Apple Butter

• 5 pounds Tart Apples
• 2 cups Apple Cider
• 3 cups To 5 Cups Sugar
• 3 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoons Ground Cloves
• ½ teaspoons Ground Allspice
• ½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg

Core and quarter apples (peeling isn’t necessary). Cook apples slowly in cider until tender (I put them in my crock pot), then blend in a food processor or blender.

Add 3 cups of sugar and check for sweetness, then add more as necessary (sometimes up to 5 cups total). Add spices and stir together.

Cook for 6 to 8 hours in a crock pot. I just cook it overnight on low.

Test for thickness by spooning butter on a cold plate. If no liquid comes out the edges, it is thick enough. If it isn’t thick enough, take the lid off the crock pot and turn it up to high. Let some liquid boil off, but stir and check back often.

Ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude if necessary.

You can also freeze this apple butter if you prefer.

Note: this recipe as stated makes ten 1/2 pints of butter. I use a few more apples as I have a large crock pot and I just fill the thing with apples. My crock pot makes about 16 1/2 pints of butter.

Peach Jam

• 7 cans Empty Canning Jars
• 7 whole Peaches
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 package Sure-Jell
• 5-½ cups Sugar

Prep:
-place lids and bands in water
-place on stove and begin to boil
-place jars in water
-place on stove and begin to boil

-peal peaches and cut into sections
-place in large bowl
-smash peaches
-place 4 cups smashed peaches in large stock pot
-place lemon juice, butter, and sure jell in pot with peaches

-Stir constantly
-bring peach mixture to a rolling boil
-once to a rolling boil add sugar and stir one minute

-pull jars out of boiling water
-turn upside down for a few seconds
-turn jars right side up
-place large funnel in jar
-pour peach mixture in jar

-once all jars are filled, wet a paper towel
-wipe all sides of jars
-drain bands and lids
-place on clean towel
-place bands on jars first
-place lids on jars

-use paper towel to screw lids on tight (will be hot)
-turn upside down immediately (5 minutes)
-after 5 minutes place right side up
-wait for jars to POP! (seal)

Onion Jam

• 3 cups Red Onion
• 1-½ cup Apple Juice
• ½ cups Red Wine Vinegar
• 1-½ teaspoon Fresh Sage
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• 4 cups White Sugar
• ¾ cups Light Brown Sugar
• 1 box Powdered Pectin

Peel and dice onions.

Add apple juice, vinegar, sage (chopped) and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Measure sugars in separate bowl, set aside.

Stir pectin into onion mixture in saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Stir in sugars. Bring to full rolling boil and boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, skim off foam and ladle into hot jars. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes.

Multi-Berry Jam

• 4 cups Mashed Berries (any Type) I've Used Strawberries, Raspberries, Black Raspberries, Blackberries, And Blueberries In All Combinations Before
• 1 envelope No Sugar Needed Pectin (I Like My Jam More Fruity Than Sugary, And Always Use Low Sugar Pectin)

Before canning, make sure your supplies are ready, so wash and clean 6 pint sized jars, or 12 half pint sized jars. Clean the rims of the jars, and prepare the tops in hot water (not a full boil).

-Wash and prepare berries by removing any stems or bad pieces.

-Place in a large measuring cup, enough for at least four cups, and mash with a potato masher. You will need four cups mushed berries.

.-Pour the berries into a large sauce pan, and stir in the packet of pectin.

-Bring the mixture to a full boil, while stirring continuously.

-Once it’s reached a boil let it roll for two minutes. Continue stirring so you don’t get anything burnt to the bottom of the pan.

-Stir in all the sugar at once. Depending on the sweetness of your berries you can adjust between 1-2, or even 3 cups of sugar.

-Bring the mixture to a boil again, and let it fully boil for 3 minutes, again stirring the whole time.

-Ladle into jars, leaving 1/4″ headroom at the top.

-Wipe off any excess jam that spilled over, and seal the lids and tops “finger tight”.

-Place the jars in a boiling water canner, or a large pot of water. Bring to a full rolling boil with lid covered and let boil for 10 minutes.

-With tongs (or silicon oven mitt) remove the jars, making sure there’s no water left on the top. Place them right side up to cool until all the lids “pop” into place.

-If the lids do not seal, make sure to put the jar in the fridge and eat it within the next week or so. If the lids did seal they will store in the cabinet for up to a year, but need refrigeration after being opened.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

• 5 cups Rhubarb
• 10 ounces, weight Frozen Strawberries
• 4 cups Sugar
• 3 ounces, weight Strawberry Jello

Wash and cut rhubarb into 1 inch pieces. Place strawberries and rhubarb into kettle and bring to a boil.

Add sugar into boiling kettle and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in package of Strawberry Jello and let simmer for about 5 minutes more. Pour Jam into jars and seal.

