Canned Plums Beginner Canning Recipes For Bottled Plums

CANNING PLUMS

Steps:

• Clean the jars and the lids very thoroughly and sterilize them, if desired (Note 2).
• Wash the fruit, halve, and stone.
• Pack tightly in the jars, cut side facing down, leaving about 2 cm/ 0.8 inches headspace. It helps to use tongs to place the plums in the jars.
• Add 1/2 cinnamon stick and 1 anise star into each jar.
• Heat the water in a saucepan. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Once it comes to a boil, let it bubble once or twice and remove it from the heat. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour into the jars, covering the fruit completely. Wipe the rim with a clean, wet paper towel. Seal with the lids. Can.
• Read the canner instructions before using it and follow those instructions if they differ from mine.
• Fill a canner about half full of water. Bring to a boil and lower the jars into the water one at a time with a jar lifter or use the canning rack of the canner to lower all the jars into the water at once. The water should cover the jars by 2 ½ to 5 cm/1 to 2 inches. If not enough, add boiling water as needed.
• Bring to a boil, cover and boil for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pot.
• Remove wearing mitts and a jar lifter and let cool completely on folded kitchen towels.
• Use a large pot that will allow the jars to stand in it and be completely covered with water. Place a clean kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot.
• Place the jars on the towel making sure that they don't touch each other. Cover with hot water.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and can the jars for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of the jars.
• Try to keep the temperature of the simmering water constant, about 75-80 degrees Celsius/ 170-180 degrees Fahrenheit (light simmer).
• Remove the jars from the pot using a jar lifter and mitts. Caution: the water is very hot!
• Place the jars on folded kitchen towels on the counter and let cool completely.
• Refrigerate any jars that didn't seal for up to 3 weeks.
• Store the sealed ones in a dark cool place.
• The plums will keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year.

CANNED PLUMS: BEGINNER CANNING RECIPES FOR BOTTLED PLUMS

Steps:

• Chop up your fruit. Plums are easiest done if you cut right around the fruit (top to bottom then right around to the top again) then cup the fruit in both hands and twist them apart. Remove the stones and any bruises and set aside to make vinegar. In a very big pot place the water and sugar and bring it to the boil. Heat your oven to 200F/100C. Place your clean dry jars in to heat on a tray or in a dish for 10-12 minutes (no longer or they will crack). When you remove the jars from the oven bring the tray and everything. This makes it easier to move them and reduces the cold shock. While your jars are heating carefully add all your plums to the boiling syrup and cook for 10-15 minutes until JUST soft. Put 4 inches / 10cm water in to the bottom of your water bath, with the rack in the bottom. Heat to a simmer. Working one jar at a time fill to the jar's shoulders with fruit - I like to scoop it out with a slotted spoon. Fill the jars with syrup leaving a 1cm / .5 inch gap at the top. Keep the pot on a low simmer while you jar up all your fruit. Run a knife down the inside edge of the jar all the way around to release the bubbles. Top up with more syrup so that the jar is filled up to 1cm / .5 inch from the top. Wipe the rim with a clean dry cloth. Place a clean lid and ring on the jar and screw to "finger tip tight" which is as firm as your can tighten it with using just your fingers. Place the jars carefully in to your water bath, ensure the water is at least 1 inch above the lid of the last jar added to the pot. Simmer the pot uncovered for 20 minutes, and then carefully lift out the jars and set aside on a folded towel to cool Once the jars are totally cool you can label them and remove the ring to check if they have sealed properly. Any jars that haven't sealed will need to go in the fridge and be used within the week. You can leave the rings off of the jars. Store at room temperature for up to 2 years. Discard any that develop bulging lids or look or smell wrong (none of these things should happen if you are careful with your sterilisation).

CANNING PLUMS

Steps:

• Prepare a water bath canner.
• Prepare the plums for canning by either slicing them in half and removing their pits for plum halves, or pricking the outside with a toothpick for whole plums with pits.
• Prepare a canning liquid, either water, juice, or syrup (see notes) and bring it to a boil over high heat.
• Hot Pack ~ For hot pack plums (recommended), place the prepared fruit in the boiling liquid and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and place a lid on the pot. Allow the plums to sit in the hot liquid for 20 to 30 minutes to gently heat through. Then pack the hot fruit into canning jars.
• Raw Pack ~ If you choose raw pack instead of hot pack, simply pack the prepared fruit into canning jars.
• For both hot and raw pack, ladle the hot canning liquid over the top of the plums. This should cover them completely but leave 1/2 inch headspace.
• Remove bubbles, adjust headspace, and cap with 2 part canning lids to finger tight.
• Process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes (pints) or 25 minutes (quarts) at altitudes under 1000 feet (see notes below for higher elevations).
• When canning time is complete, remove the jars to a towel on the counter to cool and wait 24 hours before checking seals. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use, and sealed jars in the pantry.