This safe, tested recipe from Ball and Bernardin is a fruity, delicious way to preserve peaches! This is a great option if your family doesn’t eat a lot of jam or jelly and the best part is that it’s easily customizable!
How To Safely Customize Peach BBQ Sauce
First, you can swap out the apple cider vinegar for a vinegar of your choice, as long as it is still diluted to 5% acidity. It must be at least 5% acidity, which you can check on the ingredients list on the bottle.
Second, you may safely replace the sweet bell peppers for any other kind of pepper! That means a different color, a different level on the Scoville scale, a sweet pepper for a hot or super hot pepper, etc.!
And, finally, you may add to or take away from the amount of red pepper flakes you use in your sauce within reason. I personally would only add about 1 teaspoon extra of dry spices to ensure I didn’t add too much non-acidic ingredients and throw off the pH balance that makes a recipe safe for water bath canning.
How To Use Peach BBQ Sauce
The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving says this sauce is delicious on chicken and fish, but my family loves it on pork! It’s extra delicious as a marinade on smoked or grilled meats, and the combination of the sweet peach and the bite from the vinegar and pepper flakes blend beautifully!
This low sugar plum jelly is a perfect mix of tart and sweet! It’s super easy (and fast) to make using a steam juicer!
How Much Fruit Do I Need?
One thing that always frustrates me about canning recipes is trying to figure out how much fruit I need. But that’s where this recipe really shines! You need as much fruit as you have or want to get! The necessary pectin, calcium water, sugar, and lemon juice is added per cup of juice, so it doesn’t matter if you have 2 cups or 20 cups of juice, you can still use this recipe!
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Supplies to Make Plum Jelly
To make this plum jelly, you need jars, clean, new lids, and bands! If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!
You also need Pomona’s Universal Pectin for this recipe, which is formulated specifically for low- or no-sugar canning recipes. Since I use Pomona’s quite often, I purchase the pectin powder in bulk. You can find it available in bulk here.
A steam juicer makes this project so much faster, and I absolutely love mine! If you plan on making much juice and/or jelly, a steam juicer is definitely worth the investment.
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that it can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars! For this particular recipe, I was able to make 11 half-pint jars and 7 quarter-pint jars of plum jelly by stacking my jars!
Bone broth is a great way to ensure nothing goes to waste in your kitchen and, as a bonus, it’s delicious and nutritious too! Bone broth might take some time to develop that delicious, rich flavor, but its mostly hands-off time!
Waste-Free Bone Broth
Making bone broth gives you a way to use bones and veggie scraps that would otherwise be thrown away. You can use bones from the butcher, leftover from a meal, or from a rotisserie chicken!
Sam’s and Costco have $5 rotisserie chickens, and we’ll often pick one up when we’re running errands. I put the bones in a reusable freezer bag and store them in the freezer until I have enough to make broth.
For veggie scraps, I save carrot peels and tops, onion tops, bell pepper cores, and celery stalk leaves! I also store these in the freezer until I’m ready to make broth.
Bone Broth Recipe Steps
1. Roast the bones and vegetable scraps.
First, you need to roast the bones and vegetable scraps. Just put your bones and veggie scraps in a single layer on a baking tray(s) and roast at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour, turning the bones over halfway through.
2. Put the roasted bones and scraps in a pot to simmer.
You can use a slow cooker, a pot on the stovetop, an Instant Pot, or, my personal favorite, an electric roaster! Cover the bones and veggie scraps with water, add in 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, and any aromatics you want. I usually keep it simple and only add some bay leaves and whole peppercorns.
3. Simmer as long as you want!
I love letting my broth simmer over a day. It smells delicious and I know it’s just making the final product richer and more nutritious the longer it goes!
4. Let cool slightly, then remove bones and strain the broth.
Take your broth off of the heat and leave uncovered for 1-2 hours to cool. Then, remove bones and strain the broth.
5. Cool in the refrigerator overnight or until fat solidifies on top.
Cool the broth in the refrigerator overnight or until the fat solidifies on top. Even if you can palate consuming this fat, you definitely do not want to skip this step if you’re planning on canning or freezing your broth! The fat can go rancid faster than the broth, even in the freezer, and, when canning, the lids can fail to seal if any of that fat gets under the seal.
6. Remove fat from top of broth.
Once the broth has cooled and the fat has solidified on top, remove the fat. I use a slotted spoon to scoop out the large chunks of fat and a small, fine mesh strainer to skim the little pieces of fat off the top.
7. Consume, freeze, or reheat if you’re canning the broth.
At this point, you can either drink the broth or use it to cook with. You can also freeze the broth if you have the freezer space, or reheat the broth if you’re planning on canning it!
Canning Bone Broth
If you want to can the delicious bone broth you just made to consume later, you must pressure can it. Water bath canning is reserved only for acidic foods, like most jams, jellies, and pickles, and it is not safe to water bath can non-acidic foods. I will include canning instructions below. Check out my must-have canning supplies post here!
