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Canning notes Peaches, pears and applesauce especially. Steam canning in my Victorio canner, just 3 qts of water, which is just to the bottom of the rack. Use the rack upside down so it is elevated making the jars not so close to the bottom of the canner. It is silent! No spluttering for 30 minutes and no waiting for a whole pot of water to heat!
Heat the steam canner water to only 140* before putting the jars in. Only heat it use HALF POWER (right in the middle). Full power on the induction stove broke a jar. Then turn it down a few marks to keep it at the high end of the steam indicator. Keep it simmering, as a safeguard against it not being hot enough. Applesauce: Using my 8 qt pot keep the sauce hot as you strain it. Then reheat strained applesauce to 150* with the lasar temp gun. Fill the pot really full for a full 7 qts. LEAVE A GENEROUS 1 INCH HEADSPACE. They really must boil during the canning process. Tighten the rings only fingertip tight. Process quarts of hot applesauce for 30 minutes, as for all the other fruits. *Tattler lids, which I am giving up on for now: Only barely screw the lids on before processing. Put a finger on the plastic lid and tighten the metal band only until the jar starts to spin. Process normally. Take out and let the bubbling subside about 4-5 minutes. Then tighten the lids a little. I have always made an extra light syrup of 1 c white sugar to 1 qt of water. However, I am going to make a light syrup this year with 2 c white sugar to 1 qt of water because it will make the fruit firmer. A firm texture is very important to me! It was very very good! Pity I didn't do it sooner. I've tried all sorts of 'low sugar' options. Texture is soft if you don't use enough sugar.
I only can Elberta peaches. They are drier and firmer so they can beautifully. The softer and sweeter eating peaches just come up way too soft. The necessary sugar makes the elbertas just the right amount of sweetness when canned. 1 c sugar weighs almost 1/2 lb so I had been making 1/2 lb per quart or 4 c water. Now it is 1 lb per quart or 4 c water. So to make 2 qts of simple syrup (as for pears) I use 2 lb sugar to 2 quarts of water. (Handy because Trader Joes has beautiful not so white organic cane sugar in a two pound package!) Peaches and Pears: For 7 qts peaches make 6 c water to 3 c (24 oz) sugar. For 7 qts pears make 8 c water to 4 c (2 lb) sugar. Process both peaches and pears 30 minutes. Add a little juice to bottom of jars before packing so that you don't get air bubbles in the pit or hole area. For pears be sure to shake and tip to get the air bubbles out of the hole area. Approximately 25-28 midsized peaches makes 7 qts. Approximately 21-24 pears make 7 qts. When getting a box of peaches, invariably quite a few are bruised. I scalded and peeled these and cut into slices, added 1/4 of its weight in sugar and let sit. Quite promptly the now shrunken peaches were floating in their own sugary juice. I weighted them down with a plate in a large glass bowl to keep them submerged. And you have fresh peaches all day without any browning. Then I will boil the whole thing for just 10 minutes (like my syrup-jam method). This will set them so they don't brown and we'll use them for fresh eating, for ice cream, shortcake, and waffle topping!
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