Citrus Marmalade

• 1 ½ cups thinly sliced grapefruit (about 1)
• ½ cup thinly sliced orange peel
• 1 ½ cups chopped grapefruit pulp (about 1)
• ¾ cup chopped orange pulp (1 medium)
• ½ cup thinly sliced lemon (about 1 medium)
• 1 ½ quarts water (times 3)
• 6 ½ cups sugar

Boil water and fruit peels 5 minutes; drain. Repeat. To drained peel, add fruit pulp, lemon and 1 ½ quarts water; boil 5 minutes. Cover and let stand 12 – 18 hours in cool place. Bring to boiling and cook rapidly until peel is tender, about 35 – 40 minutes. Measure fruit and liquid; add 1 cup sugar for each cup of fruit mixture. Bring slowly to boiling, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to jellying point (about 30 minutes), stirring frequently. Pour boiling hot into jars; tighten lids. Yield: 2 ½ pints.

Orange Marmalade

1 Qt. orange peel, thinly sliced (about 6 large oranges)
1 Qt. orange pulp, cut up
1 Cup thinly sliced lemon (about 2 medium)
1 ½ Qts. Water
6 Cups sugar
Add water to fruit and simmer 5 minutes. Cover and let stand 12 – 18 hours in a cool place.  Cook rapidly until peel is tender, about 1 hour. Measure fruit and liquid.  Add 1 cup sugar for each cup of fruit mixture.  Bring slowly to boiling, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Cook rapidly to jellying point, about 25 minutes.  As mixture thickens, stir occasionally to prevent sticking.  Pour, boiling hot, into sterilized jars; tighten lids. Yield: about 3.5 pints.

(See how to test marmalade/jelly points)

How to Make Marmalade

Belize has an abundance of fruit which can be preserved as marmalade. Marmalades are soft fruit jellies containing small pieces of fruit or peel evenly suspended in the transparent jelly.  They should be cooked in small batches, and after the sugar is added, cooked rapidly (for a bright and sparkling finished product) to the jellying point (see illustration below). In preparing the citrus fruit for marmalades, part of the white “rind” should be cooked; it contains most of the pectin found in oranges, lemons and grapefruit.

TESTS FOR JELLY POINTS / SHEET TEST

Jelly drops first are light and syrupy	Then they become heavier and show signs of sheeting	When jelly point is reached, the jelly breaks from spoon in a sheet or flake

Drop a cool metal spoon into the boiling jelly mixture. When 2 drops form together and sheet off the spoon, then the jelly should be done.

Look in the index for individual recipes for specific fruit and combinations of fruit.

Pickled Garlic

(Yield 3 pints)

6 cups peeled garlic cloves (about 12 large bulbs)

3 cups vinegar (5% acidity: check label)

1 tsp pickling salt

1 cup sugar

Heat vinegar, salt and sugar in stainless steel or ceramic lined pot over medium heat until boiling. Add garlic; boil for 1 minute; remove from heat.

Pack hot garlic into pint jars, leaving ¾ inch head space. Ladle in hot brine to cover.  Tighten lids. Process 10 minutes (after water returns to boiling). Turn off heat; let stand 5 minutes; use tongs to remove jars without tilting and place on towel to cool overnight.

Sometimes the sulfur in the garlic reacts with dissolved minerals in the water to turn the garlic a vibrant blue color.  This looks odd but is harmless and goes away over time.

Plums

Plums are usually scalded and canned unpeeled. Prick plums with a needle. (Pricking does not prevent skins from cracking but it does prevent the fruit from bursting.) Make medium or heavy syrup. (See entry for making syrup.) Wash and drain plums. Heat syrup to boiling. Add plums (not more than 2 layers in the pan). Remove pan from heat 2 minutes after adding fruit. Cover Let stand 20 – 30 minutes. Pack plums into hot jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Reheat syrup to boiling. Pour over plums, leaving ½ inch head space. Tighten lids. Process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes in boiling water bath.

These berries grow wild on the Pine Ridge and can be grown in your orchard. They can be canned in water or syrup but the method here is for using them in muffins, etc. later.
Put 2 or 3 quarts of clean berries in a square cheesecloth.  Hold corners of the cloth and dip them into boiling water until spots appear on the cloth. Dip into cold water. Pack into hot jars leaving ½ inch head space. Do not add sugar or liquid. Tighten caps; process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

Stewed Tomatoes

4 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 Tblsp. sugar
2 teasp. Salt
 
Combine all ingredients; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Pour, hot, into jars, leaving ½ inch head space.  Adjust lids, Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure.

