Some may argue that it takes longer to pressure can fruits, and that, by doing so, you render them mushy and much more muted in color. The misconception is that you must process fruits at the same pressure and time as you would vegetables.
We have been conditioned to think that everything must be processed at 10 PSI. I can understand why many would fear the outcome if they exposed fruit to 240°F for any length of time. I certainly don’t want my peaches to look like orange mashed potatoes. Gross!
Thankfully, pressure canners offer other temperature ranges. At 5 PSI, we are only increasing the temperature to 227°F, which is 15°F above boiling water temperature. It is hot enough to kill harmful bacteria in acidic foods and allows us to decrease the processing time of high acid foods.
This is huge win for those of us who want to retain as much nutritional value as possible in our home-canned foods. In the end, because we are exposing fruit to heat for less time, we retain nutrients and essential vitamins that are typically lost due to excessive heat exposure.
Doesn’t it take longer to pressure can fruits?
Not necessarily. Let’s take peaches, for example. It takes 30 minutes to process raw-packed peaches in a water bath at 212°F. On the other hand, it takes only 10 minutes to process raw-packed peaches in a pressure canner at 227°F.
Let’s break it down…
START-UP TIME
When using a water bath, we must cover the filled jars with 2 inches of water because we rely on the temperature of the water to kill harmful bacteria within the food. It takes upwards of 25 to 30 minutes to get a canner full of quarts covered in 2 inches of water to a full rolling boil.
When using a pressure canner, it takes less than 10 minutes to get 3 quarts of water to boil, and then 10 minutes to vent. At start-up, we have already saved more than 10 minutes using a pressure canner.
PROCESSING TIME
To safely process peaches in a water bath, we must keep them at a full rolling boil for 30 minutes. In a pressure canner, we can reduce the processing time to 10 minutes. We have now cut processing time down by 20 minutes.
COOL DOWN TIME
Once a water bath is complete, we shut off the burner and let the canner rest for 5 to 10 minutes to avoid interrupting the vacuum process and to allow the foods to calm down and contract.
When processing fruit in a pressure canner, we must let the pressure return to 0 PSI, which takes 10 to 15 minutes, and then another 5 minutes to let the food rest before removing the jars from the canner. In this step, we credit saving time to the water bather and lose roughly 10 minutes when pressure canning.
OVERALL TIME SAVINGS
In total, when you add the start-up and processing time savings and subtract the time lost in cool down, you ultimately save 10 minutes using a pressure canner. Further, by processing peaches for 20 minutes less, we maintain the integrity of the peach and lose less nutrients by decreasing processing time by 30 percent.
WHY I PRESSURE CAN FRUITS
Here are reasons why I choose to use a pressure canner over a water bather to preserve fruit in jars:
- It takes less time to heat 3 quarts of water in a pressure canner and vent for 10 minutes than it does to bring a water bather full of quart jars covered in 2 inches of water.
- I can double-stack my pints, yielding 16 to 18 pints in one pressure canner versus only fitting 8 to 9 pints in a water bather.
- I am exposing my fruit to a slightly higher temperature for less time, therefore retaining more nutrients in my food.
- I made the financial investment when purchasing a pressure canner, I might as well use it and get my money’s worth!
Now that’s not to say I pressure can everything, because the reality is we will always have two methods of processing. Here are instances when a water bather is preferable:
- Strawberries, for instance, can barely handle 212°F let alone higher heat without turning brown and mushy.
- Fermented and pickled foods do not handle 212°F well and stay crisp longer when pasteurized at 180°F to 185°F for 30 minutes.
- If processing time only differs slightly between the two appliances, I will likely choose the path of least resistance and water bathe.
Preparing Fruit for Pressure Canning
Regardless of the type of fruits you are preserving, always select the highest-quality, being sure not to use overripened, damaged, diseased, moldy, or bruised fruit. All fruits should be washed and rinsed before prepping. Make your own cleaning solution by mixing 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and 1 gallon of water; this will kill bacteria and mold, especially on soft-skinned fruits like peaches.
CITRIC ACID BATH
The same enzymes that cause fruits to ripen also cause them to brown after they are cut and peeled. To keep your fruit from turning brown during preparation, create a citric acid bath, using ½ cup of bottled lemon juice for every 8 cups of water. Set a bowl of this solution next to your cutting board and drop in the fruit pieces as soon as they are peeled and chopped according to the recipe instructions.
When you’re ready to pack the jars, simply strain the fruit in a colander and shake off the excess citric acid water, then pack into jars according to the recipe. There is no need to rinse the fruit again, as the minute amount of lemon juice will not be detected in the finished product.
BLANCHING AND PEELING
Many fruits are better preserved without their skins. Hand peeling is not always practical, so blanching the fruit is recommended. Here is a quick guide to blanching fruit, like peaches or plums, to remove the skin:
- Fill a large stockpot halfway with water and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Using a paring knife, score a 1-inch “X” into the bottom of each piece of fruit.
- Fill your sink, or a large bowl, with ice water.
- Working in small batches, carefully lower the scored fruit into the boiling water using a blanching basket or slotted spoon. Let the water come back to a boil and blanch the fruit until the skin starts to crack, 40 to 60 seconds. Remove the individual fruit using a slotted spoon or by lifting the blanching basket, and immediately place the fruit in ice cold water.
- When the fruit is cool enough to handle, remove it from the ice water and peel off the skin, starting with the “X” at the bottom of each piece.
SIMPLE SYRUP
Simple syrup is a delicious way to enhance the flavor and maintain the vibrant color of fruit when canning. A heavier syrup contains more sugar and less water, while a very light syrup uses more water and a limited amount of sugar.
Of course, if you must watch your sugar intake and are on a low-glycemic diet, there are other options: agave nectar, honey, and maple syrup can all be used to make syrup for canning, or you can use an unsweetened natural fruit juice like apple, pineapple, or grape juice. If you use fruit juice, adding water is not necessary.
You’ll need roughly 1½ cups of syrup or juice per quart jar to cover the fruit, and ¾ cup to 1 cup to cover the fruit in pint jars.
DRUNKEN FRUITS
Spirits such as rum, brandy, and various flavored liqueurs can bring out the full flavor of fruit. Drunken fruits are useful in cooking, making cocktails, glazing meats, and topping desserts like cheesecake and ice cream.
The syrup made for drunken fruits is thicker and resembles that of heavy syrup. To make syrup for drunken fruits, follow the instructions for simple syrup on this page, using 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water. To make drunken fruits, pack the prepared fruit in half-pint jars, keeping a 1 inch headspace. Add liquor using the chart below, then cover the fruit with the syrup keeping a ½ inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional syrup if necessary to maintain the ½ inch of headspace. Wipe each jar rim with a washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand tighten. Process the drunken fruit for the same time and PSI as you would regular fruit in syrup.
For more recipes, a chart on pressure canning fruit, and additional downloadable information on how to safely preserve fruits using a pressure canner, click this link and download the free bonus chapter from my book, The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning.