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How to Dehydrate Fruit (Cherries, Blueberries, Grapes, Raspberries & Blackberries)

by 26 Comments

Learn to make the best dehydrated fruit and enjoy your summer harvest all year long. Dehydrating fruit works especially well for cherries, grapes, and berries. Using an oven or a dehydrator, use my secret trick to speed up the dry time.

A bowl of dehydrated cherries on a wooden counter.

Why I Love Dehydrated Fruit

Dehydration is an excellent way to preserve your fruit, especially berries for year round use. It's shelf stable and can be eaten as is.

It's light, meaning easy to pack and shove into pockets. And you can use it to make delicious candies, treats, cakes, and breads.

Dehydration, when done at a low temperature, makes it “raw” food, retaining almost all of the nutrients.

This year as I was dehydrating trays of cherries my husband asked why I was doing it if we never eat them? Unbeknownst to him, I dehydrate them every year and just tuck them away! We don't get many cherries for dehydrating, so they're my special treat!

We're blessed on our homestead to have raspberries, blueberries, and a plethora of blackberries. I turn most of our bounty into various jams. I like to keep the sugar low in most of my jam recipes, and I like to make jam without pectin.

If you're in need of some jam recipes, here are some of my favorites:

For more info on canning jam, be sure to check out this post on making jams and jellies like a pro.

Even though my love of canned jam runs deep, one thing they're not great for is for traveling or packing in lunch boxes.

Frozen and then thawed berries aren't friendly for munching on, although I will say freeze-dried fruit is quickly becoming another favorite go-to in our house, freeze dryers are cost prohibitive for some.

So in comes dehydration. I confess that I overlooked dehydrated fruit for years. Mostly because I tried dehydrating blueberries about 10 years ago and after three days straight, I still had half shriveled but not dehydrated berries.

I'm so glad I gave it another try after learning the trick to speeding up the dehydrating time.

Everything Worth Preserving Book Cover.

Everything Worth Preserving

Discover the 9 home food preservation methods to safely store delicious food for year-round eating with all of my step-by-step tutorials, recipes, and easy-to-use charts. Learn everything you need to know about cold storage (aka freezer), water bath/steam canning, pressure canning, dehydrating, fermenting, freeze-drying, root cellar, infusion, and salt/curing in the new book, Everything Worth Preserving.

Preserve food for a healthy well-stocked pantry & peace of mind, all in one resource.

In this book, you can search for any produce from A-Z and get a list of all the ways to preserve that item, plus recipes! Grab your copy (and FREE bonuses for pre-ordering) here.

A Nesco food dehydrator with cherries inside.

Supplies Needed

If you plan on doing much dehydrating, I recommend getting an actual dehydrator. They are a great investment and make dehydrating a “set it and forget it” kind of task.

Can you use your oven with the door propped open? Yes, but you can't control the temperature, and then you can't cook in your oven. Plus, if you have little ones, leaving your oven door open isn't probably the safest thing.

Nesco Dehydrator

I have a Nesco square dehydrator and am very happy with it. I purchased it many years ago and it still runs like a champ.

It's quiet and gets the job done. I haven't had any problems with it and have run it close to a week straight when doing cherries and then a batch of blueberries.

A Nesco dehydrator will be a more economical approach if you're just getting started. And I highly recommend getting these screens for sticky fruit and fruit leather (they're even dishwasher safe!).

Excalibur Dehydrator

If you plan on doing a lot of dehydrating, you'll want to consider the Excalibur dehydrators. This is a great upgrade for those dehydrating large batches of fruit at a time.

I don't have one, but know many people who do, and they all say it's the workhorse of dehydrators and well worth the investment.

It is more expensive than the Nesco. However, the air blows from the back of the unit instead of the top, making it more efficient.

This is the cheapest deal I've found for an Excalibur dehydrator.

Pro Tip: If you're dehydrating multiple batches back to back, consider setting your dehydrator up outside in a safe location to keep from heating up your house during the hot summer months!

Frozen blueberries.

How to “Check” Your Berries Before Dehydrating

When you're dehydrating berries, you need to use one simple trick to cut hours and days off your dehydrating time. You need to check your berries.

“Checking” is merely piercing the skin so the moisture can evaporate more quickly. Berries are mostly water, after all. Checking should be used with blueberries, cranberries, and grapes, or any other similar type of fruit.

I pit my cherries before dehydrating, so I'm technically checking them when I pit them. There are multiple ways you can “check” your berries to speed up the dehydrating process.

  1. Poke each berry with a pin – Take a safety pin or sewing pin and poke a hole in each berry. If you're doing a small amount, this might not take very much time, but if you're doing tray fulls, this is going to take forever.
  2. Boil/steam your berries – Briefly boil or steam berries until they've split their skins, but not enough to cook them. This method works well, but you will lose some nutrients by heating them.
  3. Freeze your berries – This is the method I prefer. Simply toss your berries into the freezer for a few hours. It will rupture the cells and make your berries good to go. When it's the middle of summer, and a task takes no work on my part (okay, besides the harvesting), I'm all about that!

Sometimes getting kids involved in the process is fun, if they can safely poke the berries then this is a great option, however, I'm sure many of you would agree that option #3 is the best!

Learn how to dehydrate fruit at home to save money and build up your food storage. This simple tip will cut hours off your dehydrating time. Grab this now to preserve the summer berry and fruit harvest.

How to Dehydrate Berries

  1. After you've prepared your berries by checking them, spread them out on your dehydrating trays. (For sticky berries or fruit, I highly recommend the dehydrator mats for easy clean-up.) You want the berries or fruit to be evenly spaced so they dehydrate at the same rate.
  2. With our blueberries, we have several different varieties, which means different sizes of berries. I recommend putting the smaller berries on one tray and the larger ones on another. I didn't the first time and had to manually separate them as the smaller ones were done before the bigger ones. So save yourself some time here.
  3. Turn on your dehydrator and let it do its thing. The fruit setting on mine is 135 degrees.
  4. Even with “checking”, berries take quite a while to dehydrate fully. My cherries took 28  hours. My small blueberries were done at about 24 hours, whereas the larger ones took 36 hours.
  5. Rotate your berries or fruit after 12-hour mark for even drying. My top tray dehydrates a tad faster than the bottom one, especially when I've got all four stacked.
Dehydrated cherries in a jar with a woman's hand pointing to them.

How to Know When Fruit is Dehydrated?

If you're unsure if your fruit is fully dehydrated, you can sample a few. If you feel liquid, then put them back in. Some of my smaller berries got hard, so I knew they were fully done. You want chewy berries but not overly sticky or wet. Otherwise, they start to mold.

Another way to check them is to place a handful of still-warm fruit (it's important they're still warm) into a jar or plastic bag and seal tight. If you notice any condensation forming on the jar or bag the fruit isn't fully dehydrated.

A jar of dehydrated cherries and fruit vinegar on a wooden countertop.

How to Store Dehydrated Fruit

Store dehydrated fruit in an air-tight container in a dark, cool place for optimal shelf life.

Unlike freeze-dried fruit, dehydrated fruit is best when eaten within a year. This is why I like to plan how many fruit and berry bushes we need for our family for a year's worth of fruit.

Learn how to dehydrate fruit at home to save money and build up your food storage. This simple tip will cut hours off your dehydrating time. Grab this now to preserve the summer berry and fruit harvest.

How to Use Dehydrated Fruit

Use your dehydrated fruit in homemade breads, muffins, granola, candy, or just by the handful! Be warned, they're kind of addicting.

There you have it, my favorite way to dehydrate fruit and my time-saving tips when dehydrating blueberries, cherries, and grapes! Have you tried this method or other home food preservation methods before?

More Posts You May Enjoy

A bonus to dehydrating cherries is that you have to pit them first. Don't toss the pits! Save them to make an infused cherry pit vinegar. (shared from my new book, Everything Worth Preserving).

Cherry Pit Vinegar

Move over apple scrap vinegar, you’re not the only fruit that can be used twice for delicious things.

Ingredients

1 cup cherry pits* 

2 cups vinegar (any vinegar of your choice)

  1. Place the pits (leave all the bits of cherry fruit on them you can, this helps with the flavor) in a clean glass jar. Cover with vinegar and place out of direct sunlight. White vinegar takes on some color if using red cherries whereas apple cider vinegar won’t change as much in color, but both work equally as well. 
  2. Allow to steep for two to three weeks. Strain, place back in a glass bottle, and enjoy your cherry pit flavored vinegar!

*Only use uncracked pits. As long as you don't try to smash them with a hammer, they’re not cracked. Cherry pits (most stone fruit pits) do contain small amounts of cyanide. This is only exposed when they’re cracked, smashed, or ground up.

You may also be interested in my fruit preserving course!

A bowl of dehydrated cherries on a wooden counter.

How to Dehydrate Fruit (Blueberries, Cherries, Grapes, Raspberries & Blackberries)

Melissa Norris
Learn how to dehydrate fruit at home. This method will save you hours of time when dehydrating fruit.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 1 d 2 hrs
Total Time 1 d 2 hrs 5 mins
Course fruit, Snack
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Dehydrator

Ingredients
  

  • Fruit
  • Water for rinsing

Instructions
 

  • Rinse berries and remove any twigs, leaves, etc.
  • Check berries by either freezing for a few hours, poking each berry with a pin, needle or paperclip, or quickly blanching in hot water.
  • After you've checked your berries, spread them out on your dehydrating trays. Try to put berries of similar size on the same trays.
  • Turn on your dehydrator to 135 degrees Fahrenheit or the fruit setting if it has one.
  • Check on your berries or fruit after 12 hours and rotate your trays.
  • Your fruit is done when it's shriveled and slightly tacky/sticky. Do the "dry test" mentioned in the notes section below.
  • Store dehydrated berries in an airtight container in a dark cool place for optimal shelf life.

Notes

  • For sticky berries or fruit, I highly recommend the non-stick mats for easy clean-up. You want to the berries or fruit to be evenly spaced so they dehydrate at the same rate.
  • Even with “checking”, fruit takes quite a while to fully dehydrate. My cherries took 28 hours. My small blueberries were done at about 24 hours, whereas the larger berries took 36 hours. This is still better than three days though!
  • Dry Test – To know if berries are dry, do the “dry test”. Place a handful of still-warm berries into an airtight container (sealed Mason jar or sealed plastic baggie). Let them sit for 10-20 minutes and check the sides of the container. If you see any moisture or condensation on the jar or bag, the fruit isn't dry and needs to continue dehydrating.
Keyword Dehydrated fruit
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Canned Tomato Sauce Recipe (+ Water-bath & Pressure Canning)

by 132 Comments

Home-canned tomato sauce from vine-ripened tomatoes may as well be an entirely new product as there is no comparison to store-bought. It's incredibly easy to make and you can water bath or pressure can it for long-term food storage.

Jars of home canned tomato sauce on counter with ripe paste tomatoes and wicker basket

Follow this easy step-by-step tutorial for my favorite canned tomato sauce recipe and enjoy it spiced up as pizza or spaghetti sauce, use it in chili, for tomato soup, barbecue sauce, cabbage rolls, and so much more.

Why I Love This Recipe

Learning how to can tomato sauce is life-changing. No, seriously, with a single jar you can create pretty much anything your heart desires with tomato sauce as the base.

Using my principles for growing a year's worth of tomatoes (and then saving the seeds for the following year's garden), I am able to can our entire year's worth of tomato sauce. Never having to purchase tomato, pizza, or spaghetti sauce from the store is pretty amazing. In fact, I dare say this may be the most versatile item in my home food storage.

And let me tell ya, if you've never had homemade tomato sauce before made from vine-ripened tomatoes, then you've never had tomato sauce before. All else is an imitation, my friend.

If you're struggling to grow enough tomatoes to put up for sauce, you can always buy them from the farmer's market. But you may also be interested in how to prune tomatoes for a better harvest, or even my 10 tomato growing tips for a disease-free harvest.

Be sure to also check out these 129+ canning recipes to put up this year!

How Do You Can Tomato Sauce?

The best part about canning homemade tomato sauce is that you've got options! (A girl can never have too many options for canning recipes, right?)

You can use both water bath and pressure canning methods for this canned tomato sauce recipe. Update: you can use a steam canner, as long as the processing time is 45 minutes or less (I incorrectly said 30 minutes but it is actually 45 minutes, yay). Keep reading below to see which option best suits your needs.

If you feel like you could use a bit more hand-holding for canning tomato sauce, you may be interested in my Tomato Canning eCourse! (It's only $19 and includes how to can salsa and other sauces as well!)

Tomatoes growing on the vine.

What Tomatoes Make the Best Sauce?

First off, you can use any tomato, but truly, paste tomatoes are the best for making sauces.

Why, you ask? (I love it when you ask questions, I truly do!)

Paste tomatoes have less water inside and are fleshier. This results in a thicker sauce without so much reduction time. And I'm all about saving time in the kitchen!

Some good paste tomato options are Roma tomatoes and, of course, the mother of all paste tomatoes (and quite possibly the best paste tomato of the bunch) is the heirloom San Marzano Lungo No. 2. I grow them every.single.year.

This also happens to be the variety that frequently ripens first, so it's a double win in my book. We liked the flavor diced and tossed onto pizza, but it really shines in sauces and pastes.

A white colander filled with fresh tomatoes.

How Many Tomatoes Do I Need To Make Tomato Sauce?

You need a lot of tomatoes at once to make tomato sauce. This may be difficult if you don't have a large number of tomato plants and your tomatoes are ripening over a long span of time.

To allow for this without needing to make small batches of sauce, you can freeze your tomatoes whole in gallon ziplock bags until you have enough to move forward with this recipe.

The bonus of freezing tomatoes is that, as they defrost, you're actually able to peel the skins off, eliminating the step of having to roast them in the oven in batches (watch the video above to see how to do this if you're working with fresh tomatoes).

If you didn't grow enough tomatoes in your garden for sauce, you can buy a flat or two at the local farmer's market or barter with a friend. It's up to you how you source them, but for this canned tomato sauce recipe, you'll want at least 20 pounds of tomatoes to make about 7 pints of sauce.

Sliced tomatoes on a blue cutting board with a knife.

Ingredients

  • Tomatoes (about 20 pounds makes 7 pints of sauce), I recommend San Marzano, Roma and Amish Paste, or another paste tomato, but remember, any tomato will do!
  • Bottled lemon juice (1 Tablespoon per pint jar and 2 Tablespoons per quart jar) it's important to use bottled juice from concentrate as fresh lemons vary in their acidity.
  • Salt (1/4 teaspoon per pint jar and 1/2 teaspoon per quart jar) I like to use Redmond Real Salt, but any sea salt will do as long as it doesn't contain iodine or anti-caking agents.
  • Dried Basil (1/2 teaspoon per pint jar and 1 teaspoon per quart jar) I don't like adding dried herbs to my jars anymore because I feel like they lose flavor during the canning process, instead, now I add my herbs after opening my jars of canned sauce for whatever recipe I'm using it for.
  • Canning jars, lids, and bands
  • Either a water bath or pressure canner
Tomatoes on the bottom of a large stockpot and a potato masher mashing the tomatoes.