**I have substituted sugar for Splenda and used sugar free Strawberry Jello and jam still turns out yummy!

Old Fashioned Raspberry Jam

4 cups raspberries
4 cups sugar

Wash 4 half-pint canning jars and rest them on a cake rack at the bottom of a tall stock pot. Cover the jars with at least 1 inch of water and bring to a soft boil. (A rack can be improvised by tying several canning rings together with string.) Keep a kettle of water on the boil to sterilize lids later.

Place sugar in a shallow baking dish in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes. (Warming the sugar makes it dissolve more readily.)

Place the berries into a medium-sized heavy bottomed pot and place on high heat. Use a potato masher to crush the fruit. Bring to a full rolling boil for 1 min, stirring constantly.

Add the warm sugar to the hot berries and return to a full boil until the mixture gels, stirring to avoid scorching.

Gelling can be tested a few ways:

1.) When a candy thermometer reads 220 degrees

2.) When a cold teaspoon dipped into the syrup collects on the edge of the spoon and sheets rather than dripping off

3.) Using a chilled plate, place a dollop of hot jam and return it to the freezer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, push the cooled jam with your finger and if the surface wrinkles it’s ready to be packed. You can also tilt the plate to see if the jam moves, if it moves very slowly it’s ready.

The time it takes for the raspberries to reach gel stage varies anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on the moisture content in your fruit. Remove jam from heat.

Place canning lids (not rings) in a bowl and cover with boiling water. The lids need to stand for a couple of minutes to soften the sealant material. Use a canning jar lifter, or tongs to lift your hot jar, pouring all of the water out.

Pour jam into a glass measuring cup to ease filling the jam jars leaving a 1/2″ of headspace. Clean up any dribbles on lip of the jar using a clean dishtowel dipped in boiling water.

Grab a hot lid using a pair of tongs and place on the jar, screw on the canning ring until just snug. You want to avoid screwing the band on too tightly as air needs to escape later. Fill remaining jars.

Carefully lower the filled jars into the stock pot. Arrange the jars so that they stand upright and do not touch. Make sure the jars are covered with at least 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a strong boil, process for 10 minutes. Higher elevations may need to add more time, these can be looked up online.

After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the hot water for 5 more minutes.

Remove jars from water and place on a cutting board in an undisturbed spot. They should seal if not immediately, in 12-24 hours. You should hear a sucking sound and the lid will be concave in the middle.

In the event the jars don’t seal, consume the jam immediately and store in the refrigerator. Properly canned jam can be stored up to a year in cool dark spot.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Freezer Jam

8 cups chopped rhubarb
3 cups sugar
1 box strawberry jello (6 oz.) - use 1/2 cup plus 4 tsp. and save the rest for next time

Place rhubarb and sugar in a large pan and bring to a boil. Stir and boil for 5 minutes. Stir in the jello, mix well. Ladle into pint size jars, wipe lid, and place on the lid. Cool to room temperature. Place in the freezer.

I have always used canning jars which are tempered and can be placed in the freezer. Never have had a problem with cracking. Ever.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 cups strawberries
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 cups sugar
1 pkg. pectin
6 jars pint-sized canning jars

Wash your strawberries and cut off the tops. Mash the strawberries, a little at a time, until you have two cups.

Add in the lemon juice and the sugar. Then mix it all together thoroughly.

On the stove, add the pectin into 3/4 cup water and bring to a full boil. Boil, stirring constantly, until it becomes clear (about 3 minutes).

Add the hot pectin into the strawberries and stir, stir, stir.

Pour the mixture into clear jars, leaving 1/2 inch at the top. This will allow for expansion when it freezes. Wipe off the edges of the jars and put the lids on snugly.

Cool them in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Store them in the freezer until you’re ready to eat!

Maple Apple Jam

16 c. peeled, chopped apples
1 1/2 c. pure maple syrup
2 c. apple cider
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a large kettle. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. The jam is ready when it beings to hold shape when dropped into a cold plate. Remove from heat and skin off foam.

Ladle into hot, sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Cool undisturbed for 12 hours. Makes about 12 half pints.

Blackberry Apple Jam

2 lb. cooking apples
2/3 c. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
2 lb. blackberries
4 lb. sugar

Peel and core and slice the apples. Put the apples into a saucepan with the water and lemon juice and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender. Add the blackberry and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Bring to a boil and boil rapidly until the setting point is reached. Pour into warm sterilized jars and seal immediately.

Apple Jam

12 medium-sized cooking apples, about 4 lbs.
8 c. sugar
1 lemons, rind and juice
3 tbsp. ground ginger
4 whole cloves, tied in cheese cloth

Peel and slice apples. Combine apples, sugar, lemon rind and juice and spices in a heavy kettle. Heat to boiling, simmer until set, about 2 hours, stirring frequently. Do not add water. Remove from heat. Seal in hot sterilized glasses.