Canning Nectarines

As the harvest picks up more and more produce can be saved by canning, and drying.

One of my favorite fruits is the Nectarine. It is much like a peach with no fuzz.

I love to eat them fresh but there are too many to eat before they go bad.

So I picked a few boxes of them to can. For canning the fruit needs to still be firm. If it is soft and juicy they will turn to mush in the bottle. I like my canned fruit still firm when I open it.

Wash the fruit is clean cold water.

Then slice them open and remove the seed.

Then pack them into freshly washed bottles. I like to use pints. You can use any size you think will do the job.

Then make you syrup by adding 3 and 1/2 cups white sugar to 5 cups water. This is a medium syrup if you want a heave syrup add 5 cups sugar to 5 cups water. alight syrup is 2 and 1/4 cups sugar to 5 cups 

When the sugar is dissolved fore the syrup over the fruit in the bottles. Bring the fluid level up to the neck. so you have about 1/2 inch left for head space.

Then wipe the rim of the jar clean.

Place a lid on top of the jar.

Then put a ring on the jar. 

Tighten the ring only till it stops. Do not over tighten the ring. The steam from your cooking fruit needs to escape. If it can not escape your jar may crack or explode.

This time I am using a steam canner. 

There is no hard documented evidence as to how long to keep the jars in the canner. I load them into the canner. Then when the steam comes out the vent whole and makes a jet about 10 inches long I start my timer. I keep them in for 20 min, about the same for when I use a water canner. I recommend you use caution when using a steam canner. There is a lot of controversy as to the safety. I do not know anyone who has had a problem with the steam canner. Guess there is always a first time. If you are just starting in canning and going to buy equipment use a water canner and follow the directions there.

After 20 min I take the jars of fruit out and place them on the counter to cool. I keep about 1 inch between the jars so air can move around them and help them cool. When you hear the popping sound as the lid seals you know they are done. Be sure to check each lid to be sure it is sealed. If the lip springs back up when you press on it it is not sealed. 

Then put the date on the lid so you know how old the fruit is when you go to get it this winter to eat.

The fruit will be best to eat after it has had 2 to 3 weeks to set. Then the flavor is consistent and the texture is best. They can stay good for several years. I try to eat what I put in jars that year or the next year. As the fruit ages it will change to a less appealing color and may get very soft.