Making This Tomato Sauce Recipe

1. The first step, pick yourself some tomatoes! I didn't bother weighing out my haul, it was approximately 90 ripe tomatoes which I'm guessing came close to about 20 pounds of tomatoes. It yielded three one-quart jars plus a one-pint jar in the end.

2. Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the inner seeds and white membrane.

3. Lay the tomatoes, skin side up, on a cookie sheet and place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes, or until the skins begin to come loose from the flesh.

4. Remove skins and reserve in a bowl (I like to either dehydrate or freeze dry my seeds and skins to then pulse into a powder and use to thicken soups!).

Tip: If you want to skip this step of removing the skins, try using the Weston Tomato Press. Or simply chop the tomatoes and add them to the stockpot, cook them down, mash them, and then put the sauce through a food mill to remove the skins.

5. Place the remaining tomatoes into a food processor or high-powered blender and give it a quick pulse to liquefy the contents. If you don't have a blender or food processor, you can mash the tomatoes (as shown in the photo above).

NOTE: Keep track of how much liquid you end up with, this amount will be necessary to know how many jars to prepare for canning.

A stockpot filled with boiling tomato sauce.

6. Pour all tomato sauce into a large stockpot and bring up to a simmer and allow to reduce until the sauce is as thick as you like it. For my paste tomatoes, this usually means reducing it for about 40 minutes which allows about 1 inch of the liquid to evaporate. But my sauce is already pretty thick right from the start. This is purely preferential and will vary based on tomato varieties.

7. Meanwhile, prepare your jars, gather your lids, and either your water bath canner or your pressure canner.

8. To each jar, add a small amount of tomato sauce, then bottled lemon juice, salt, and optional herbs (see ingredients above for amounts).

NOTE: Lemon juice (or citric acid), salt, and herbs should be added to each individual jar, not the pot of tomato sauce. And you must add the bottled lemon juice for safe shelf stability.

Canning jars and measuring spoons with lemon juice and salt in them.
Jar of tomato sauce with a head space measuring tool in the top.

9. Fill jars with tomato sauce up to a 1/2-inch headspace for water bath canning and 1-inch headspace for pressure canning. I typically like to pressure can because it takes less time.

10. Run a spatula around the jar circumference to remove air bubbles. Add more tomato sauce if needed to keep 1/2-inch or 1-inch headspace depending upon your method of canning.

11. With a damp clean cloth, wipe the rim of the jar clean. Place on lids and screw down the bands until resistance is met, then to fingertip tight.

Waterbath canner with jars covered with water.

Water Bath Canning Instructions

1. Place jars on a rack inside your water bath canner.

2. Make sure at least 1 inch of water is covering the tops of the jars.

3. Once you've got rolling boiling water, add lid and process pint jars for 35 minutes or quart jars for 40 minutes.

NOTE: See recipe notes for altitude adjustments above 1,000 feet in elevation.

4. Turn off heat and remove the lid from the canner. Allow jars to rest inside the water bath for 5 minutes.

NOTE: If you remove jars immediately, you run the risk of cracking the jars or the siphoning of liquid, which can inhibit a proper seal.

5. After the five minutes have passed, using a jar lifter, carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them in a draft-free area on a kitchen towel folded in thirds. Never place hot jars on a cold countertop.

6. Allow jars to rest, untouched for at least 12 hours, 24 hours if you have the counter space.

7. Remove bands and check seals then move to the pantry for storage. (If any jars didn't seal, store them in the refrigerator and use them within a day or two.)

Upclose shot of a pressure canner with jiggler.

Pressure Canning Instructions

1. Add water to the pressure canner, place the inner rack inside, and load jars.

2. Lock the lid, bring to a boil, and allow the pressure canner to vent steam for 10 minutes.

3. Put the weight on and allow the canner to come up to 10 pounds of pressure (or use a weighted gauge, depending on your pressure canner).

NOTE: See recipe notes for altitude adjustments above 1,000 feet in elevation.

4. Start processing time after weight begins rocking and hissing, or dial gauge reads 10 pounds of pressure.

5. Process both pint and quart-size jars for 15 minutes.

6. Allow pressure canner to cool down naturally and for pressure to return to normal.

7. Carefully remove the hot lid and wait another 10 minutes before taking jars out of canner.

NOTE: If you remove jars immediately, you run the risk of cracking the jars or the siphoning of liquid, which can inhibit a proper seal.

8. Using a jar lifter, carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them in a draft-free area on a kitchen towel folded in thirds. Never place hot jars on a cold countertop.

9. Allow jars to rest, untouched for at least 12 hours, 24 hours if you have the counter space.

10. Remove bands and check seals then move to the pantry for storage. (If any jars didn't seal, store them in the refrigerator and use within a day or two.)

NOTE: If you have enough tomato sauce to fill all the jars needed for a run in the pressure canner, I'd use the pressure canner. Food may reach a hotter temperature in the pressure canner, but because it's processed for less time, it retains more of the nutrients. But, if you don't have enough jars or don't have a pressure canner, the water bath is completely safe with this recipe.

Vertical view of an open jar of tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes on the counter and a teaspoon of dried basil.

Now stand back and look at those gorgeous scarlet jars, just begging to be simmered all day for spaghetti, in chili, or in these slow cooker cabbage rolls.

Seriously, does anyone else like to sit and stare at the rows of home-canned food, or am I the only one weird that way? I'm hoping now that you know how to can tomato sauce, you'll be staring at them, too.

Want to learn how to pressure can?

I have a FREE pressure canning video series here walking you through how to:

  • safely pressure can without fear of blowing it up or exploding
  • how to make sure you stay SAFE and avoid botulism
  • the science of canning so you always stay safe
  • what foods CANNOT be canned at home, even in a pressure canner
  • and more

It's completely free and I've taught hundreds of people how to pressure can, you're in good hands! Click here to snag your seat and get started pressure canning today.

home canned jars of tomato sauce on counter with ripe tomatoes

Want ALL of my best-preserving recipes

This recipe is one of many in my new book, Everything Worth Preserving,

Discover the 9 home food preservation methods to safely store delicious food for year-round eating with Melissa’s step-by-step tutorials, recipes, and easy-to-use charts. Get ready to learn everything you need to know about cold storage (aka freezer), water bath/steam canning, pressure canning, dehydrating, fermenting, freeze-drying, root cellar, infusion, and salt/curing!

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Did you make this recipe? If so, I'd love for you to leave me a star review in the recipe card below, then tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see!

