Food Preservation Extends Summer Bounty Into Winter

Peaches, pears, plums, apples, fall berries, garden vegetables - all ripe and ready for harvest. Enjoy the bounty now and preserve the excess for winter eating and gift-giving.

Many readers have requested information about non-sugar and naturally or artificially sweetened preservation. In response, I offer the following tips and recipes:

Canning

Start with a good, up-to-date basic food preservation guide from your local Cooperative Extension Service (533-2048 in Spokane or 667-6426 in Coeur d’Alene) or a commercial book such as Chioffi and Mead’s “Keeping the Harvest” (Storey Publishing) or the “Ball Blue Book Guide To Home Canning, Freezing and Dehydration” (Alltrista Corp.) These sources provide recipes that meet U.S. Department of Agriculture standards for safety in food preservation.

Most fruits can be canned without added sugar or sweetener. Use fully ripe, firm fruit at its peak of flavor. Using water or unsweetened fruit juice instead of syrup, prepare and cook according to the usual hotpack canning instructions for each fruit. Process in a boiling-water-bath canner for the same time recommended in the sugar-syrup recipe for that specific fruit.

For added flavor, consider using the fruit’s own juice or other unsweetened juices (such as apple, white grape or orange) and small amounts of lemon or lime juice. Seasoning with spices enhances flavor without adversely affecting safety. Experiment to create unique and satisfying flavor combinations.

Follow manufacturer’s instructions when using non-sugar sweeteners as a replacement for sugar. Some non-sugar sweeteners develop off-flavors when heated. They also tend to lose their sweetening properties during extended storage periods. Consider adding artificial sweeteners just before serving canned fruit rather than before processing and storage.

As a general guide for using non-sugar sweeteners, combine 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon granular sweetener or 1/3 teaspoon liquid sweetener for the sweetness of light sugar syrup. Use 1 cup water and 2 teaspoons granular or 1/2 teaspoon liquid sweetener for the sweetness of medium syrup. For heavy-syrup sweetness, use 3 teaspoons granular or 2/3 teaspoon liquid sweetener with 1 cup of water.

Freezing

Fruits may be frozen without sugar in unsweetened juice, in water or dry. Texture is a little softer than when frozen with sugar. Non-sweetened frozen fruit is best served partially frozen.

For best results, quick-freeze berries, cherries, currants, grapes, rhubarb, plums, melon cubes and pineapple dry. Place a single layer on a cookie sheet in freezer for 1/2 to 1 hour. Then transfer to freezer cartons or bags.

Other fruits are best when frozen in unsweetened juice or water. Treat fruits that darken when cut by first sprinkling with an ascorbic acid solution or lemon juice or add ascorbic acid to the juice or water (1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid per pint).

Always leave about 1/2-inch head space for expansion during freezing. Remove as much air as possible from freezer packaging. A small piece of crumpled plastic or waxed paper on top of fruit will prevent fruit from floating above the juice.

Fruit Spreads

Most low-sugar and sugar-free fruit spreads require a thickener such as unflavored gelatin, pectin or a vegetable gum (one is commercially available as Slim Set). Some fruits may be thickened adequately with the long-boil method.

Most no-sugar spreads must be stored in the refrigerator (up to 1 month) or the freezer (up to 1 year). Some very low-sugar spreads may be sealed in home canning jars and processed in a boiling water bath.

Very Low-Sugar Jam This recipe from the California Cooperative Extension has been successfully used with a variety of fruits and berries.

1 quart (firmly packed) ripe peaches, berries or other fruit, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 package (1-3/4-or 2-ounce size) regular fruit pectin

1/3 cup sugar

Grind fruit with medium blade, draining off any released juice to thicken mixture.

Place ground fruit, pectin, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and boil about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened.

To freeze, remove from heat and pour into clean, hot freezer jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Cover, chill and freeze. Thaw before using. Store in refrigerator after opening.

To can, remove from heat and pour into clean, hot canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Seal and process in a boiling water bath, 15 minutes for 1/2 pint jars and 20 minutes for pint jars. Cool and store in a cool, dark, dry place. After opening, store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 3 half-pints.

Plum-Peach Jam This recipe is from the Oklahoma State Cooperative Extension.

3 cups (about 12) plums

2 cups (about 4) peaches, peeled and sliced

1-3/4-ounce package powdered fruit pectin

4 teaspoons artificial sweetener

In medium saucepan, combine fruits and crush slightly. Stir in fruit pectin. Bring to a boil. Boil gently, stirring constantly, approximately 5 to 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in liquid sweetener.

Pour into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Cover; freeze. Thaw before serving. Store in refrigerator after opening.

Yield: 2 pints, about 10 calories per tablespoon.

Apple Butter Recipe from Kootenai County Cooperative Extension.

12 cups (12 to 13 medium) peeled and quartered apples

1-1/2 to 2 cups hot water

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon unsweetened lemon juice

3 tablespoons liquid artificial sweetener

In large saucepan, combine apples and water. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Mash or puree cooked apples and juice; add remaining ingredients, except sweetener. Cook, stirring frequently, until thick, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sweetener. Pour into jars or freezer cartons; seal and cool. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Laura Carnie The Spokesman-Review