Amish Canning and Preserving COOKBOOK: Delicious Homemade Recipes for Fruit and Pie Fillings, Pickles, and Sweet Spreads

By Teresita Vargas

Who doesn't love a good homemade spread? Whether you think of jams, jellies, or marmalades, they don't fail to make your mouth water. There are so many options available for readymade spreads, but they are usually packed with artificial flavorings and fail to give you the satisfaction of a spread made at home, with love.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Teresita Vargas
• Release date: Aug 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088233351

Book preview

Introduction

Who doesn’t love a good homemade spread? Whether you think of jams, jellies, or marmalades, they don’t fail to make your mouth water. There are so many options available for readymade spreads, but they are usually packed with artificial flavorings and fail to give you the satisfaction of a spread made at home, with love.

There is an endless world of spreads that you could dive into: jams, fruit butter, relishes, or marmalades. Further, there is an endless amount of ingredients that can be used to make such spreads. In this book, we have compiled an array of delicious yet simple canning recipes made in the traditional Amish way. These recipes will help you master the Amish art of canning fruits and preserving pickles and introduce you to the most scrumptious preserved spreads.

In this book, we will make recipes using the water bath canning method. Water bath canning is a process favored by the Amish people that uses a canner or a large pot with a rack attached to its bottom. It is a process that allows you to preserve your produce for a longer time. It uses low temperatures for cooking and is useful when dealing with acidic foods and fruits.

So, if you want to start your preserving and canning journey, you are in the right place. Let’s read on and learn more about Amish canning and preserving.

Chapter 1

What Is Water Bath Canning?

The procedure of water bath canning involves submerging your jars into the canner, which is full of boiling water. You keep these jars in the canner for a specific amount of time. These jars can then be taken out, and the product can be stored for up to a year.

Why Water Bath Canning?

Water bath canning is a useful process in many ways. Some of the benefits include:

Killing Off Bacteria and Other Harmful Substances

Pickled foods require careful handling because simply pairing these foods with vinegar may not always kill off the bacteria in acidic foods. Since water bath canning achieves a certain heat level, it helps eradicate all the unwanted molds and yeasts from the food substances.

No Contact with Air

This method results in the jar’s oxygen being completely driven out. Contact with the air can cause the food to degrade and discolor faster. Thus, water bath canning becomes a way to eliminate all air bubbles in the jar.

Vacuum Seal

With all the air being sucked out of the jar, cooling the jar results in it being vacuum sealed. This vacuum seal is known as the hermetic seal and is a crucial part of the scanning process.

Longer Preservation

Using water bath canning ensures that your food lasts for long periods of time. The process inactivates all enzymes and therefore ensures long-lasting food.

Acidic Infusion

When you pickle foods, the acid you use may not be completely infused with the former. However, with water bath canning, the heat from the water allows the acid to merge completely with the food. This results in deeper flavor.

Avoiding Readymade Produce

Once you explore the varieties you can achieve with preserving and canning; you won’t wish to return to any store-bought cans. You will notice that homemade flavors are better than the artificial flavorings you might find in store brought products.

Before Beginning

First, let us look at the equipment and tools you will need to start this journey and some essential points you should remember before beginning canning, starting with the obvious - jars. You can get many jars, varying by size, shape, and lid type. You can choose your jars depending on what you are canning and how much.

Secondly, it would be advisable to utilize the lids for these jars for a maximum of two uses. These lids are generally made of metal, so they tend to get rusty. The process of canning can be very delicate; thus, we cannot risk anything harming it. See to it that you only use two-piece lids.

Since canning involves procedures that deal with boiling water, you may want to get a jar-lifter. The jams and jellies involve handling thick, hot mixtures; therefore, you must be careful while cooking to avoid getting burnt. Canning funnels and racks are also tools that could help you ease your cooking process. These would help you in filling the jars and boiling respectively.

You should always heat your jars before filling them. The sterilizing process would begin when you put your jars in the water bath. However, you should not put your lids directly into boiling water, as it may hinder the sealing. You can put these lids into hot water, cool them, and then check if the seal works.

Maintaining a clean surrounding is of utmost importance when you are canning food. Impurities near your jars and work equipment could ruin the process and effort.

Lastly, you should keep tabs on the time of consumption of these canned foods. Generally, these homemade spreads should be good for at least a year, but you should be aware and alert of any suspicious material you see in the jar. Mold could affect these anytime because of bacteria. This is why refrigerating your produce becomes essential.

Another piece of advice could be for you to pick out the right recipes, but we have that part all covered for you! Now that we have looked at the basics of water bath canning and the points you need to keep in mind, let us move straight to the recipes!

Some of the things that you should keep in mind before you start canning foods are:

Choosing the Right Canner

You should know that you can get multiple types of canners. These work differently and provide a different approach to water bath canning. You should look at your options and then choose what you wish to use as your canner. You can even work with a big pot and a canning rack if using a proper canner is not possible.

Get the Jars That Are Right for You

Size, shape, and quality matter. You should consider your requirements and then decide on what jars to use. Mason jars are the most popular for canning foods.

Do Not Reuse Lids

No matter how tempting, you should not reuse your lids more than twice. You can use the rings multiple times, but you have to be careful with the lids. You should also ensure that these lids seal your jar properly.

Checking the Seal

You can ensure your jar is sealed by following a very simple method. After the canning procedure, allow the jars to cool down. Then try pressing the center of the lid with your finger. If the indent in the lid stays in place, your jar is vacuum sealed. If not, there must be something wrong with the seal, and you should consume the produce inside the jar within 3 days. You can also repeat the process until the next day to seal the jar properly.

Source Your Ingredients Well

You should be aware of the ingredients that you are using. Organic and locally sourced ingredients will be best if you want high-quality and long-lasting produce.

Cleanliness Is Key

You should check for dirt on or near your jars and clean and sterilize them regularly. If you use unclean jars and utensils, your food will quickly spoil. Mold does not take long to grow if the place is kept unclean.

In the next chapter, we will look at several delicious jam recipes. From blueberries to plums to mangos, we will provide you with every delectable recipe you can think of!

Chapter 2

Jam Recipes

To test if the jam is ready: This process is the same for all jam recipes in this chapter unless specified in the recipe.

Place a saucer or plate in the freezer while the jam is simmering for 8 – 10 minutes.

Take out the saucer from the freezer and drop a teaspoonful of the jam over it. Place the saucer in the refrigerator for 5 – 6 minutes.

Take out the saucer and check if you see a film on top of the jam. If you see a film, the jam is ready. Turn off the heat, or else cook for a few more minutes.