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Clinton News-Record, 1987-07-02, Page 26Page 6A—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1987 Strawberry jam - like summer in a jar Strawberry jam is a delicious way to br- ing the taste of summer to your table year round. Preses featuring strawberries and raspberries can be made during the height of the summer season, but are just as esay when prepared from frozen berries. So if your schedule doesn't permit a canning ses- sion using freshly picked berries, be sure to pop some in the freezer for making jam on a less hectic day. Cooked Jam Traditional processed jams, such as this Strawberry Rhubarb Conserve, combine pectin -containing oranges and rhubarb plus a longer cooking time. Many people believe cooked jams have a more intense fruit flavor. To assure a safe seal and proper gel, use half-pint ( 250 mL) jars, two-piece metal lids and process the jam in boiling water bath. Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam 1 pint fully ripe strawberries 12 lb rhubarb 4 cups sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice bottle liquid fruit pectin • In hot soapy water, wash 4 half-pint ( 250 rnL) mason jars and 4 storage lids. Rinse with boiling water; drain. • Prepare fruit: Rinse strawberries in cold running water; remove caps, drain and pat dry. Crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time, to measure 1 1/4 cups. Fine- ly chop or grind unpeeled rhubarb to yield 12 cup; combine with strawberries in a large bowl. • Stir sugar, into fruit mixture until thoroughly combined; let stand 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and liquid fruit pectin; stir 3 minutes. (A few sugar crystals will remain. ) • Quickly ladle jars into prepared jars filling to within '2 inch to top rirn (head space). Remove air bubbles by sliding rubber spatula between glass and food; readjust head space to '2 inch. Wipe, jar rim, remov- ing any stickiness. Cover at once with storage lids. • Let stand at room temperature until set I may take up to 24 hours) ; then store in freezer. If jam will be used within 2 or 3 weeks, it may be stored in refrigerator. Raspberry Peach Freezer Jam - 1' 2 pints raspberries 1 1/4 lbs (570 g) peaches 7 1/4 cups sugar 1'3 cup lemon juice 1 bottle liquid fruit pectin • In hot soapy water, wash 7 half-pint ( 250 rnL) mason jars and 7 storage lids. Rinse with boiling water; drain. • Prepare fruit: Stem and thoroughly crush raspberries, one layer at a time, to measure 2 cups. Peel, pit and finely chop peaches to measure 1'2 cups. • In a large bowl, combine raspberries, peaches and sugar; mix thoroughly; let stand 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and li- quid fruit pectin; stir 3 minutes. (A few sugar crystals will remain ). Quickly ladle jam into prepared jars fill- ing to within '2 inch of top rim ( head space ). Remove air bubbles by sliding rubber spatula between glass and food; readjust head space to '2 inch. Wipe jar rim, remov- ing any stickiness. Cover at once with storage lids. • Let stand at room temperature until set ( may take up to 24 hours) ; then store in freezer. If jam will be used within 2 or 3 weeks, if may be stored in refrigerator. Makes 7 cups jam. Strawberry Rhubarb Conserve 3 pints strawberries 1 orange, washed 2 cups finely chopped rhubarb 1 cup raisins 1/4 cup lemon juice Sugar 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans optional • Fill boiling water canner with hot water. Place 8 clean half-pint ( 250 mL) mason jars in canner over high heat. • Rinse strawberries in cold water 3 times to clean thoroughly. Drain; pat dry; remove caps. Cut strawberries in half. Quarter unpeeled orange; chop finely by hand or in food processor. • Recording the number of cups, measure strawberries, orange, rhubarb, raisins and lemon juice into a large heavy saucepan. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar for each cup fruit. • Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking. Continue boiling uncovered, stirr- ing occasionally, until mixture is thick ( mounds on a spoon) - 30 to 45 minutes. • Place lids in boiling water; boil 5 minutes to soften sealing compound. • If using nuts, stir them into thickened fruit mixture; boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. • Ladle conserve into a hot sterilized jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim (head space). Remove air bubbles by sliding rubber spatula between glass and food; readjust head space to 1/4 inch. Wipe jar rim, remov- ing any stickiness. Center lid on jar; apply screw band just until fingertip tight. Place jar in canner. 1-'epeat for remaining conserve. Cover canner; return water to buil; pro- cess 10 minutes. Remove jars. Cool 24 hours. Check jar seal. (Sealed lids curve downward in center.) Clean screw band; remove, if desired. Wipe jars, label and store in a cool, dark place. Makes 8 cups conserve. If you -don't know how to can, your food will spoil Fingertip Tight Apply screw bands over snap lids only until fingertip tight. Fingertip tight allows air to be exhausted from jars during pro- cessing. Overtightening of bands causes lids to crease and prevents proper sealing. Steam created inside the jar by the pro- cessing step cannot escape to form a vacuum which welds the snap lid onto the jar creating a good "seal". Sterilizing Jars Sterilized jars are used for jams, jellies and some pickles and relishes to allow a shorter processing time once the jars are filled and closed. The easiest way to sterilize jars is to boil them for 15 minutes prior to