Another canning question

[Joyfilled]

Thank you for your patience with me, ladies!

 

So....I made peach syrup with the peach skins today. I have 4 quarts and 9 (10?) half pints (thinking of gifts). I canned the half pints. But the quarts, well....I just don't have it in me tonight. The thing is, the recipe said I didn't have to? That I could just put the hot syrup into a hot jar with hot lids and tighten them. It didn't sound right. Any thoughts???

[Joyfilled]

For what it's worth, all four quarts sealed without being canned.

[Midnightmom]

14 hours ago, Joyfilled said:

For what it's worth, all four quarts sealed without being canned.

 

That is a "vacuum" seal. As to whether it is safe to stay that way, I would think that the "syrup" would have to be canned in the same manner as the fruit was because it would contain the same basic elements that the actual fruit did. Maybe even more so since it was made with the skins!

 

BTW - what is the source for the recipe you used?

Edited August 26, 2021 by Midnightmom

[Jeepers]

I agree with Midnightmom. Just because the jars sealed doesn't mean the unprocessed food is safe. It would sort of be like using a vacuum jar sealer on a jar of green beans. Jar is sealed but the beans are not processed. Every peach product recipe I've ever seen says to water bath them. 

 

Sorry but those peach syrup jars are not canned. 

 

I've been that tired too! I just store them in the fridge until the next day and do them in the morning.

[Joyfilled]

Thank you, ladies!! I haven't canned them yet, but did put them in the fridge. I'm thinking of making smaller amounts, as opening a quart of syrup is a lot, even for our family.

 

Let me find the recipe.... http://www.prettypetunias.com/how-to-make-peach-syrup-from-just-the-pits-and-skins/

 

[Midnightmom]

2 hours ago, Joyfilled said:

Thank you, ladies!! I haven't canned them yet, but did put them in the fridge. I'm thinking of making smaller amounts, as opening a quart of syrup is a lot, even for our family.

 

Let me find the recipe.... http://www.prettypetunias.com/how-to-make-peach-syrup-from-just-the-pits-and-skins/

 

Half of the instructions for the final step are correct - you can store the unprocessed product in the refrigerator.

The second method is NOT correct. You would have to process (water bath) the syrup for the same time as you would for peaches- not just for 10 minutes.

(Here's a hint or two to let you know she may not know what she is talking about: You only need to have one inch of water covering your jars when you water bath them; it is no longer considered necessary to sterilize your jars - just clean them with soap & water and rinse well before use.)

 

[Midnightmom]

I did a "google." 

 

Most of the sites that I visited had it right - store your syrup in the refrigerator.

Some gave absolutely no guidance for what they meant by "bottle up" your syrup; those same sites never mentioned whether or not the bottles had to be refrigerated.

But I found another one that also had a "recipe" for making syrup from skins and pits. It is a recipe for DISASTER! 

• So when you are done canning your beautiful peaches, save all those scraps and whip up an easy batch of peach syrup. It’s really simple to do, and you can seal the jars without actually “canning” anything.
• Prepare your jars by washing them and putting them in the oven on the lowest setting. They have to be hot or your jars won’t seal. Put the flats in a small saucepan of water and bring it to a boil.
• Use an oven mitt to remove a hot jar from the oven. Set a funnel in the jar and scoop syrup into it with a measuring cup or a ladle. Once your jar is full, use a fork to remove a hot flat from the boiling water. Set the flat on the jar and screw on a ring. Put the jar on another towel out of the way to seal. Repeat until all of your syrup is in jars.
• Leave the syrup there for 12 hours so it can cool completely. Check to make sure they sealed.

Comments on the procedures she follows:

1. You can indeed seal the jars w/o "canning" anything, but you CANNOT store them in your cupboard. Cooled and sealed jars with syrup made this way are NOT shelf stable. They would HAVE to be refrigerated. She would have known that if she had consulted the USDA publications on home canning and preserving. I am adding a PDF of how to PROPERLY can any kind of fruit syrup published by the National Center for Food Preservation.
2. Ball, and Kerr do NOT recommend heating your jars in the oven! Dry heat is not good for the jars. They were made for being heated in water!
3. You no longer have to "boil your flats" because the newer lids have a different compound on them that doesn't need to be "softened."
4. They will seal, but they will NOT be safe for the reasons mentioned above.

 

To be "fair," her blog was published in 2016 and I am not sure when the new lids became available, but, it has never been approved by Ball or Kerr to oven heat your jars, and The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning revision was published in 2015.

 

 Preserving-Berry-Syrups-at-Home-FS238E.pdf

Edited August 27, 2021 by Midnightmom

[Joyfilled]

I wondered about not canning it....so I'm glad I didn't trust it! I'm going to heat the whole thing up again, split it into smaller jars and can those. So nice to have shelf food available without taking space in the fridge or freezer! Thank you for all the good info, @Midnightmom!!