Recipe Video
Making and Canning Bone Broth
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Arrange bones and vegetable scraps in a single layer on a baking tray(s).
Roast in preheated oven for one hour, turning halfway through.
Once bones have browned and vegetables smell aromatic, put into a stock pot, slow cooker, or electric roaster.
Simmer for 24-36 hours.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Once cooled slightly, remove bones and strain the broth.
Set in refrigerator overnight or until fat solidifies on top.
Once the broth has cooled and the fat has solidified on top, remove the fat using a slotted spoon to scoop out the large chunks of fat and a small, fine mesh strainer to skim the little pieces of fat off the top.
Consume, freeze, or reheat if you’re canning the broth.
Canning Instructions
Reheat broth to boiling.
While broth is reheating, prepare pressure canner according to instructions that came with your canner.
Once broth is boiling, fill pint- or quart-sized jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Apply a new, clean lid and a band fingertip tight.
Put jar in canner.
Once jars are filled and in the canner, put the lid on and process according to the instructions that came with your canner.
Once pressure canner comes up to pressure, process 20 minutes for pints or 25 for quarts at 10 pounds PSI if you live at 1,000 feet or less above sea level or 15 pounds PSI if you live above 1,000 feet above sea level. For dial-gauge pressure canners, follow these instructions.
This zucchini pineapple canning recipe is a great way to use up extra zucchini! It’s delicious in pineapple upside down cake, quick breads, on pizza, and in vegetable stir fry!
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No sugar added strawberry jam is so easy to make! And it’s even easier if you own a Ball freshTECH Jam & Jelly Maker! I love my J&J Maker, but I was tired of being limited by the few recipes that come with the Jam & Jelly Maker, so I decided to experiment. The first recipe I tried is my husband’s personal favorite–no sugar added blueberry jam! It’s a Bernardin recipe and you can find my post about it here. Keep reading to learn how to make this strawberry jam in the Jam & Jelly Maker!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why Use the Jam & Jelly Maker?
The Jam & Jelly Maker is so easy to use because it stirs for you! It also doesn’t require that you use your stovetop, which is a bonus if you work full time and do all of your cooking, canning, and baking on the weekends like me! It is so nice to be able to keep a large burner clear for lunch, dinner, or whatever I’m meal-prepping!
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!
Will Other Berries Work in this Recipe?
Yes! According to the Bernardin website, the strawberries in this recipe can be replaced with raspberries, blueberries, sour cherries, gooseberries, or blackberries!
Recipe Video
How to Make No Sugar Added Strawberry Jam in Jam & Jelly Maker
Ingredients
Instructions
First, mash 4 cups of rinsed strawberries.
Prepare other ingredients–1 cup unsweetened fruit juice and 49 grams of Ball or Bernardin Low or No Sugar Pectin.
Sprinkle pectin on bottom of Jam & Jelly Maker, spread strawberry mash evenly over the top, and add in fruit juice.
Press “Jam” and press “Enter.” The J&J Maker will start stirring.
After 4 minutes, the J&J Maker will beep. If you are adding any sweetener or butter, add it now, pouring the sweetener evenly over the top of the mixture. Put lid on.
For the remaining 17 minutes, watch the J&J Maker carefully. If at any time it looks like the mixture may overflow, take the lid off and allow the mixture to cool.
The J&J Maker will beep again when it is finished. Take the lid off and either store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.
Canning Directions
Fill clean, warm jars with jam mixture, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more jam, if needed.
Clean rim off to ensure no jam is on it.
Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
Put in water bath canner.
Fill remaining jars until jam mixture is gone.
Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
No sugar added raspberry jam is so easy to make! And it’s even easier if you own a Ball freshTECH Jam & Jelly Maker (J&J Maker for short)! I LOVE my J&J Maker! But I was tired of being limited by the few recipes that come with the Jam & Jelly Maker, so I decided to experiment. The first recipe I tried is my husband’s personal favorite–no sugar added blueberry jam! It’s a Bernardin recipe and you can find my post about it here. Keep reading to learn how to make this raspberry jam in the Jam & Jelly Maker!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why Use the Jam & Jelly Maker?
The Jam & Jelly Maker is so easy to use because it stirs for you! It also doesn’t require that you use your stovetop, which is a bonus if you work full time and do all of your cooking, canning, and baking on the weekends like me! It is so nice to be able to keep a large burner clear for lunch, dinner, or whatever I’m meal-prepping!
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!
Will Other Berries Work in this Recipe?
Yes! According to the Bernardin website, the raspberries in this recipe can be replaced with strawberries, blueberries, sour cherries, gooseberries, or blackberries!
Recipe Video
How to Make No Sugar Added Raspberry Jam in Jam & Jelly Maker
Ingredients
Instructions
First, mash 4 cups of rinsed raspberries.
Prepare other ingredients–1 cup unsweetened fruit juice and 49 grams of Ball or Bernardin Low or No Sugar Pectin.
Sprinkle pectin on bottom of Jam & Jelly Maker, spread raspberry mash evenly over the top, and add in fruit juice.
