to preserve and enhance the flavour. Here are some quick tips to help you get started.

Use only perfect produce for canning.

• Fruit to be preserved should be firm-ripe, well coloured and free from blemishes; mid-season fruit is best.
• Bruised or spotted fruit can be used for jam.
• Grade fruit according to size and ripeness to ensure even processing and to make a more attractive presentation in the jars.

Well-prepared equipment is vital for hygienic canning.

• Inspect all jars, lids and sealing rings to make sure they are in perfect order.
• Discard any jars with chips, cracks or lumps around the rim; such defects can cause imperfect seals.
• Wash jars using a bottlebrush, rinse thoroughly and drain.
• Jars need not be dried as fruit will slide in more easily if the inside is wet.
• Fresh rubber rings should be fitted to the rims; use rings once only as they may stretch and cannot be relied upon for a perfect seal again.

• Put fruit in jars as soon as possible after picking or purchase.
• Wash it gently but thoroughly in cold water, then drain and peel if necessary; loosen skin on tomatoes, apricots, peaches and nectarines by immersing a small quantity in boiling water for 60 seconds, then plunging them into iced water before gently peeling.
• To prevent discolouration of peeled apples, pears and peaches sprinkle with a pinch of ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
• Berries and other small fruits can be left whole (with stalks and other green matter removed), large fruits such as peaches, nectarines, pears and pineapple should be pitted, if necessary, and halved or sliced. More fruit will fit into a jar if it is sliced than if it is left whole.
• Tomatoes, pears and fleshy tropical fruits are low in acid and must have their acidity increased by the addition of ascorbic acid or lemon juice.

Fruit is usually preserved in syrup, but fruit juice, water, wine or liqueur can also be used.

• For slightly richer syrup, replace half the sugar with either honey or corn syrup. Sweetness of the syrup is largely a matter of taste, although light syrup, made of one part sugar and three parts water, is best for naturally sweet fruits such as pineapple, grapes, kiwi and berries.
• Medium syrup, made from one part sugar and two parts water, is suitable for most other fruit. Heavy syrup, made from equal parts of sugar and water, is most often used to preserve figs, rhubarb, kumquats, quinces and sour stone fruits.
• Partway fill the jar with the selected liquid and swirl it around before firmly packing in the prepared fruit.
• Remember, pieces will slide in more easily if the inside of the jar is wet. Pack fruit to within one centimetre (1/2 inch) of the top of the jar, gently tapping the bottom of the jar on the palm of your hand as you go to ensure firm packing, adding syrup and easing the tool known as a packing stick down between the fruit and the jar to disperse any air bubbles.
• Top up with more of the liquid so that the jar is filled to overflowing. Wipe the rim to remove food particles and ensure a good seal.

Preserve your fruits and vegetables with these quick canning tips. Your produce will taste delicious and last longer!

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