Wide Mouth Canning Jars

Yes, you can: Jams and preserves are easy to make when they're meant for the ...

The pantry in my grandmother's tiny kitchen was a favorite place for me to visit in the wintertime; it always meant I would be putting my hands on something she'd created in the summer. I can close my eyes now, decades later, and still see the arrangement of canned goods she put up. Big quarts of pickles and beans and corn relish took up a lot of room, but her sweet tooth made sure there was even more space for rows of strawberry and peach jams, grape jelly and berry preserves.

During the summer she would stand for hours next to the stove arranging jars in the water bath, setting the timer, then going back out to the enclosed porch where we had room to sort the fruit. I would go home with my fingers stained red and purple.

As an adult, I tried my hand at canning using a water bath, but found that it just took too much time and heated up my kitchen. I stopped putting up food for a long time because of that. Then, I rediscovered it using the freezer instead. I don't do all that my grandmother did, but jams and preserves last so well in the refrigerator and freezer that now I look forward every summer to creating sparkling jars of the fruit concoctions.

One of the great things about freezing is that you don't need any special equipment-- a good-sized soup pot, jars and a wide-mouth funnel are about it.

Pint and half-pint jars are best to use because some fruit jams and preserves don't set up well in large containers. You'll find canning jars in Big Lots, Rural King and Walmart, as well as places like dollar stores and supermarkets.

One note: I've found that any jam or preserve recipe meant to be processed through a water bath can just as easily be frozen instead. I have no experience with jellies, though, so the recipes here exclude them.

I'm including the water-bath method for cooks who prefer it, where it applies. No matter which method you use, if you need more information, I highly recommend you go to www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm, an excellent source with easy-to-understand advice and tips on picking, canning and freezing. Or, www.freshpreserving.com/home.aspx, the Ball Blue Book website with recipes, glossary, product guide, advice and more.

Peach Raspberry Jam

2 cups seedless raspberry puree (from about 4 to 4 1/2 cups raspberries)

2 cups finely chopped peaches

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Fruit Fresh or ascorbic acid

1 box (1.

Ball Wide Mouth Can-or-Freeze Canning Jar 1 Pt., Case of 12 | http ...

Ball Wide Mouth Can-or-Freeze Canning Jar 1 Pt., Case of 12 - Product Description

These jars have an embossed fruit design and are ready to hold your delicious home made preserves. There are convenient measurement marks on the side of the jars to help you out with appropriate filling.

(12) 1 Pt.

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