Preserved perfection

When it comes to canning food, there’s nothing more basic, straightforward or wholesome than fruit in syrup.

Talk about simple. Exquisite, picked-at-peak-of-perfection Northwest tree fruit nestled into jars, napped in a light syrup of sugar and water, then sealed to preserve their essence for less bountiful times.

In a pantry filled with fancy jams and trendy relishes there’s always room for such unaffected goodness. And because fruit is so naturally high in acid it doesn’t even need sugar to extend its shelf life. So if sugar is something you’re trying to avoid, it’s perfectly safe to can your summer fruit in water or unsweetened fruit juice.

However, a little sugar does help retain color, texture, and flavor, so I prefer to can my peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and pears in a “light syrup.” In official syrup terminology, that would be a blending of 53/4 cups of water with 11/2 cups of sugar. Listed below are the four breakdowns for syrup types so you can select your own style, from heavy to extra light.

The basics

Figure on 2 to 3 pounds of fruit and 1 to 11/2 cups of liquid for each quart jar. Syrups termed as “heavy,” “medium” and “light” do the best job of retaining color, shape and, to a lesser degree, flavor. But for those preferring to reduce or eliminate added sugar from the process, a “very light” syrup (approximating the natural sugar content of the fruits), fruit juice, or even water, are acceptable and perfectly safe.

Preparing syrups for canning: Simply combine the sugar and water in a pot and heat just until the sugar dissolves.

Extra-light syrup uses 11/4 cups sugar, 51/2 cups water and yields 6 cups syrup.

Light syrup uses 21/4 cups sugar, 51/4 cups water and yields 61/2 cups syrup.

Medium syrup uses 31/4 cups sugar, 5 cups water and yields 7 cups syrup.

Heavy syrup uses 41/4 cups sugar, 41/4 cups water and yields 7 cups syrup.

Using less or no sugar: As I’ve just said, it’s perfectly safe to can fruit without sugar. In other words, fruit juice or water are safe alternatives to syrups. But since sugar acts as a firming agent in canning, a sugar-free jar of fruit will have a softer texture and maybe even a loss of color.

Fruit juices to consider include unsweetened apple juice, pineapple juice, orange juice and white grape juice.

Using non-sugar sweeteners: Non-sugar sweeteners may be used as a replacement for sugar, but it’s important to know how your chosen product performs when subjected to heat and time.

Some develop an off-flavor or lose their sweetening properties during storage. Some folks simply add the non-sugar sweetener just before serving the canned fruit.

Anti-darkening treatments (protecting fruit colors): An easy way to prevent darkening is to slice the fruit directly into water containing 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid powder per gallon of water. Or crush and dissolve six 500-milligram vitamin C tablets per gallon of water. There are also commercial anti-darkening products on the market; just follow package directions. In any case, it isn’t necessary to rinse off the solution before canning or freezing.

Basic canning procedure for peaches, apricots, nectarines, pears and plums: Wash fruit. Peel if desired (most peaches are easiest to peel when first dipped in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then cold water). Halve fruits, remove pits or cores. Slice if desired. To prevent darkening in peaches, nectarines, apricots, and pears, treat as described above in anti-darkening treatments above; drain.

For hot pack. Heat the fruit through in syrup, juice or water. Pack each pint or quart-size canning jar with fruit (cavity side down is the most efficient arrangement). Cover one jar at a time with hot syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Run a non-metalic spatula around inside of the jar to remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling water canner 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts (at 1,000 to 3,000 feet, 25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts; at 3,000 to 6,000 feet, 30 minutes for pints and 35 minutes for quarts; at 6,000 to 8,000 feet, 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts).

For raw pack. Pack fruit into pint or quart jars, cavity side down. Cover one jar at a time with hot syrup, juice or water, and attach lid as described previously. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in boiling water canner 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts (at 1,000 to 3,000 feet, 30 minutes for pints and 35 minutes for quarts; at 3,000 to 6,000 feet, 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts; at 6,000 to 8,000 feet, 40 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts).

Hot pack vs. raw pack. Because the fruit is softened slightly in the “hot pack” method, you can fill each jar with a slightly greater amount of fruit.

Tree fruit in vanilla syrup

6pounds (approx.) of tree fruit (pears, nectarines, apricots, plums or peaches)

4cups water

3cups sugar, or more if desired

3tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice

4teaspoons vanilla extract (see note below for using vanilla bean)

Wash three quart canning jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare two-pieced canning lids as manufacturer directs.

To prepare the pears: Wash the pears. Peel, halve and core the fruit.

As the peaches are halved (or sliced or quartered), prevent darkening by placing the fruit directly into an anti-darkening solution (as described above).

Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Bring the mixture just to a low simmer and continue heating, uncovered, for 3 minutes.

Add a third of the prepared pears, well drained, to the syrup and simmer gently, uncovered, just until they are heated through, about 3 minutes. Pack them carefully into one of the jars. Repeat this step with remaining pears, doing them in two more batches. When all of the pears have been packed into the jars, fill one hot jar at a time with the hot syrup, then run a non-metalic spatula around inside of the jar to remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid.

Fill and close remaining jars.

Process in boiling water canner for 25 minutes (30 minutes at 1,000 to 3,000 feet; 35 minutes at 3,000 to 6,000 feet; 40 minutes 6,000 to 8,000 feet).

If using vanilla bean: use only 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, then cut a vanilla bean into three equal pieces (cut a slit up the side of the entire bean so more flavor can be extracted in the syrup) and add them to the syrup, making sure that one section ends up in each jar when canning the fruit).

Makes about 3 quarts.

Honey-spiced peaches

8pounds small peaches

1cup sugar

4cups water

2cups honey

3sticks cinnamon

11/2teaspoons whole allspice

3/4teaspoon whole cloves

You can use this same recipe for other tree fruits, such as nectarines, plums, apricots, and pears (figure on approximately 2 to 3 pounds of fruit per quart jar).

Wash three quart canning jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.

Wash the peaches. Peel by dipping them in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds then plunging them into ice water to cool quickly. Slip off the peel. Halve the fruit then pit and scrape the cavity to remove the red fibers, if desired (these fibers tend to turn brown during storage). As the peaches are halved (or sliced or quartered), prevent darkening by placing the fruit directly into an anti-darkening solution (as described above).

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, water and honey in a large pan. Cook until the sugar dissolves.

Drain the peaches. Blanch the peaches one layer at a time in the syrup only until the peaches are heated through, about 3 minutes.

Pack each jar with hot peaches (cavity side down) leaving 1/2-inch of head space. To each jar add 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice and 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves.

Bring the syrup just to a simmer, then remove from heat and ladle the hot syrup into 1 jar at a time, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Remove air bubbles by running a flat non-metalic spatula down the sides. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars.

Process in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes (30 minutes at 1,000 to 3,000 feet; 35 minutes at 3,000 to 6,000 feet; 40 minutes 6,000 to 8,000 feet).

Makes about 3 quarts.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, artist, and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.