Easy Canned Tomato Sauce

Melissa Norris
Learn how to can tomato sauce at home with this easy recipe, safe for both water bath or pressure canning!
4.23 from 81 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 1 hr
Canning Time 35 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 35 mins
Course Sauce
Cuisine Italian
Servings 14 cups
Calories 119 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure Canner or Water Bath Canner
  • Canning Jars and Lids

Ingredients
  

  • 20 pounds tomatoes 20 pounds makes about 7 pints of sauce
  • 7 tbsp bottled lemon juice
  • 1.75 tsp salt
  • 3.5 tsp dried basil optional

Instructions
 

Prepare Tomatoes

  • Pick your fresh tomatoes, slice in half and remove seeds.
  • Place tomatoes, flesh side down (skin side up) on a cookie sheet and roast in a 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes (or until skins start to pull away from the tomatoes).
  • Carefully remove skins and set them aside in a bowl.
  • Add tomatoes to a food processor or high-powered blender. Pulse quickly to liquefy contents.
  • Add tomato sauce to a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and continue simmering until tomato sauce is reduced down to desired thickness. (This will vary based on tomato variety.)
  • Meanwhile, prepare your jars, gather your lids, and either your water bath canner or your pressure canner.
  • To each jar, add one scoop of tomato sauce, then add 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint jar (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to each quart jar).
  • Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to each pint jar (or 1/2 teaspoon salt to each quart jar).
  • Add the optional 1/2 teaspoon dried basil to each pint jar (or 1 teaspoon dried basil to each quart jar).
  • Fill jars the rest of the way with tomato sauce leaving 1/2-inch headspace for water bath canning and 1-inch headspace for pressure canning.
  • Run a spatula around the jar circumference to remove air bubbles. Add more tomato sauce if needed to keep 1/2-inch or 1-inch headspace depending upon your method of canning.
  • With a damp clean cloth, wipe the rim of the jar clean. Place on lids and screw down the bands until resistance is met, then to fingertip tight.

Water Bath Canning Instructions

  • Place jars on a rack inside your water bath canner.
  • Make sure at least 1 inch of water is covering the tops of the jars.
  • Once you’ve got rolling boiling water, process pint jars for 35 minutes or quart jars for 40 minutes. (See notes for high altitude canning instructions.)
  • Turn off heat and remove the lid from the canner. Allow jars to rest inside the water bath for 5 minutes.
  • Using a jar lifter, carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them in a draft-free area on a kitchen towel folded in thirds. Never place hot jars on a cold countertop.
  • Allow jars to rest, untouched for at least 12 hours, 24 hours if you have the counter space.
  • Remove bands and check seals then move to the pantry for storage. (If any jars didn’t seal, store them in the refrigerator and use within a day or two.)

Pressure Canning Instructions

  • Add water to pressure canner, put in the rack, and load jars.
  • Lock the lid, bring to a boil, and allow the pressure canner to vent steam for 10 minutes.
  • Put the weight on and allow the canner to come up to 10 pounds of pressure (or use a weighted gauge, depending on your pressure canner). See notes for high-altitude canning instructions.
  • Start processing time after weight begins rocking and hissing, or dial gauge reads 10 pounds of pressure.
  • Process both pint and quart-size jars for 15 minutes.
  • Allow pressure canner to cool down naturally and for pressure to return to normal.
  • Carefully remove the hot lid and wait another 10 minutes before taking jars out of canner.
  • Using a jar lifter, carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them in a draft-free area on a kitchen towel folded in thirds. Never place hot jars on a cold countertop.
  • Allow jars to rest, untouched for at least 12 hours, 24 hours if you have the counter space.
  • Remove bands and check seals then move to the pantry for storage. (If any jars didn’t seal, store them in the refrigerator and use within a day or two.)

Video

Notes

  • Keep track of how much tomato sauce you're blending as you go to have an idea of how many jars to prepare for canning.
  • You MUST use bottled lemon juice for this recipe in order for it to be considered safe (or citric acid, see free chart for differing types of acid and amounts right above recipe card).
  • Lemon juice, salt, and optional herbs should be added to each individual jar, not the pot of tomato sauce.
  • If you have enough tomato sauce to fill all the jars needed for a run in the pressure canner, I'd use the pressure canner. Food may reach a hotter temperature in the pressure canner, but because it's processed for less time, it retains more of the nutrients.
  • If you don't have enough jars to fill a pressure canner, or you don't have one, the water bath is completely fine with this recipe.
  • Even if you are pressure canning the tomato sauce, you still need to use the bottled lemon juice (or citric acid).
  • Allow jars to remain in the canner for the recommended time to prevent siphoning of liquid which can inhibit a proper seal.
If you're 1,001 feet above sea level, you must make processing adjustments.
  • For water bath canning 1,001 to 3,000 feet is 40 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts, 3,001 to 6,000 is 45 minutes for pints and 50 minutes for quarts. For altitudes above 6,001 feet increase by an additional 5 minutes.  
  • For pressure canning, 1,001 + feet use 15 pounds of pressure with a weighted gauge canner. For dial gauge, if 0 to 2,000 feet use 11 lbs PSI, for 2,001 to 4,000 feet use 12 lbs PSI, for 4,001 to 6,000 feet use 13 lbs PSI, for 6,001 to 8,000 feet use 14 lbs PSI.

Nutrition

Calories: 119kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 6gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 323mgPotassium: 1550mgFiber: 8gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 5398IUVitamin C: 92mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Canned Tomato Sauce, pressure canning, Tomato, Tomato Sauce, Water Bath Canning
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

How to Choose the Best Pressure Canner

by 69 Comments

Knowing how to choose the best pressure canner for you and your family is one of the first steps towards becoming more self-sustainable. A pressure canner will help you preserve a greater variety of foods to stock up your pantry and food storage.

Two pressure canners and jars of home canned food sitting on a kitchen counter.

Choosing the best pressure canner depends on your needs, how large your family is, and how much food you intend to be home canning.

If you're just getting started with pressure canning, I recommend taking my free 4-part video series where I teach you how to safely operate a pressure canner. Including what you can and cannot safely can at home, even with a pressure canner.

Read on to compare Presto and All-American to learn which pressure canner you can use to meet your canning needs.

What is a Pressure Canner and How Does it Work?

If you have a garden, you have probably already ventured into different preservation methods and maybe even home canning. I use ten different methods of preservation for various foods. Learn more about each of the ten preservation methods here.

You’ve purchased your canning jars and canning lids and understand the basics of the canning process. If you don’t have the supplies you need, check out this helpful guide to home food preservation. 

Most people start with water bath canning and then progress to pressure canning as they get comfortable with the process. Read through my post on canning 101 to help you feel confident in preserving your food.

Water bath canning is only safe for high acid foods. To preserve foods such as meats and low-acid vegetables, you must use a pressure canner.

Water bath canners (usually made of granite ware) and steam canners don’t reach as high of a temperature as pressure canners to kill the bacteria in low acid foods. This can lead to botulism, sickness, and even death.

And no, you can't just water bath can your food longer, it simply won't get hot enough.

Pressure canning brings the contents of your filled jars to a higher temperature, effectively killing all the bacterial contaminants. The heat inside the tightly sealed canner builds up pressure that needs to be monitored and released by the weighted gauges on the lid.

A whole raw chicken in the Instant Pot. Text overlay says, "How to Cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot".

What is the Difference Between a Pressure Canner and Cooker?

Both the canner and cooker are designed to build up the pressure through steam in a sealed environment. It reaches a high temperature allowing foods to cook quickly. 

The differences are basically in size and sustained pressure. Pressure cookers can heat up and pressurize containers, but they can’t maintain heat and pressure long enough to safely can food.

Pressure canners are made of heavier material and designed for prolonged heat, steam, and pressure to achieve the necessary safety in home canning.

What is the Best Pressure Canner to Buy?

This is a question I get asked a lot. There are different opinions dependent on people’s experiences with them. I believe you have to think through several different factors when choosing the very best one for you and your family.

