Canning fruit sauces - Ask Extension
Hello, I would like to can various kinds of fruit sauces or compotes, such as strawberry-plum sauce and cherry compote. However, I don't have a recip...
Knowledgebase
Canning fruit sauces #874213
Asked June 22, 2024, 5:02 PM EDT
Hello,
I would like to can various kinds of fruit sauces or compotes, such as strawberry-plum sauce and cherry compote. However, I don't have a recipe that includes canning instructions. The fruit is briefly cooked with sugar to taste and a little water if needed. How can I determine an appropriate processing time, especially for combinations of different fruits? Could I use the same processing time as is listed for a hot pack for each fruit individually? What if I am combining fruits and they have different processing times? And would I need to add any acid, if I am using all fruits that have a pH less than 4.6?
Thank you!
Benton County Oregon
Expert Response
You can can most fruit purees in a boiling water canner.
Wash, peel, and remove seeds or pits. Add 1 cup
hot water per quart of fruit. Cook slowly until soft.
Put through sieve or food mill. Add sugar to taste.
Reheat to boiling and pack into hot jars leaving
¼ inch headspace.
Caution: Do not use figs, cantaloupe or other melons,
papaya, ripe mango, or coconut to make fruit purees
because they are not acidic enough to safely process
in a boiling water canner.
Hot Pints and Quarts are 15 minutes at altitudes 1000 ft and below. If you are at higher altitudes 1001-3000 ft it will be 20 minutes.
You can find the instructions in PNW 199 Canning Fruits
https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/canning-fruits-3
Thanks for using Ask Extension and enjoy your fruit purees.
Wash, peel, and remove seeds or pits. Add 1 cup
hot water per quart of fruit. Cook slowly until soft.
Put through sieve or food mill. Add sugar to taste.
Reheat to boiling and pack into hot jars leaving
¼ inch headspace.
Caution: Do not use figs, cantaloupe or other melons,
papaya, ripe mango, or coconut to make fruit purees
because they are not acidic enough to safely process
in a boiling water canner.
Hot Pints and Quarts are 15 minutes at altitudes 1000 ft and below. If you are at higher altitudes 1001-3000 ft it will be 20 minutes.
You can find the instructions in PNW 199 Canning Fruits
https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/canning-fruits-3
Thanks for using Ask Extension and enjoy your fruit purees.
Nellie Oehler
Thank you for your reply and the publication reference. This may be a silly question, but if I don't put the fruit through a food mill (or peel it), will it still be safe to can following the same processing time/headspace? And would it be okay to use no or less water depending on how juicy the fruit is?
Because of the way they determine the process time I would recommend you at least blend the cooked fruit before you can it. You could do it with an immersion blender if you don't have a food mill.
A trick I do to cook down the fruit is to cook it in the microwave and then you don't have to add water especially if the fruit is juice. I make my apple sauce that way all the time. The water is added to prevent the fruit from sticking when it is cooked. There is no problem with that when cooked in the microwave.
As for peeling. I would recommend peeling because it is one more step in cleanliness. One of the problems we see is that fruit purees can mold even if processed and peeling helps prevent that. The quality of your puree will also be higher if you peel the fruit first.
Let me know if you have more questions.
Nellie Oehler
A trick I do to cook down the fruit is to cook it in the microwave and then you don't have to add water especially if the fruit is juice. I make my apple sauce that way all the time. The water is added to prevent the fruit from sticking when it is cooked. There is no problem with that when cooked in the microwave.
As for peeling. I would recommend peeling because it is one more step in cleanliness. One of the problems we see is that fruit purees can mold even if processed and peeling helps prevent that. The quality of your puree will also be higher if you peel the fruit first.
Let me know if you have more questions.
Nellie Oehler
Thank you for the additional details! I was really hoping to find a canning recipe for a chunky mixture of cooked fruit, what I would call a compote rather than a puree. Would you have any references for recipes of that sort?
Fine chunks would not be an issue but if they are really large chunks then I would suggest you use the processing time for the fruit you are using rather than the fruit puree. You can can the fruit and then mash it when you are ready to use it.
High acid fruits would not be a huge issue however I would not make the compote out of Asian Pears, Figs, Mangos, melons, papayas or bananas.
Hope that helps
Nellie
High acid fruits would not be a huge issue however I would not make the compote out of Asian Pears, Figs, Mangos, melons, papayas or bananas.
Hope that helps
Nellie
That makes sense. Thank you very much for the helpful information.
