Berry Canning

Berry Canning Procedures

Canning, if you have a lot: Because cranberries, like most berries, are highly acid, they don't need
much heat to be safely canned (or bottled). You can process them in sterilized jars or bottles for 20
minutes in boiling water (vegetables, meats, other non-acid fruits are not safe to can this way, you
should process in a pressure cooker). Water bath (non-pressure) processing can be done in any
large, deep pot. Put the jars on a rack in the bottom so they don't touch the bottom. You will need to

use the type of glass jar that has a zinc cap and a rubber washer ring. If you can find them anywhere
any more. Leave at least 1.5-2 inches empty at the top of the jar, put on the ring and cap, screw it
tightly, but then turn it back 1/4 inch, so it's sealed against the water but can vent a little pressure.
Water must be at least 1 inch over tops of jars. Bring to boil, and boil for at least 20 minutes.
Remove jars. Screw lids down very tightly while still hot, so cooling juice will pull it down to a tight

vacuum. This same canning procedure can be followed with high-acid berry jams and jellies, but for
low-acid foods (including tomatoes) use a pressure cooker. Right they didn't use to have them, they
used to have a lot of spoilage and food poisoning. Traditionally, fruits were preserved by drying.
Pressure cookers began to be used on Minnesota rezzes during the early years of World War II
when Native people prepared big "victory gardens" and even supplied food to white people for the
wartime efforts. A few pressure cookers were shared among many women. (Red Lake ladies also
formed a home defense rifle brigade.)

Chile Pepper Jelly

1 tablespoon chopped serrano chiles

1 cup diced anaheim chiles

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

5 cup sugar

6 oz liquid pectin or

1 pkg powdered pectin (1 3/4 oz)

Combine the chiles and pepper with the vinegar in a food processor. Process 3 minutes until pureed.

Put the puree and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, skim the foam from the top, discard, and add the pectin. Return to the heat
and bring again to a hard boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir
constantly for 5 minutes. As it cools the jelly will begin to thicken. Pour it into clean, sterilized 8-
ounce jars, leaving a 1/4 inch space at the top. Seal as desired. Chile Pepper Jelly is one way of
preserving chiles - and it makes a delicious condiment at any meal. Yield: 48 ounces

Fresh Herb Jelly

2 cup water

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 pkg powdered pectin (1 3/4 oz)

4 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, finely choppe; d

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopp; ed

In a large saucepan, stir together the water, lemon juice and powdered pectin. Scrape the sides of
the pan to make sure all the pectin has dissolved. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a
boil. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Add the sugar and herbs while stirring. Bring the mixture
to a full, rolling boil 4 minutes, then remove from the heat. Skim the foam off the top of the mixture
and pour into clean, sterilized jars. Seal with parrafin, if desired, and allow to set overnight.

*** NOTE *** If the herb jelly does not set overnight, remove the parrafin and reheat the mixture
over high heat. Bring to a hard rolling boil 2 minutes, repour into the jars, and reseal. Because you
are working with herbs and not fruit, sometimes the pectin doesn't react the first time and needs to
be reboiled. Yield: 32 ounces

Green Tomato Jam

2 cups green tomatoes pureed

1 large and 1 small raspberry jello

4 cups sugar

Cook tomatoes and sugar over medium heat just until starts to boil, remove from heat and stir in
jello, stirring until dissolved, immediately pour in canning jar, lids will seal themselves from the heat.

Mesquite Bean Jelly

half bushel mesquite beans

2 cups tart plum juice or 1 cup lemon juice

1 box jelling agent

7 1/2 cups sugar

Pick half bushel of mesquite beans without bug holes. Select beans that are succulent, yet mature
enough to have red tinge on the pods. Wash the beans and snap into small pieces. Add plum or
lemon juices. Cook 1 hour in 3 to 4 quarts of water. Drain the juice and save. Place 5 cups of juice in
a pan, bring to a boil and add jelling agent while stirring vigorously. Bring the mixture to a boil that

cannot be stirred down; then add sugar and cook 5 more minutes. Pour into glasses and jars and
allow to cool.

Pumpkin Butter

1 (16 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

In medium saucepan, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cloves.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes, or until
thickened, stirring occasionally. Ladle mixture into clean jars or freezer containers. Cover with lids.
Store in refrigerator several weeks or freeze for several months. Yield: 2 cups.

Saguaro Cactus Fruit Jam

How to turn it into Jam

Gather saguaro cactus fruit pulp. Put 6 cups of the pulp in a pot and add water until half of the pulp
is covered. Soak the pulp for an hour and a half. Stir every now and then. Put the pot over a low
flame and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Separate the pulp from the liquid, saving the pulp. Boil the
liquid very slowly (stirring all the time) until it turns into a syrup. Then mash the pulp and put
through a strainer to remove the seeds. Combine the remaining pulp with the syrup until the mixture
has the consistency of jam. When it looks like jam, it is jam. Serve over warm fry bread. p.s. do not
add sugar