I posted earlier asking about making juice and received some helpful
replies.

All of the following went into sterilized reused sauce jars, 700-750
ml.

The raspberry/red currant jam has gelled nicely, although I don't
think it will keep (my wife likes it).
8 cups currants/12 cups raspberries/6 cups sugar

I used the currant pulp to make juice; covered with water and brought
to boil; strained through cheese cloth; diluted and sugared to taste.
4 cups

raspberry juice - brought to boil; put through sieve; filtered through
cheese cloth; diluted and sugared; brought to boil. 1.5 l into reused
cranberry juice bottle for immediate use; 6 l bottled. (now I know why
I wanted quart containers I tried using a pillow case as a jelly
bag (give me a break). Restarted and filtered through cheese cloth.
This would have gone faster if I realized I should clean the cheese
cloth when it clogs. 4litres berries (ice cream pail).

black currant jam - 8 cups currants/1 cup sugar/(1/3 cup honey) yield
3 jars.

Now the apples. (sigh) These are cooking apple, tart and small. I'm
not sure how I am going to deal with them. I'm going to try drying
some and give some away; after that?

ljp wrote:
> I posted earlier asking about making juice and received some helpful
> replies.
>
> All of the following went into sterilized reused sauce jars, 700-750
> ml.
>
> The raspberry/red currant jam has gelled nicely, although I don't
> think it will keep (my wife likes it).
> 8 cups currants/12 cups raspberries/6 cups sugar
>
> I used the currant pulp to make juice; covered with water and brought
> to boil; strained through cheese cloth; diluted and sugared to taste.
> 4 cups
>
> raspberry juice - brought to boil; put through sieve; filtered through
> cheese cloth; diluted and sugared; brought to boil. 1.5 l into reused
> cranberry juice bottle for immediate use; 6 l bottled. (now I know why
> I wanted quart containers I tried using a pillow case as a jelly
> bag (give me a break). Restarted and filtered through cheese cloth.
> This would have gone faster if I realized I should clean the cheese
> cloth when it clogs. 4litres berries (ice cream pail).
>
> black currant jam - 8 cups currants/1 cup sugar/(1/3 cup honey) yield
> 3 jars.
>
> Now the apples. (sigh) These are cooking apple, tart and small. I'm
> not sure how I am going to deal with them. I'm going to try drying
> some and give some away; after that?
Apple sauce, make fairly decent pie apples, apple juice can be sweetened.

"ljp" > wrote in message
...
>I posted earlier asking about making juice and received some helpful
> replies.
>
> All of the following went into sterilized reused sauce jars, 700-750
> ml.
>
> The raspberry/red currant jam has gelled nicely, although I don't
> think it will keep (my wife likes it).
> 8 cups currants/12 cups raspberries/6 cups sugar
>
> I used the currant pulp to make juice; covered with water and brought
> to boil; strained through cheese cloth; diluted and sugared to taste.
> 4 cups
>
> raspberry juice - brought to boil; put through sieve; filtered through
> cheese cloth; diluted and sugared; brought to boil. 1.5 l into reused
> cranberry juice bottle for immediate use; 6 l bottled. (now I know why
> I wanted quart containers I tried using a pillow case as a jelly
> bag (give me a break). Restarted and filtered through cheese cloth.
> This would have gone faster if I realized I should clean the cheese
> cloth when it clogs. 4litres berries (ice cream pail).
>
> black currant jam - 8 cups currants/1 cup sugar/(1/3 cup honey) yield
> 3 jars.
>
> Now the apples. (sigh) These are cooking apple, tart and small. I'm
> not sure how I am going to deal with them. I'm going to try drying
> some and give some away; after that?

What wonderful fruits to play with!
I'm just a trifle worried about your preserved juice. Y'all said diluted to
taste, and I'm thinking perhaps the pH is not as tart as it should be. Any
way you can test it? I wish I could figger out a good nonmechanical
yardstick, like "if it wrinkles your nose nicely, it's okay" but that's not
very scientific. Usually, straight fruits are tart enough, but y'all diluted
your juice. BWB or not, it might not keep.
Apple jelly can be adapted to many flavors - I've an old recipe that says
put a leaf of rose geranium in the bottom of the bottle and we've been
discussing mint and basil flavored jelly. My favorite mediterranean grocery
has some flavored syrups, like rose and jasmin (for edible purposes!), what
a thought. I believe Putting Food By has a recipe for making your own
pectin base from those apples, but it's not as reliable as storebought. You
could freeze the apples/juice and play with it later. Apples play a part in
mincemeats. It wouldn't hurt to check Ball's Big Book of Preserving out of
the liberry and paw thru it. Makes me feel small, suh, small.
Let us know how you go on. This is so exciting, truly. I love this stuff.
Edrena

On Aug 16, 9:31 am, "The Joneses" > wrote:
> "ljp" > wrote in message
>
> >I posted earlier asking about making juice and received some helpful
> > replies.
>
> What wonderful fruits to play with!

We moved last year and still have a house to sell. Consequently, I
have two yards and am doing renovations. Thus, most of my saskatoons
and black currants at the new house (great big flavourful berries)
were lost to age of drop. I just remembered I have blue berries
somewhere. The new house has a grape vine but no grapes. I'm
starting some new plants to move to a sunnier location. This year the
bounty has been a burden; next year should be less hectic.

> I'm just a trifle worried about your preserved juice. Y'all said diluted to
> taste, and I'm thinking perhaps the pH is not as tart as it should be. Any
> way you can test it?

It's still tart, but there is only six litres (three months at the
most)

I believe Putting Food By has a recipe for making your own
> pectin base from those apples, but it's not as reliable as storebought.