2 lbs. mangos

1 ½ cup sugar (reduce sugar if mangos are very ripe)

¾ cup water

3 saffron threads (optional)

Cook mangos until soft, then mash. Cook sugar and water to make a syrup (270° - until soft threads form). Stir in pulp and saffron; cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.) Pour/ladle boiling hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars; tighten lids. (No need to process in canner)

Wash greens (any wild greens) thoroughly through several changes of water.  Discard large, tough stems.  Heat greens until wilted in just enough water to prevent sticking.  To hasten wilting and prevent over-cooking, turn greens over when steam begins to rise around the edges of the pan.  Cut through greens several times with a sharp knife before packing. Pack, hot into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space. Add 1 tsp. salt per quart. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1 inch head space.  Tighten lids. Process pints 1 hour and 10 minutes; quarts, 1 hour and 30 minutes under 10 pound pressure.

Eggplant

Wash, pare, slice or cube eggplant.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.  Cover with cool water.  Let stand 45 minutes. Drain. Boil 5 minutes. Drain. Pack, hot, into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space.  Cover with boiling water, leaving 1 inch head space.  Tighten lids. Process pints 30 minutes, quarts 40 minutes, at 10 pounds pressure.  Canned eggplant is usually dark in color.

Dry pack Use freshly dug potatoes of uniform size and color.  Wash; boil or steam slowly until skins can be rubbed off (Do not stick with fork.) Pack, hot, into jars, leaving 1 inch head space.  Pack tightly, pressing to fill spaces. Do no add liquid. Tighten caps. Process pints 1 hour and 5 minutes, quarts 1 hour and 35 minutes at 10 pound pressure.

Wet pack: Use freshly dug potatoes of uniform size and color.  Wash; boil or steam slowly until skins can be rubbed off (Do not stick with fork.) Pack, hot, into jars, leaving 1 inch head space.  Pack tightly, pressing to fill spaces. Cover with boiling water or medium or light syrup (see web site tab for making syrup) leaving 1 inch head space.  Tighten caps. Process pints 55 minutes, quarts 1 hour and 30 minutes at 10 pound pressure.

Potatoes (White or Irish)

Wash and scrape freshly dug potatoes. Wash again. Boil 10 minutes. drain. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space. Add 1 tsp salt to each quart. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1 inch head space. Tighten caps. Process pints 30 minutes, quarts 40 minutes at 10 lbs pressure.

Soy Beans

Use green soy beans. Wash, drain and shell tender young beans. Wash again.
Hot Pack: Boil 3 minutes. Pack, hot, into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Add ½ tsp. salt to each pint, 1 tsp salt to each quart.  Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch head space. Tighten caps; process pints 55 minutes, quarts, 65 minutes at 10-pound pressure.
Cold or Raw Pack:  Pack loosely into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space.  Do not press or shake down. Add ½ tsp. salt to each pint, 1 tsp. salt to each quart. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch head space. Tighten caps; process pints 55 minutes, quarts, 65 minutes at 10-pound pressure.

Bell Peppers

Wash and drain sweet bell peppers: green, yellow, or red. Remove seeds and stems. Boil 3 minutes. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space.  Add 1 Tablespoon vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt to each pint. (2 Tbls. vinegar, 1 tsp. salt per quart). If needed, add boiling water to cover, leaving 1-inch head space. Adjust lids. Process pints 35 minutes; quarts 40 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. Remove jars from canning pan, cool on a folded towel, and leave them for 24 hours before storing them on the shelf.

Canning Without a Canner - Mayan Style

The basic instructions for canning that were presented during a POB Zoom presentation and stored on the web site are for cooks who own a canner.  If you do not own a canner you can still can - the way the Maya do.  Although they cook outdoors over an open fire you can use your stove top.  Here’s how to do it: Use a kettle big enough to accommodate your canning jars plus 1 inch of water.  When your jars are ready for processing (lids tightened), wrap each one in a towel (or other thick cloth) and tie it securely so the jars do not touch during boiling (or they might crack/break), and put them into the pan. Then fill the pan with water and start the process timing after the water is boiling.

Blackberry Jam

What are known locally as blackberries look like bing cherries on the tree; they have one big seed.  To make jam from these berries cut the berry pulp from the seed.

Cover 4 cups berry pulp with water and cook with 4 or 5 pineapple tidbits (cut from one slice of pineapple) for 45 minutes.  Cool enough to pour into blender; blend. Pour blended berry juice through a sieve. Mix ¼ cup Sure Jell into 2 cups sugar and add to berry juice.  Boil about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into hot jars; tighten lids.
 

If you want clear jelly skip the blending and pour the cooked berries through a sieve and continue. (Use 1 Tbls Sure Jell per cup of juice.)

Process pints for 10 minutes.

Blackberry Syrup

What are known locally as blackberries look like bing cherries on the tree; they have one big seed.  To make syrup from these berries cut the berry pulp from the seed.

