Twenty years ago my Father-in-Law introduced me to home canning and one of the very first things that I learned to process and can was pickled red beets. Once I had mastered the beets, we moved on to various veggies, then to fruits, jams & jellies and then to soups & stews. My Father-in-Law was one of the best home canners that I ever knew! Sadly, he passed away about ten years ago, but I still continue to expand my home canning knowledge.
Here is the recipe that I use when I make a batch of homemade fruit cocktail. You can change-up the fresh fruits to whatever you like and to whatever is currently in-season. I listed below the fruits that I used when making this batch. Once processed correctly, it will keep for up to 1 year.
Home Canning – Fruit Cocktail Recipe
6 to 9 lbs. fresh fruit (green seedless grapes, peaches, pears, cherries, pineapple, nectarines and yellow plums are what I used for this particular batch).
1 batch canning syrup – I use light and the recipe is below
Prep: Wash fruit under cold running water, drain. Peel fruit and remove pits and/or seeds. Cut fruit into 1/2″ chunks except for the cherries and the grapes.
Cook: Prepare syrup (recipe below) in a large saucepan and bring to a full boil over medium to high heat. Cook fruit in syrup just until all of the fruit is hot.
Fill: Pack the hot fruit into a hot canning jar and ladle hot syrup on top…leaving 1/2″ headspace at the top. Clean jar rims, add the seal and band until it’s finger-tip tight. Place jar on elevated rack over simmering water in your boiling water bath canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Process: Lower rack into simmering water. Turn up the heat and bring water to a full boil. Make sure water covers the top of your jars by at least 1″. Process your jars in boiling water (pint jars for 20 minutes and quart jars for 25 minutes). Turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the hot water for an additional 5 minutes. Remove them from the canner and let them cool. In a few hours double check all seals to make sure they sealed properly. Please use a timer while processing, as you never want to over-cook or under-cook when it comes to home canning.
Light Canning Syrup Recipe
In a large saucepan combine together 5 3/4 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Heat over medium heat until all of the sugar has dissolved. Keep the syrup hot (on a low temperature) until you are ready to use it.
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You do so much canning that I often say I should start doing it too. This looks like a great recipe and would taste better than canned fruit cocktail.
I remember my grandma canning all kinds of things but I have never tried it myself. This looks way better than anything store bought.
This sounds delicious. You know one of the better canners I have met is male too! I can, although not as much a I should. I hink I might ry this when fruits really come in. I like the idea of fruit cocktail. I have never tried it before.