Let me begin by telling you that when you learn how to use a pressure canner, you will love how easy it is to cook a meal from home pressure canned foods! Look through some of my canning recipes to inspire you.

Furthermore, if you'd like to get a copy of my newest book, Everything Worth Preserving, you can pre-order now. This is THE cookbook I wish I could find where I walk through every possible fruit and vegetable and list out the safe, approved methods for canning, including recipes!

Pre-order now, and they will be shipping in the fall of 2022. Plus, for those who grab their book now, I'll throw in all sorts of freebies!

I will walk you through five different areas to consider in reaching a decision. 

Dozens of empty canning jars.

#1 – What Size Pressure Canner to Buy

Pressure canners come in different sizes. If you have a large family and plan to exclusively eat home canned foods, then you will want to choose a larger size model. If you don’t cook for many people, you’ll be fine purchasing a smaller one.

I always recommend choosing a one that will hold both pint and quart size jars. Don’t limit yourself to only pint-sized jars. 

If you are wavering between sizes, choose the larger model. It’s not much more work to put up 14 jars of beans than to do 7. If you can process them all at the same time instead of having to repeat the process, it saves you time.

Pressure canners will often be listed as holding a certain amount of liquid in quarts. Read the label to understand how many quart jars it holds. For example, my All American 21.5 quart pressure canner holds 19 pint jars or 7 quart jars. The 21.5 qt. Measurement is the liquid measurement.

A pot and teapot on a glass stovetop.

#2 – Consider your Stovetop 

If you have a glass stovetop, you risk breaking it using the heavier pressure canners. They are not manufactured for the weight of the canner combined with the high temperature.

This Presto pressure canner states that it is safe for use on glass stovetops.

I have an electric range, and it works great for pressure canning. If you use a gas range, be sure not to heat it on too high of a setting.

For induction stovetops, you need to use a stainless steel base canner. This Presto 23-quart induction compatible pressure canner is the only one I have found that is suitable for induction stoves.

Two old Mason jars with paper money and coins.

#3 – Finding the Best Value

The price of an item always comes into play. Don’t let the initial investment scare you away from buying a pressure canner. Save your pennies if needed because the years of use the pressure canner gives you will quickly compensate for the money spent.

If you are just getting into canning and aren’t convinced you will be doing it long-term, start with this Presto pressure canner. I have used this economic pressure canner for almost fifteen years, and it is still working wonderfully.

For a greater lifetime investment, purchase this All-American pressure canner. As its name states, this canner is made in the United States and has earned a reputation as a premier pressure canner.

#4 – Replacing Parts

A gasket-based pressure canner like the Presto model requires replacing the gasket when it begins to wear out. The gasket is the rubber seal that fits around the edge of the lid. 

You will need to check it regularly for cracks or fatigue. Oiling it helps to prolong the lifespan as well. I recommend having a replacement on hand before you need it.

Depending on the model you own, you will also want to have an extra pressure release valve on hand. I have purchased both the gasket and valve at our local hardware store, but you should be able to purchase from the manufacturer as well.

The metal-on-metal seal of the All American model doesn’t require any replacement parts.

Upclose shot of a pressure canner with jiggler.

#5 – Maintenance and Care

There are two kinds of pressure gauges for these canners. One has a dialed gauge to monitor pressure, and the other has a weighted gauge.

The dialed gauge has a dial that monitors the pressure in the canner. If you purchase a dialed gauge pressure canner, you will need to have it checked at your local county extension office annually. They will make sure the dial is accurately showing the correct PSI (pounds per square inch of pressure). 

A weighted gauge pressure canner does not require this (pictured above). The weighted gauge is the control that jiggles, hisses, and rocks back and forth. This is the kind of pressure canner I use and prefer.

No matter which pressure canner you end up with, I highly encourage you to invest in one. The doors this opens as far as processing food for long-term storage is fantastic. Never again will you have to buy broth from the store; you can easily pressure can bone broth at home!

New to pressure canning and want to make sure you're doing it correctly? Take my free 4-part video series where I teach you how to safely operate a pressure canner. Including what you can and cannot safely can at home, even with a pressure canner.

Canned pumpkin in quart sized Mason jars with a large pumpkin in the background.

More Canning Resources

How to Can Apricots- Easy Canned Apricots Recipe

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This recipe for canned apricots uses a light syrup (or sauce) without loads of sugar to preserve fresh apricots and fill your pantry to enjoy all year.

Canned apricots in a Mason jar.

It’s as easy as placing fresh apricots and sweet syrup in a jar, canning the jars in a water bath canner, and enjoying the harvest of your labor for months to come!

Why I Enjoy Canning Apricots

Of the many different ways to preserve food, canning is one of my favorites. 

Basic fruit canning is very simple. If you have been hesitant to start canning your own fruits and vegetables, this is a great place to start. 

The high acidity in apricots makes them a safe fruit to water bath can. Water bath canning is known as the “gateway” to canning. It requires less monetary investment and is an easy skill to learn.

Plus, there is something incredibly satisfying about filling up your pantry with home-canned foods! A satisfaction you can’t get from store-bought items.

This recipe allows you to control the amount of sugar you add to the syrup.

Click here for my FREE fruit syrup canning chart.

Apricots hanging on a tree with the sun shining through the leaves.

Two Ways to Can Fruit

My method of choice is to pack raw, but there are varying opinions on this. I think it’s less messy, easier to pack the jars, and yields a firmer end result, which I prefer. 

  • Raw Pack Method – Raw pack simply means putting the fresh fruit in the jars and pouring the hot water and sugar mixture over the fruit.
  • Hot Pack Method – The hot pack method is when the fruit is actually cooked with the syrup before pouring it into the jars.

For the following recipe, I will be sharing my method using the raw pack method.

Canned apricots in a jar on a linen napkin.

Preparation for Canned Apricots

Rinse the apricots with cold water in preparation for canning. Peeling them is optional. If you decide to peel them, read my tutorial on how to can pears. I include a peeling method that works well for peaches, pears, and apricots in that post.

Cut the apricots in half, remove the pit, and place them in jars. The apricots and syrup will cook together in the jar when using the raw pack method.

Pro-Tip: Place the apricots into the jars with the cut side down. This allows you to fit more apricots into the jar.

Empty jars with lids stacked on a counter.

Equipment Needed

  • Canning Jars – This recipe will yield approximately four 1-quart jars of fruit. If you are doubling the recipe, sterilize and prepare jars for the amount of fruit you have.
  • Lids and Rings – You will need the same amount of lids and rings as jars.
  • Water Bath Canner – If you don’t have a water bath canner, check out this steam canner, it works like a water bath but is much easier to use.
  • Jar Lifter – A jar lifter is essential for safety when removing hot jars from the canner. This handy kit includes other useful tools as well.
  • Wooden Spoon – I prefer using wooden spoons for canning purposes.
  • Stainless Steel Pan – This is used for boiling the water and sugar to make the syrup.
  • Hot Pads – Old kitchen towels will work as well, but you’ll need something to handle the hot jars and keep from burning your hands.
  • Bubble Remover – A knife, chopstick, or ruler will work for this step as well.