Cover 4 cups berry pulp with water and cook with 4 or 5 pineapple tidbits (cut from one slice of pineapple) for 45 minutes.  Cool enough to pour into blender; blend. Pour blended berry juice through a sieve. Add 2 cups sugar, 1 tsp. zanthum gum and 1 Tblsp. tapioca starch. Cook until thick, stirring occasionally. Pour into hot jars; tighten lids. Use on ice cream, yogurt, pancakes or cake.

Gumbo Limbo Tea

Gumbo Limbo is an antidote for the painful allergic rash resulting from contact with a black poison wood tree. Rash can develop from contact with the tree at any stage of its growth – seedling that looks like a weed to pick to the full grown tree. The bark of the gumbo limbo tree, which usually grows in close proximity to the poison wood tree, is the antidote for the allergic rash. Pick off the bark from a gumbo limbo tree and rub the inside of the bark directly to the skin as soon as possible after coming into contact with poison wood.  You can also make tea and apply it liberally on the skin for relief and healing, or can it to have it on hand for emergency use.  To make the tea pick a piece of bark about 5 inches wide and 10 inches long and break it into pieces that fit into a 10-cup pan.  Boil the bark in 10 cups of water about 15 – 20 minutes. Cool the tea if you are going to use it immediately. If you want to can it, pour the boiling hot tea into hot jars, tighten lids to seal them and let the jars stand for 24 hours before storing on the shelf. Shelf life is the same as other canned goods: years!

                                          Grapefruit Juice

Wash fresh, tree-ripened grapefruit. Extract and strain juice. Add sugar to taste. Heat to 165˚ F (73.8˚ C). Pour hot, into hot jars leaving ½ inch head space. Put on the flat jar lid (that has been dipped in boiling water to sterilize it) and tighten the ring. Process pints and quarts 30 minutes in boiling water bath.

 

Tomato Juice

Wash and drain firm, fresh, red-ripened tomatoes. (One small decayed spot can cause the whole batch to spoil.) Remove core and blossom ends. Leave tomatoes whole and blend in a blender or cut up and cook slowly (simmer) until soft, stirring often. Strain juice (if you don’t like seeds - and pulp, if you blended them). Juice should be hot but not boiling (approx. 165˚ F (73.8˚ C)). Pour hot, into hot jars leaving ½ inch head space. Add 1 tsp. salt per quart (and 1 tsp sugar to make it not so tart if you like it that way). Put on the flat jar lid (that has been dipped in boiling water to sterilize it) and tighten the ring. Process pints 10 minutes and quarts 15 minutes in boiling water bath.

Use fresh, firm mangoes. Peel and cut into wedges, then drop them into salt vinegar water if you want to preserve their bright color. (2 tblsp.each to a gallon of water.) Rinse them thoroughly and pack them into hot canning jars. Fill the jar with pre-boiled syrup (1 and1/2 Cup water and 1/4 cup sugar per quart), leaving 1/2 inch head space. Put on the flat jar lid (that has been dipped in boiling water to sterilize it) and tighten the ring. Process pints 25 minutes, quarts 35 minutes in boiling water bath.

Use freshly gathered corn. The kernals should  be     plump, shiny and filled with milk. Can as quickly as possible after gathering. Handle in small quantities. Lose no time between preparing, packing, and processing.

Husk corn, remove silk, wash. Cut corn from cob. Do not scrape. Measure. Add 1 tsp salt and 2 cups boiling water to each qt of corn. Boil 3 minutes. Pack, boiling hot into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process pints 55  minutes, quarts 1 hour.                 

Beets

Wash deep red beets.
Leave 2 inches of stems and the tab roots. 
Boil until skins can be easily slipped off.
Remove skins, trim beets; leave whole, slice or dice.
Pack into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space. 
Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart.
Cover with boiling water, l inch head space. 
Put on caps and tighten.
Process pints 30 minutes, quarts 25 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

Celery

• Wash and cut celery into 2 inch pieces.  Boil 3 minutes. Pack, hot, into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space.  Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart.  Cover with boiling water, leaving 1 inch head space. Put on caps and tighten them. Process pints 30 minutes, quarts 35 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

Hot Pack...Wash and scrape carrots. Wash again. Slice, dice or leave whole. Boil 3 minutes. Pack, hot into hot Ball jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Add i teaspoon salt to each quart. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch head space. Adjust caps. Process [ints 25 minutes, quarts 30 minutes, at 10 pounds pressure.

