Sweetening Fruit

Sugar helps canned fruit hold its shape, color, and flavor. Directions for canning most fruits call for sweetening to be added in the form of sugar sirup. For very juicy fruit packed hot, use sugar without added liquid.

To make sugar syrup.-Mix sugar with water or with juice extracted from -some of the fruit. Use a thin, medium, or heavy syrup to suit the sweetness of the fruit and your taste. To make syrup, combine--

4 cups of water or juice .....

2 cups sugar.... For 5 cups THIN syrup

3 cups sugar....For 5 1/2 cups MEDIUM syrup

4 3/4 cups sugar...For 6 1/2 cups HEAVY syrup.

Heat sugar and water or juice together until sugar is dissolved. Skim if necessary. with boiling syrup. Exhaust to 170° F. (about 10 minutes) and seal cans. Process in boiling-water bath (212° F.)-

No. 2 cans __________ 20 minutes

No. 2½ cans ________ 25 minutes