filling. Dishwashers clean jars but rarely meet the 15 minutes at boiling temperature equipment for sterilization. Jars may be sterilized in an oven, but there is more danger of accidental burns than with the boiling water sterilization method. Activate Seal Before using snap lids to top jars of home canned produce, it is necessary to soften the sealing compound on these lids. Place the lids in boiling water for five BOB McKINLEY R.R. 3 CLINTON, NOM ILO Representing your TOTAL FINANCIAL PLANNING NEEDS WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH: Annuities. RRIF's. Business and Personal Life In- surance. Group Life, Health and Pension Plans. Income Replacement Plans. RRSP's. GIC's. Mutual Funds and Debentures. LICENSED WITH: T he ManuLu lurrrr fife Inuir,rnt c ( nmp.uty CALL 482-3711 minutes. Boiling lets thelid "take" the jar top im- print, allowing the softened compound to fill in any slight irregularity in the sealing edge of the jar. After processing, as the jar cools the softened sealing compound welds the snap lid to the jar with a powerful high - vacuum action. Failure to soften the seal- ing compound prior to the canning process decreases the lid's sealing ability. Boiling Water Canner Processing home canned fruits, jams, jellies and pickles in a boiling water can- ner does not require purchase of a new piece of equipment. Any large metal con- tainer may be used as long as it is deep enough for the water to cover the jars by one to two inches and still have another one to two inches of space to allow for brisk boiling of the water. For optimum heating, the pot should be no more than four inches wider than the heating element. Place a wire rack in the pan and fill with hot water. Place filled, closed jars on rack allowing space between jars for water to circulate. Add boiling water to cover jars by one inch. Cover pot and return water to a full rolling boil. Processing time begins only when water Twin City - . School of Hairstyling Waterloo, Ont. •Hairstyling •Barbering •Ear Piercing • Make-up 55 Erb St. East l` i I�`„' 886-6305 '4\ -•/(Monday to Friday amass. stout 1st of otrory mantis Promotion Announced Marlene West Branch Manager The promotion of Marlene West to Branch Manager. London region is announced by John Reddick. Sales Director, Blue Cross of Ontario This promotion reflects Marlene s proven ability to develop group benefit programs with employers in the London area, and her outstanding contribution to the growth of Blue Cross Marlene West is located in the London Office 371 Dufferirl Avenu9 London, Ontario N68 1Z5 e�' 519-439-0136 is at a full rolling boil. This boil must be maintained for the entire processing time. Proper Seals Proper seals on jars of home canned pro- duce are essential for food safety. After processing and cooling, the lid on a well sealed jar will curve downward in the center. Test it with your finger, you can feel the concave curve. Do not try to lift the lid, however, as this can damage the seal. One poor seal out of a full batch is not a disaster. One jar is not worth reprocess- ing. Refrigerate and use this jar within a week. Two poor seals indicate some poor pro- cedure or mistake in technique. Review the recipe carefully so you won't repeat the problem in future. Reprocessing significantly decreases the quality of the canned food. Jams, Jellies To achieve a proper gel and assure food safety, food preservation home economists recommended the use of half-pint mason jars and two-piece metal lids when making jams, jellies and conserves. Although these products have high con- centrations of sugar and •acid which pre- vent most food spoilage, contact with air- borne contaminants may result in spoilage. Paraffin is no longer recorrunended for these products because it tends to loosen and the seal can break. To achieve a tight durable seal, the use of two-piece metal lids and processing in a boiling water bath is recommended for all jams, jellies and conserves not destined for freezer storage. Small halt -pint ( 250 ml) jars allow pro- cessing heat to penetrate the entire con- tents of the jar quickly. Pectin, the gel agent, may break down under extended periods of high heat necessary for larger jars. Jars larger than (250 ml) are not recommended for home canning of jams, jellies and conserves. Check recipes Before you begiry a home canning ses- sion, carefully read your recipe to assure that it provides all the necessary information. A good home canning recipe always specifies a precise head space, heat pro- cessing time and method for a given jar size. 'These factors are essential to make a safe and quality product. If your recipe doesn't have all this information, find another one! Food Molds The growth of mold on jellied fruit pro- ducts has, in the past,. been ignored as a potentiat health danger. It was presumed that the mold could be removed and the product below was safe to use. However, the growth of molds on these products may produce mycotoxins, some of which can be harmful. These mycotoxins can penetrate to the bottom of the container due to the density of the products. Skimming the sur- face will remove the mold, but not the mycotoxins. Processing jams, jellies and pickles, creates an air -tight seal and elminates mold growth potential. Adopt the pet you've been looking for in the Classifieds. We're Fully Equipped for any Job • Farm ponds • Gravel Bailing e • Trucking • Gravel Sand & Stone • Bulldozing Excavating Top Soil • Septic Systems Res. 482-9212 'No job is too big or too small" erner ...coRapAcirinuG LTD Trucking - Excavating Clinton J Shop 482-9926