Cold or Raw Pack... Wash and scrape carrots. Wash again. Slice, dice or leave whole. Pack tightly into hot Ball jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch head space. Adjust caps. Process pints 25 minutes, quarts 30 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

Green Beans

Hot Pack: Wash, drain, cut ends and pull strings from seams and cut into 2 inch pieces. Boil 3 minutes. Pack, hot, into hot canning jars, leaving 1 inch head space.  Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart. Pour boiling water into jars leaving 1 inch head space. Adjust caps. Put jars into canner and cover with boiling water making sure the jars are completely submerged. Process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure if using pressure canner. Note: if beans are not young and tender then add 15 and 20 minutes longer for pints, quarts, respectively.

Cold or Raw Pack: Wash, drain, cut ends and pull strings from seams and cut into 2 inch pieces.  Pack tightly into hot canning jars, leaving 1 inch head space.  Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process pints 20 minutes,  quarts 25 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure if using pressure canner.

Tomatoes

Use fresh, firm, red-ripe tomatoes which are free of decayed spots, weather cracks and fungus growths.  Wash tomatoes clean before scalding. Scald tomatoes in boiling water that covers them. Scald until the skins loosen; then scoop them out and dip into cold water so you can handle them to cut out the core and peel them. (The skin should slip off easily.) As you finish each tomato put it into a hot canning jar and fill the jar, leaving ½ inch head space. Add 1 tsp salt per quart. Put on the flat jar lid (that has been dipped in boiling water to sterilize it) and tighten the ring. Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

Wash, scald, peel and core tomatoes. Cook until soft. Press through fine sieve. Cook until thick; stir frequently to prevent sticking. If permitted in diet, 1 teaspoon each of salt and sugar may be added to each quart puree. Pour. hot, into hot Ball jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process half pints and pints 30 minutes in boiling-water bath.

Tomato Puree - Seasoned
4 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (about 2 dozen large)
3 cups chopped onion
2 cups sliced carrots (about 4 medium)
2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped green peppers (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon salt

Combine all ingredients; cook until tender. Press through fine sieve. Cook pulp until thick, about 1 1/2 hrs. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour, hot, into Ball jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process half-pints and pints 45 minutes in boiling-water bath. Yield: about 9 half pints

• 4 pounds cucumbers, sliced
• 8 small onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup canning salt
• 5 cups sugar
• 4 cups white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mustard seed
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

• In a large container, combine the cucumbers, onions and salt. Cover with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand for 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain again.
• In a Dutch oven, combine the sugar, vinegar and seasonings; bring to a boil. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Make light syrup.

Wash, peel and cut guavas into halves.

Remove seeds.

Heat syrup to boiling.

Pour over fruit; let stand 30 minutes.

Pack fruit into hot ball jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.

Adjust caps.

Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes, in boiling-water bath.

Canning Grapefruit

2 to 2 1/2 lbs. grapefruit per quart

Sugar

Water

PREPARATION:

• Wash and drain grapefruit.
• Peel grapefruit, cutting deep enough to remove the white pith.
• Cut the membrane away from the pulp for each section.
• Carefully lift out the pulp without breaking the cell structure.
• Discard the seeds.
• Make a light syrup; keep the syrup hot.
• Pack grapefruit into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
• Process pints and quarts 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Canning  Pineapple

3 lbs. pineapple per quart

Water

Sugar

PREPARATION:

• Scrub pineapple; drain.
• Peel and core pineapple.
• Cut into 1/2 inch slices.
• Pineapple may also be cut lengthwise into wedges or 1 inch chunks.
• Make a light syrup.
• Simmer pineapple in syrup until it is tender.
• Pack hot pineapple into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
• Ladle hot syrup over pineapple leaving 1/2 inch head space
• Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes in a boiling water canner.

• Fruits - Syrup (5 cups -> 3-4 qts. fruit
• Heat only until sugar melts

• (Medium with honey: 1 cup honey to 4 cups water)
• (Light with panela: 1 cup panela to 5 cups water -- used with mangoes)
• For 3 pts. pineapple, 1 pt. grapefruit: 3 cups water, 1 3/4 Tblsp. xylitol, 2 grams vitamin C
  

2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon whole allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cinnamon
3 1/2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
2 quarts peeled, cooked small beets

To cook beets...wash and drain beets. Leave 2 inches of stems and the tap roots. Cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Combine all ingredients, except beets; simmer 15 minutes. Pack beets into hot Ball jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. (Cut larger beets in half. if necessary.) Remove cinnimon. Bring liquid to boiling. Pour. boiling hot over beets, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process pints and quarts 30 minutes in boiling-water bath. Yield: about 6 pints.

Use young, tender okra. If to be added to soup, it should be sliced; otherwise can pods whole. Wash and drain okra. Remove stem and blossom ends without cutting into pod. Boil 2 minutes. Pack, hot, into hot Ball jars, leaving 1 inch head space. Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart. If needed, add boiling water to cover, leaving 1 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process pints 25 minutes, quarts 40 minutes, at 10 pounds pressure.