Ingredients Needed

  • Apricots – 9 pounds of apricots is just about perfect to fill your jars. Be sure to use fresh fruit without damage (or cut the blemishes off while cleaning).
  • Water – You'll need 6 cups of water. Apricots can be canned with only water and no sugar, but if you're looking for that traditional taste of canned apricots, you'll want to at least use a light syrup… we all need a little sweetness, don’t we?
  • Sugar – I like to use 2 cups of sugar for a nice light syrup, but this can be adjusted to your taste following my free downloadable syrup chart for canning fruit.

Click here for my FREE fruit syrup canning chart.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Canned Apricots

  1. Prepare a hot water bath canner by filling it half way with warm water, placing rack inside, and setting on medium heat.
  2. Have jars washed and rinsed in hot soapy water. Wide-mouth jars are the easiest to pack your apricots into.
  3. In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar to a boil. After it comes to a boil, cover the pan, and turn off the burner since apricot canning goes so quickly.
  4. Place apricots in the jar, cut side down, and fill to within ½ inch of rim of jar. 
  5. Pour hot syrup over apricots again allowing ½ inch of headspace.
  6. Remove air bubbles by taking a chopstick, knife, or ruler and running it between the outside of the fruit and the inside of the jar. Re-check headspace and add more syrup if needed.
  7. Wipe down the rim of the jar with a clean cloth, place lid and band on, and tighten to fingertip tight.
  8. Place jars in the hot water bath canner. Carefully lower the filled jars into the water making sure the water level comes 1 inch above the top of the jars. Add more boiling water if necessary.
  9. Bring water to a boil and begin the processing time only after water has reached a full boil. Cover with the lid and process pints for 25 minutes and quarts for 30 minutes. Turn off the burner and remove the lid. Wait 5 minutes, remove jars from the canner with a jar lifter, and place on a folded towel. 
  10. Allow to cool for 12 to 24 hours undisturbed.
  11. Check seals, remove bands, wipe down jars to remove any sticky residue, and store for up to a year  in your pantry.

More Canning Posts You Might Enjoy

Canned apricots in a Mason jar.

How to Can Apricots- Easy Canned Apricots Recipe

Melissa Norris
This recipe for canning apricots uses a light syrup (or sauce) without loads of sugar to preserve fresh apricots and fill your pantry to enjoy all year.
3.90 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course fruit
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 219 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Water bath canner

Ingredients
  

  • 9 pounds apricots rinsed and halved, approximately 2 and 1/4 pounds per quart jar
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 cups sugar more or less to taste, see my syrup canning chart

Instructions
 

  • Prepare hot water bath canner by filling 1/2 way with warm water, placing rack inside, and setting on medium heat. (Have extra boiling water ready in case it's needed in step 8.
  • Have jars washed and rinsed in hot soapy water, wide mouth are the easiest to pack your apricots in.
  • In a large saucepan bring 6 cups water and 2 cups sugar to a boil. (Once boiling, I cover and turn it off since apricot canning goes so fast.)
  • Place apricots in the jar, cut side down and fill to a 1/2 inch headspace.
  • Pour hot syrup over apricots leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
  • Remove air bubbles by taking a bubble remover, chopstick, knife, or ruler and running it between the outside of the fruit and the inside of the jar. Re-check headspace and add more syrup if needed.
  • Wipe down the rim of the jar, place lid and band on, and tighten to fingertip tight.
  • Lower jars into the canner and make sure the water level comes 1 inch above the top of the jars. Add more boiling water if necessary.
  • Bring water to a boil and begin processing time only after the water has reached a full boil. Cover and process pint jars for 25 minutes and quart jars for 30 minutes. (If using hot pack method, pints are 20 minutes and quarts are 25 minutes).
  • Turn off burner and remove lid. Wait 5 minutes and, using a jar lifter, remove jars from the canner and place on a folded towel. Allow jars to cool for 12 to 24 hours undisturbed.
  • Check seals, remove bands, wipe down jars to remove any sticky residue, and store in your pantry!

Notes

  • Placing apricots cut side down allows more to fit into the jars.
  • It's normal to see extra space at the bottom of the jars once canning is complete. Because we're cold packing the apricots, they will release water and become smaller as they're canned. 
  • It's also normal for a little bit of the syrup to be siphoned out during the canning process. As long as your jars have a proper seal, the fruit is just fine! If more than 1/3 of the syrup is gone, allow that jar to cool to room temperature and place it in the refrigerator. Eat within a week.
  • To hot pack apricots – place prepared apricots and syrup in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Pack hot into jars and process in a water bath or steam canner and follow the instructions above. 
  • Nutrition facts include apricots and syrup. One serving is 1/4 of a quart jar, or approximately 1 cup (with syrup).

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 661mgFiber: 5gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 4914IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Canned Apricots, Canning Apricots, How to Can Apricots
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
how to can fresh apricots

Easy Blackberry Jam Recipe Low Sugar with Canning Instructions

by 38 Comments

This no-sugar blackberry jam recipe, that's low sugar and high on taste is something no home should be without. Especially when I share how you can make this without any sugar.

Yes, no added sugar, just one secret ingredient to replace all those white granules, and it can be grown on your homestead if you so desire. Am I the only one who gets excited about this stuff?

blackberry jam recipe

Blackberries signify the end of summer in our neck of the woods. It is definitely a bitter/sweet goodbye. We love them. LOVE them. They make the most incredible jam. Ever. Syrup? Oh yeah. Pie Filling? Winner! Even humbly flash frozen, they are a favorite.

And dumplings, oh yes, dumplings are not only for your chicken dishes, but they're also delightful with berries and you can use this 1940's recipe for Blueberry Dumplings  (swap out the blueberries for blackberries) better be happening at your house soon. It’s a sad day when the last of them go down. August is an eternity when you’re in December.

If you can get a hold of fresh-picked, summer-ending blackberries (I’d even make it with some good organic frozen berries too!) I encourage you to try this jam, you will not regret it.

Tip: Frozen berries that are thawed release their juice easier than fresh berries. Which is a plus during the busy hot harvest months. If you're pressed for time, freeze your berries until things calm down.

Melissa

The first time I heard of adding grape juice in place of all that white sugar in traditional summer jam recipes? I was, to say the least, pretty skeptical. However, I was willing to try, if it got rid of some of that sugar load!

Surprisingly, we noticed immediately how much more of the ‘fruit’ we tasted. (Amazing what happens when you don’t add a 5 lb bag of white sugar!) Now sometimes, I will toss in a 1/4 C of organic sugar here. It is totally optional, it just adds a hint of sweetness. If you prefer a more tart jam, leave this out. Either way– it is delicious. The best part, even if you don't have a ton of berries you can make this small batch of blackberry jam!

Resources 

Grab our FREE simply sweet custom Blackberry Jam Canning Labels for easy pantry shopping (our favorite kind of shopping) and quick gift giving!

Ever have a failed batch of jam or jelly? Nothing is more frustrating than having runny syrup when what you really want is a spreadable jam or jelly. Grab my free Jam & Jelly Troubleshooting Guide here  and learn my easy tips for a sure set… p.s. there's a bonus involved.

Blackberry Jam Recipe Low Sugar

After 24 hours, check seals, remove bands, wipe down the jars, label lids and put them on the pantry shelf. (You did grab our incredibly cute custom free jam labels, right?)

This jam is a very special treat! Beautiful on the shelf and a very appreciated gift! Capture a little summertime in a jar with this easy blackberry jam recipe!