My wife is allergic to apples so I'm not sure what an apple based
pectin would do for her.

You
> could freeze the apples/juice and play with it later.

That's were the raspberries are

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm thinking of apple sauce and a pie
mix. I don't know if I am ready for apple jelly. Also, I'm going to
dry some in a dehydrator. I plan on putting the dehydrator in the
green house and letting nature take its course (30C and above for the
next few days the greenhouse will be close to 40C during the day). I
am wondering if convection will give me enough air circulation.

"ljp" > wrote in message
...
> On Aug 16, 9:31 am, "The Joneses" > wrote:
>> "ljp" > wrote in message
>>
>> >I posted earlier asking about making juice and received some helpful
>> > replies.
>>
>> What wonderful fruits to play with!
>
> We moved last year and still have a house to sell. Consequently, I
> have two yards and am doing renovations. Thus, most of my saskatoons
> and black currants at the new house (great big flavourful berries)
> were lost to age of drop. I just remembered I have blue berries
> somewhere. The new house has a grape vine but no grapes. I'm
> starting some new plants to move to a sunnier location. This year the
> bounty has been a burden; next year should be less hectic.
>
>> I'm just a trifle worried about your preserved juice. Y'all said diluted
>> to
>> taste, and I'm thinking perhaps the pH is not as tart as it should be.
>> Any
>> way you can test it?
>
> It's still tart, but there is only six litres (three months at the
> most)
>
> I believe Putting Food By has a recipe for making your own
>> pectin base from those apples, but it's not as reliable as storebought.
>
> My wife is allergic to apples so I'm not sure what an apple based
> pectin would do for her.
>
> You
>> could freeze the apples/juice and play with it later.
>
> That's were the raspberries are
>
> Thanks for the suggestions. I'm thinking of apple sauce and a pie
> mix. I don't know if I am ready for apple jelly. Also, I'm going to
> dry some in a dehydrator. I plan on putting the dehydrator in the
> green house and letting nature take its course (30C and above for the
> next few days the greenhouse will be close to 40C during the day). I
> am wondering if convection will give me enough air circulation.
>
Here's hoping your greenhouse isn't too humid. This is our rainy season and
I'm having trouble keeping stuff dry _in the jars_. We've taken to putting
table salt in a leetle bowl each day, because all the shakers are *damp.*
I wunder if your wife would be allergic to quinces? I don't know they are
the same Rosa family as apples, but the aroma is very similar. But they are
not very tasty raw. The med-folk have a lot of nice recipes with baked
quinces. And quinces have a LOT of pectin, esp. near the seeds. I had some
pulp/juice jel up in the fridge overnight. Whew!
How about publishing it about that you'll trade a barrel of apples for,
say, an oil change? Or manicure? Some mason jars or lids? Whatever. Donate
leftovers to the Food Bank or the zoo? Homeless animals or homeless people?
Edrena

The Joneses wrote:
> "ljp" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Aug 16, 9:31 am, "The Joneses" > wrote:
>>> "ljp" > wrote in message
>>>
>>>> I posted earlier asking about making juice and received some helpful
>>>> replies.
>>> What wonderful fruits to play with!
>> We moved last year and still have a house to sell. Consequently, I
>> have two yards and am doing renovations. Thus, most of my saskatoons
>> and black currants at the new house (great big flavourful berries)
>> were lost to age of drop. I just remembered I have blue berries
>> somewhere. The new house has a grape vine but no grapes. I'm
>> starting some new plants to move to a sunnier location. This year the
>> bounty has been a burden; next year should be less hectic.
>>
>>> I'm just a trifle worried about your preserved juice. Y'all said diluted
>>> to
>>> taste, and I'm thinking perhaps the pH is not as tart as it should be.
>>> Any
>>> way you can test it?
>> It's still tart, but there is only six litres (three months at the
>> most)
>>
>> I believe Putting Food By has a recipe for making your own
>>> pectin base from those apples, but it's not as reliable as storebought.
>> My wife is allergic to apples so I'm not sure what an apple based
>> pectin would do for her.
>>
>> You
>>> could freeze the apples/juice and play with it later.
>> That's were the raspberries are
>>
>> Thanks for the suggestions. I'm thinking of apple sauce and a pie
>> mix. I don't know if I am ready for apple jelly. Also, I'm going to
>> dry some in a dehydrator. I plan on putting the dehydrator in the
>> green house and letting nature take its course (30C and above for the
>> next few days the greenhouse will be close to 40C during the day). I
>> am wondering if convection will give me enough air circulation.
>>
> Here's hoping your greenhouse isn't too humid. This is our rainy season and
> I'm having trouble keeping stuff dry _in the jars_. We've taken to putting
> table salt in a leetle bowl each day, because all the shakers are *damp.*
Do what we do down here on the humid Gulf Coast Edrena - put uncooked
rice in your salt shaker, helps keep the salt drier and, even if it
clumps a little, shake it and the rice breaks it up again. Been doing it
that way for years.
> I wunder if your wife would be allergic to quinces? I don't know they are
> the same Rosa family as apples, but the aroma is very similar. But they are
> not very tasty raw. The med-folk have a lot of nice recipes with baked
> quinces. And quinces have a LOT of pectin, esp. near the seeds. I had some
> pulp/juice jel up in the fridge overnight. Whew!
> How about publishing it about that you'll trade a barrel of apples for,
> say, an oil change? Or manicure? Some mason jars or lids? Whatever. Donate
> leftovers to the Food Bank or the zoo? Homeless animals or homeless people?
> Edrena
>
>