Kong Sez:

    Dr. "B" has been instructing me via email, vis–á–vis, and voice calls about canning. I have taken his advice to heart!

    However, he illustrated and demonstrated the last time he visited me in my Manhattan apartment, a special canning procedure, that I have not seen, nor thought of for years. Until now, I had only considered the two most popular methods: Hot water bath canning and Pressure canning.

    He points out that with this method, the latter two are not necessary; saves time; and you can use fruits not in season from your locale by just going to a good market. However, he cautions, it is hard to find really good food. The caesar salad one enjoys now comes together from as many as 1300 miles away. This means much of our foodstuffs are coming from overseas and south of the border, and may be highly contaminated.

    There are increasing incidences of E. coli 0157:H7 and salmonellosis, in addition to food contaminated with Camplobacter jejuni. It is for these reasons and much...much more, I have been urging my financial clients to get a Pressure Canner/Cooker. It behooves one to know the following. This is what Dr. "B" says:

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    "Poaching & Preserving." A thing people need to know to help preserve food, especially that which is in season in your locale. If you don't grow it, then use your local farmer's market. However, what is not generally considered about Preserving is that one can — on certain types of foods — acid bearing foods, provided one follows certain proscriptions and prescriptions, preserve the fruits without using Water Bath Canning or Pressure Canning.

    The process, which has been forgotten, is that "preserving fruits in alcohol is an ideal way of storing fruits to be eaten later in the year when your favorite fresh fruits are out of season" — Le Cordon Blue: Complete Cooking Techniques. The French do this very regularly.

    And here's the nice thing, you can use mayonnaise, pickle jars, etc., not over a quart size. The reason is that there is no high pressure steam heat such that those everyday jars will break. Now, if you use Water Bath Canning and/or Pressure Canning, use a Ball Jar (Mason jars) or that which is designed to withstand the heat and some movement against other jars without breaking.

    You can use the regular lids that come with the original product. When you finish filling each jar, afix the lid firmly as you do not want leakage and air exchange. Contamination can then result.

    For regular Hot Water Bath/Pressure Canning, one uses two–piece closures—a lid with gasket material and a ring for afixing the lid to the jar. These can also be used for preserving fruits using alcohol.

This is the way you do it:

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Use alcohol (drinking) to preserve fruits. This allows the fruits in season to be canned "for an indefinite period of time, although it is advisable to use them within a year in case of fermentation" writes Le Cordon Blue.

"Choose fruits that are just ripe and in good condition." These are highest in acid and pectin. You want an acid environment to protect against botulism.

"Place the prepared fruits" (peeled and/or cored; poached in sugar syrup or wine, removed and then processed with the following) "in sterilized jars, and add whole spices, if you like. Pour alcohol into a pan and bring to the boil. Add sugar and stir to dissolve, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Pour enough of the cooled alcohol into the jars to cover the fruit completely. Seal the jars. Store in a cool dark place for at least 2–3 weeks so that the flavors have time to develop before using."

After this time, you can use the preparation as needed for up to one year. After that time, Dr. "B" suggests to boil the contents for 10 minutes, gently, to denature any exotoxin from Botulinum if present. The alcohol and fruit may then become a sauce and goes well on deserts, in rice dishes, etc.

    Other substances that can be used with the fruit infused with sugar syrup and/or poached in wine, are the zest of lemons or lime and pared orange strips. Cloves, cinnamon sticks, or star anise can be used instead. A vanilla bean pod that has been split can be used with the sugar syrup or wine. You can also use fresh ginger slices, or take a stalk of lemongrass and bruise it to release its flavor. Add these singularly or in some combination to the fruits that will have the alcohol added. Close jar tightly and voilá! You have canned fruit simply, that will remain flavorful, and healthy for one year.

    Instant delicious desserts can be made from fruits that have been preserved in alcohol. Some modalities for serving that fruits in alcohol partner well with the following:

• Cook instant rice in milk, heavy cream, and two to three tablespoons of sugar with a vanilla bean pod that has been split, freshly grated nutmeg and lemon zest. Add the contents of fruits in alcohol, reserving most of the liquid for a another use. Heat in a double boiler reducing any liquid present. Serve as a desert.

• Grapes with whisky. Fold into crushed meringues and whipped cream.

• Cherries in kirsch or brandy. Drizzle over ice cream.

• Clementines (a small, seedless citrus fruit, probably a cross between a tangerine and an orange) with rum, cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves. Present with warm chocolate sauce or crème fraîche.

• Summer berries and kirsch. Place on top with fresh whipped cream.

• Pears with vodka. Top with plain yogurt or sour cream.

• Mangos with white rum. Serve with raisin ice cream and rum.

• Plums in port. Serve hazelnut ice cream.

    You may prefer a "Rum Pot" (rumtopf), a German method of preserving fruit. If you have fruits from summer to fall, take ripened fruits and layer with sugar. Build up several layers, such as blueberries and strawberries, place a thin layer of berries with sugar sprinkled over them, continue alternating with berries and cover each layer with rum. Seal and let mature 1 or more months.

    For making a light sugar syrup, use 1–1/4 cups sugar to 2 cups of water; for fruit salads and poaching fruits. Cook the sugar and water until lightly syrupy. For a medium syrup, use 1–1/4 cups sugar to 1 cup of water. This is used for making candied fruits. For a heavy syrup, use 1–1/4 cups sugar to 3/4 cups water. This is used for carmels and ice creams.

    Keep in mind that fruit highest in acid and pectin are underipe. A taste of acidity (sourness) and sharpness is taken as a good sign of acidity. The presence of pectin is not so apparent.

    Dr. "B" informed me that if I am concerned about acidity being low, I can boost it by adding lemon juice to the fruit prior to poaching. Using the juice of one lemon (about 2 tablespoons, or 30 mL) will acidify 2 cups of low–acid fruit juice or fruit. If you are using a three–quart jar, then use 6 tablespoons of lemon juice, as 3 quarts are 12 cups.

    When using lemon juice, The Good Cook series by Time Life Books, writes in Preserving, for foods varying in acidity:

To ensure that all growth of harmful bacteria stops, add 2 tablespoons [30 ml.] of lemon juice to each quart jar. To ensure a proper percentage of acid, the lemon juice must be bottled, not fresh.

    Dr. "B" further insures his products regardless of questionable acidity by adding 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of powdered ascorbic acid to each quart before processing with alcohol.

    He either poaches the fruit for 12 to 15 minutes in a sugar syrup or wine solution. Then, adds the fruit to the canning jars adding the extra amount of bottled lemon juice, vitamin C, and topping it off with filling the jar, covering the fruit, with one of the alcohols given above.

    Prior to all this, Dr. "B" "sterilizes" the jars and lids by washing in hot soapy water with 1 part of household unscented bleach to 5 parts of water. This actually disinfects the lids and jars, not sterilizes them (everywhere you read boiling water sterilizes; but boiling is not sterilization). Then, the jars are rinsed in hot to scalding water, as needed, only when ready to immediately use for filling with the fruit and processing with alcohol. Afix jar lids tightly to jars and place in a cool dark place.

    When ready to use, as given above, Dr. "B" brings the product to a gentle boil for further insurance against microbial contamination for 10 minutes.

    Another reason he gives for boiling is that when a canned product is boiled, if there is no foul odor or smell is present when first opened, boiling brings out the characteristic smell of spoiled food. If this occurs, discard food safely without tasting and where no person or animal can get to it.

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