Other Low Sugar Jam Recipes

Spicy Peach Jam Recipe Low Sugar and No Pectin

No Sugar Strawberry Jam Recipe

Apple Pie Jam Low Sugar Recipe

Strawberry Jam Recipe without Pectin and Low Sugar

Easy Blackberry Jam Recipe Low Sugar with Canning Instructions

MelissaKNorris
Easy blackberry jam recipe with no added sugar
3.87 from 15 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Appetizer, fruit
Cuisine American
Servings 2 pints

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Cups Freshly picked and washed berries or frozen and thawed
  • 1 box of No Sugar PectinNote from Melissa: the only store bought pectin I use is Pomona's Pectin, it's a natural pectin without added sugar or GMO ingredients and allows you to make no sugar added jams and jellies. You won't need to use the whole box when using Pomona's, just follow the instructions that come with it
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice if using sweet blackberries
  • 1 Cup Grape Juice from concentrate You can use any juice from concentrate you like for different flavor profiles

Instructions
 

  • Wash jars in hot soapy water, rinse right before filling with hot water. Prepare your water bath canner, place rack inside and fill with water so jars are completley covered by at 1 inch. Turn the heat to medium so water is 180 degrees F when you put jars filled with jam in the canner.
  • You’ll want to use a large stainless or enamelware pot for cooking up your jam, and put it on low heat. Add in your clean/washed berries, I slightly crush mine with a potato masher. Optional.
  • Turn heat up to medium. Dump in grape juice. If using Pomona's pectin, add 2 teaspoons calcium water and stir until combined.
  • Add powdered pectin (2 teaspoons pectin powder from Pomona's pectin) then use an immersion blender to make sure pectin is fully dissolved and mixed in with juice and berries. Bring to a boil.
  • Ladle the jam into jars to 1/4 inch headspace, remove air bubbles and add more jam if needed to stay at the 1/4 inch headspace, make sure jar rims are wiped clean, put lid in place, fasten the ring down and set in the canner rack. Repeat.
  • Bring water to a full boil in canner and then process for 15 minutes. When my timer goes off, I turn off the burner and remove the lid for 5 minutes or so. Then carefully (with a jar lifter) remove jars and set them on a towel to cool for 24 hours
  • After 24 hours, check seals, remove bands, wipe down the jars, label lids and put them on the pantry shelf.

Notes

*this will yield on average 2 pints (4 cups) of finished jam. 
Keyword blackberry jam recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Jar of blackberry jam sitting on a table with blackberries in the background. Text overlay says, "No Sugar Blackberry Jam"

How to Preserve Basil in Salt

by 53 Comments

Want the fresh taste of basil for months on end? Use 3 ways to preserve basil in salt in minutes. I can't believe how easy this is!

Learning how to preserve basil in salt isn't something I knew I needed to know how to do until now. Seriously, where has this been all my life? Fresh basil and savory tinted salt, all in one jar, all ready to marry up with my meats and sauces. 

I had no idea you could preserve basil in salt, bacon and ham, yes, fresh herbs, never thought about it. My culinary side met my homesteading side and I knew this was a match made in heaven. In heaven ya'll. Because my southern roots come out when I'm really excited.

Shelle graciously agreed to write us up a post on how to preserve fresh herbs in salt, not one way, but 3!! Yes, triple time coolest thing ever.

Resources for How to Preserve Basil

Kosher or Sea Salt

Wide-mouth Mason Jar

Fresh Basil

How to Preserve Fresh Basil in Salt

Salt has been used for centuries to dry and preserve foods. It pulls out the moisture from herb leaves and preserves the original flavor. Salt also inhibits the growth of microorganisms by drawing water out of microbial cells through osmosis. Concentrations of salt up to 20% are required to kill most species of unwanted bacteria.

This preservation method works best on certain moist and tender herbs that are hard to dry. Herbs like basil and cilantro, that either mold before they are dry, or that dry to a flavorless leaf that does not resemble the freshness you are looking for.

In all cases, start this project with freshly picked herbs that have been cleaned and thoroughly dried. Store your finished herbal mixture in a clean glass container with a tight fitting lid. When using, always use a fresh, clean spoon to reduce introducing contaminates into your herbed salt.

What kind of salt?

I recommend either sea salt or kosher salt, but canning & pickling salt will work too. These are considered food grade and are courser than regular table salt. Using table salt is acceptable, but it should not contain iodine, which will darken the herb leaves.

Here’s the best answer I could find from the Penn State Extension office:

“Table salt is used for baking, cooking and normal table use. However, it is not recommended for canning recipes because the calcium silicate may cause clouding or settle to the bottom of jar. Furthermore, the iodide may discolor some foods. Neither of these effects makes the food harmful to eat. However, the visual quality of the product is adversely affected.

Canning and pickling salts do not contain potassium iodide, dextrose or calcium silicate and thus can be used for cooking, baking, canning, pickling as well as for the table. Because anti-caking agents are not added, it may form lumps in humid weather or if exposed to moisture and should be stored in an air-tight container or re-sealable plastic bag. Kosher salt is usually pure salt and thus is also appropriate for pickling and canning. However, check the label to make sure it does not contain additives.”

http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/faq/canning-and-pickling-salt

3 Ways to Preserve Fresh Herbs in Salt

These three methods are so east you will never need to buy herbed salt again!

Preserve fresh herbs in layers of salt
Preserve fresh herbs in layers of salt

1. Alternating layers of fresh herb leaves and salt

This is by far the easiest method. In a clean glass jar add a layer of salt to cover the bottom. Add herb leaves in layers, alternating with the salt, until the container is full. Refrigerate.

The leaves will stay surprisingly fresh and flavorful for months. To use, just remove a leaf and brush off the salt. As an added bonus, the salt will become flavored over time and can be used in cooking too.

How to Preserve Basil: 4 Surefire Methods
Grind and dry method of preserving basil with salt
Grind and dry method of preserving basil with salt

2. Grind & Dry Method

Use a ratio of 1 part herbs to 4 parts salt for the grind and dry method. Clean and dry fresh herbs and chop them into small pieces until you have 1/4th of a cup. Place them in a blender or food processor and add 1 cup of salt. Process until they are completely incorporated.

Lay the mixture out on a baking sheet and cover with a cloth, keeping it out of direct sunlight. After a day, place the mixture into a clean glass jar and cap tightly. Keep in the refrigerator until needed. It will last for one year.

How to Preserve Homegrown Herbs with Sea Salt: In the Pantry
chop and stir method
chop and stir method

3. Chop & Stir Method

Use a ratio of 4 parts herbs to 1 part salt for the chop and stir method. Clean and dry fresh herbs and chop them into small pieces. You can add them to a food processor, coffee grinder, or glass bowl.

Add one part salt to the herbs, pulsing in the food processor for about 30 seconds. This will create a distinctly herb smelling salt that will take on the color of your herb. It is the most fragrant of the herbed salts we are making today.

Store your mix in the refrigerator and remove as needed. It will last for at least 6 months.

http://foodpreservation.about.com/od/Salting/r/Cilantro-coriander-Salt-Recipe.htm

Which herbs work well for this method?

You can use it anywhere you would use herbs and salt, just replace the amount of salt required in the recipe. Consider using it in spaghetti sauce, stuffed fish, soup, savory baking, bread or rubs. Luckily, there are no hard and fast rules so experiment with your own herbal salt blends and enjoy!

PreparednessMama is Shelle Wells – busy mom, wife, preparedness enthusiast and blogger. She gave up her (boring) bookkeeping job for something better. She likes family history (when she has the time), action movies (which she should give up for family history), canning, preserving food, and gardening- she dreams about growing things!