Press “Jam” and press “Enter.” The J&J Maker will start stirring.
After 4 minutes, the J&J Maker will beep. If you are adding any sweetener or butter, add it now, pouring the sweetener evenly over the top of the mixture. Put lid on.
For the remaining 17 minutes, watch the J&J Maker carefully. If at any time it looks like the mixture may overflow, take the lid off and allow the mixture to cool.
The J&J Maker will beep again when it is finished. Take the lid off and either store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.
Canning Directions
Fill clean, warm jars with jam mixture, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more jam, if needed.
Clean rim off to ensure no jam is on it.
Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
Put in water bath canner.
Fill remaining jars until jam mixture is gone.
Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
These kiwi fruit preserves are easy to make and delicious too! The kiwi flavor combines nicely with the sweet, acidity of pineapple and lime juice. It’s delicious on sorbet, toast, or made into a vinaigrette! You can find my super simple vinaigrette recipe here!
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product following my link, the price will not change, and I only recommend products that I use and love.
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!
This apple butter is absolutely delicious and the best part is that it doesn’t contain any added sugar!
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product following my link, the price will not change, and I only recommend products that I use and love.
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!
Add apples and 2 1/4 cups apple cider or apple juice to a roaster or slow cooker and cook on medium high heat.
Once apples are very soft and falling apart, strain using a food strainer.
Add apple mixture to roaster or slow cooker.
Add 1 cup sucralose (optional), 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon ground allspice to apple mixture in roaster or slow cooker.
Cook until apple butter is a deep brown and the sugars have caramelized.
Add additional apple cider or apple juice if needed to thin mixture.
For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to blend the apple mixture.
Store apple butter in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.
Canning Instructions
Fill clean, warm jars with apple butter, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more apple butter, if needed.
Clean jar rim off to ensure no apple butter is on it.
Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
Put in water bath canner.
Fill remaining jars until mixture is gone. About 10 half-pint jars.
Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
Red bud trees are in bloom, and it’s time to make Red Bud Jelly! Red Bud Jelly is a beautiful pink jelly with a sweet, light, almost-grape flavor. The hardest part of making Red Bud Jelly is carefully removing the blossoms from the stems. Once you have removed the blossoms, it’s a super easy, quick canning project! Check out my video below for a visual aid.
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product following my link, the price will not change, and I only recommend products that I use and love.
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!
This pineapple habanero jam is perfect for the spice-lovers in your life! You can also modify the heat if you’re not quite brave enough to use an entire 1/2 cup of habanero peppers, and I’ll explain how to do that later in the post!
One of my best sellers is Habanero Gold Jelly, which is a Ball recipe. While it is absolutely delicious, it is also chock full of sugar. One half-pint jar contains about 200 grams of added sugar! This recipe is great if you’re looking for a lower sugar option, with only about 67 grams of sugar in one half-pint jar!
How to Use Pineapple Habanero Jam
A very common way to use habanero jam is over cream cheese as a sort of dip/topping for crackers. But there are so many ways to use it! Here’s a list of my customers’ favorite ways to use pineapple habanero jam:
Over baked salmon
A baste for ribs or any kind of BBQ
A sauce for wings
A glaze for pork chops
On cornbread
A replacement chili sauce dip for egg/spring rolls–mix with a little vinegar to make it saucier
A mix in for a piña colada
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product following my link, the price will not change, and I only recommend products that I use and love.
Supplies to Make Pineapple Habanero Jam
If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier! One of the products featured in the recipe is this awesome pineapple corer that not only cores your pineapple but slices it too!
You also need Pomona’s Universal Pectin for this recipe, which is formulated specifically for low- or no-sugar canning recipes. Since I use Pomona’s quite often, I purchase the pectin powder in bulk. You can find it here.
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!
Reducing the Spice
If you prefer a milder jam, swap a portion of the habanero for yellow or orange bell peppers. It is safe to swap pepper varieties. However, you must keep the amount the same. So, whatever peppers you choose to use, make sure you’re only using 1/2-cup-worth of peppers total in the recipe.
If using fresh pineapple, core 4-cups-worth of pineapple. Put in a food processor with the juice from the pineapple and pulse until pineapple is crushed consistency. If using canned, crushed pineapple, continue to next step.
Measure 4 cups of crushed pineapple and put in large stockpot.
Add 1/2 cup of finely diced habanero peppers, 1/3 cup bottled lemon juice, and 2 1/2 teaspoons calcium water (from the Pomona’s Universal Pectin packet).
Bring mixture to a boil.
While waiting for mixture to come to a boil, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder in separate bowl.
Once mixture comes to full boil, slowly add in sugar and pectin mixture. Stir 1-2 minutes and remove from heat once the mixture comes up to a boil.
Store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.
Canning Directions
Fill clean, warm jars with jam mixture, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more mixture, if needed.
Clean jar rim off to ensure no jam is on it.
Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
Put in water bath canner.
Fill remaining jars until mixture is gone. About 4-5 half-pint jars.
Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