Shelle recently traded her garden in the Pacific Northwest for one in Central Texas, where she's learning a whole new way of gardening. Find her gardening and canning adventures over at www.PreparednessMama.com

8 Tips to Keep Sane when Preserving the Bounty

by 8 Comments

Of all the things we do on our homestead, preserving the harvest is one of the most crucial parts to our self-sustainability and old-fashioned pioneer roots. It's also one of the ways we keep our food bill down. In the long run, it keeps our health bills down, too, because the food we put up at home is done at the peak of freshness and when grown by us, heirloom and organically.

8 tips to keep sane when preserving the bounty. During peak canning season I always feel behind, these are some great tips to remember. Plus, the food saver and canner giveaway would be awesome to win.

You might say I'm a little bit in love with preserving food at home. And my husband is totally okay with my other “love”. In fact, he encourages and even helps… yea, he's pretty awesome that way.

[Read more…]

Pioneering Today-Blueberry Basil Thyme Vinegar Recipe

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Blueberry Basil Thyme Vinegar www.MelissaKNorris.com Pioneering Today

Our blueberry bushes our producing wonderfully this year. In fact, it's our biggest crop yet. I love to eat blueberries straight from the bush, when they burst with sweet goodness, warmed from the sun, there's nothing better. We freeze them to use in homemade pancakes, waffles, muffins, pies, and cakes all year long.

But I've now discovered even another use for these wonderful power house, anti-oxidant packed berries. Plus, I get to use some of our fresh herbs.

[Read more…]

How to Make Apple Butter- Easy Canning Instructions

by 41 Comments

Learn how to make apple butter like the pioneers of old… because can one get much more old-fashioned than jars of thick apple creaminess? I love the twist on this recipe to use apple cider in place of water for an even more apply experience.

How to make apple butter, easy canning instructions for old fashioned apple butter

Don't you love it when  you meet someone new and have an instant connection? That's how I felt when I first met Appalachian author Joanne Bischof and now here she is on my blog showing you how to make apple butter!

I was thrilled when she offered to share her tutorial and recipe, because everyone needs a quick and easy apple butter, but apple butter recipes for canning are where it's at! I know you'll adore Joanne as much as I do.

In her words:

As an author of Appalachian romance, I love doing research. But what’s even more fun than the research, are the hands-on activities that harken back to the early 1900’s, the days of my characters. I’m a country girl at heart but am still new to the world of simple living, so when I started blogging about two years ago, I decided to start a thread called the “Adventures of Country Living.” I really wanted to embrace the spirit that we don’t have to be an expert at something to give it a try.

It’s all about having fun and learning something new, right? Plus, embracing the pioneer spirit brings us closer to one another and closer to our own two hands resulting with that “I can’t believe I did it!” victory dance. Yes, I victory dance when projects turn out well.

One of those projects that I’ve been skirting around for a while is canning. I met Melissa and instantly fell in love with her pioneering ways and encouraging spirit, plus her tutorials are awesome! I tried her apple pie filling tutorial and it was fabulous. I still had ton of apples, and when she encouraged me to give canning a try, I did!

I called up my neighbor who had all the canning supplies and my mother-in-law had some cases of jars she wanted to use up, so…I was officially out of excuses. I made a few changes to the recipe, like cutting the sugar and using apple cider to replace some of the water and it turned out delicious. I’d love to share how to make apple butter from scratch with you today!

Old Fashioned Apple Butter Recipe (This made about 8 pints):

8 pounds of apples (about 32 medium)
4 cups of sugar (or more as needed, up to 8 cups)
2 cups liquid, water or apple cider
2 cups apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
4 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves

Wash apples, core, peel and quarter (or you can leave them whole and simply use a food mill). Combine apples with 4 cups of liquid, sugar, cinnamon and cloves (water or cider—the more cider ratio you use, the more apple-y it will be!) Simmer until apples are soft, then mash or puree to desired consistency. (I used a potato masher and wished I had a food mill to get it a little more fine.)

Continue to heat apple mixture on low, stirring frequently, until it thickens to desired consistency (I allowed mine to thicken for about an hour, though it could have gone a little longer). As it turns into apple butter, it will become darker and rich.

During this time, I had washed the jars, rings and lids in the dishwasher and everything was keeping warm. The canning kettle was filled to the right level and the water had begun to boil. I set the lids to heat on the stove in a little water and got all set up to begin the canning process.

Ladle hot apple butter into the hot jars (half pints or pints), leaving ¼ inch of head space, wipe the jar mouths with a clean, damp rag and gently screw the lids on.

Process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Remove lid from canner and let sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars onto a towel and allow to cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals and move to your pantry shelves to enjoy all year long.

Note: if 1,000 feet above sea level process the jars for an extra ten minutes, 20 minutes total.

Let me just say, that pulling the jars out of the canner and hearing the lids pop into place filled this newbie with a sense of joy. I might have started doing the happy dance right then and there! We popped open a can the following day and spread it on our favorite pancakes and it was amazing. The kids loved it and my husband who adores all things apple was in heaven. So much that we started on our second jar before breakfast was even over.
***


About Joanne:
Married to her first sweetheart, Joanne lives in the mountains of Southern California where she keeps busy making messes with their home schooled children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, writing, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life. The first book in her Appalachian Romance series, Be Still My Soul, released this October.

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Be Still My Soul is one of the best books I've ever read. Yep, you read that right. One of the best.

I expected to like this book due to the setting. Raised in the mountains, I was excited to read this novel. Joanne blew me away from the first page. I instantly felt tied to Lonnie. Her pain was mine to the degree my throat ached with tears. This is not your average shot-gun wedding novel. The characters are excellent, the story complex, and the emotion high, with the whisper of God tugging at your soul.

What's your favorite way to preserve apples? What's the best book you've read this year?

How to Make Apple Butter- Easy Canning Instructions

MelissaKNorris
Easy apple butter recipe
4 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Servings 8 pints

Ingredients
  

  • 8 pounds of apples about 32 medium
  • 4 cups of sugar or more as needed, up to 8 cups
  • 2 cups of liquid water or cider
  • 2 cups vinegar 5% acidity
  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cloves

Instructions
 

  • Wash apples, core, peel and quarter (or you can leave them whole and simply use a food mill). Combine apples with water (or cider if using), vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and cloves (water or cider—the more cider ratio you use, the more apple-y it will be!) Simmer until apples are soft, then mash or puree to desired consistency. (I used a potato masher and wished I had a food mill to get it a little more fine.)
  • Continue to heat apple mixture on low, stirring frequently, until it thickens to desired consistency (I allowed mine to thicken for about an hour, though it could have gone a little longer). As it turns into apple butter, it will become darker and rich.
  • During this time, I had washed the jars, rings and lids in the dishwasher and everything was keeping warm. The canning kettle was filled to the right level and the water had begun to boil. I set the lids to heat on the stove in a little water and got all set up to begin the canning process.
  • Ladle hot apple butter into the hot jars (half pints or pints), leaving ¼ inch of head space, wipe the jar mouths with a clean, damp rag and gently screw the lids on.
  • Process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Remove lid from canner and let sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars onto a towel and allow to cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals and move to your pantry shelves to enjoy all year long.
  • Note: if 1,000 feet above sea level process the jars for an extra ten minutes, 20 minutes total.
Keyword apple butter canning recipe, how to make apple butter
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Now that you  know how to make apple butter, what's one of your favorite things to eat it on?