Jam, Preserves and Pickles Recipe Collections

A collection of easy recipes, from basic fresh fruit jams or jellies, pickles, preserves, sauces with basic canning procedure.

Table of Contents

1. QUINCE JELLY
2. CRANBERRY JELLY
3. GRAPE JELLY
4. CURRANT JELLY
5. CRABAPPLE JELLY
6. GOOSEBERRY JAM
7. RASPBERRY JAM
8. STRAWBERRY JAM
9. CRANBERRY SAUCE
10. RHUBARB CONSERVE
11. PLUM CONSERVE
12. CHERRY CONSERVE
13. GRAPE CONSERVE
14. SUN PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES
15. PRESERVED CURRANTS (COLD PROCESS)
16. PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES OR CHERRIES
17. ORANGE MARMALADE
18. PINEAPPLE AND STRAWBERRY
19. SPICED GRAPES
20. SPICED PLUMS
21. GINGER PEARS
22. PICKLES
23. RIPE CUCUMBER PICKLES
24. OIL PICKLES
25. CHUNK PICKLES
26. MUSTARD PICKLES
27. PICKLED PEACHES
28. PICKLED PEARS
29. SLICED GREEN TOMATO PICKLE
30. BORDEAUX SAUCE
31. LITTLE CUCUMBER PICKLES
32. CUCUMBER PICKLES (COLD PROCESS)
33. SLICED CUCUMBER PICKLE
34. SWEET PICKLED WATERMELON
35. PRESERVED TOMATOES
36. INDIA RELISH
37. SHIRLEY SAUCE
38. CHILI SAUCE
39. TOMATO KETCHUP
40. MINCE MEAT
41. GRAPE JUICE
42. ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING
43. TO PRESERVE EGGS FOR WINTER USE

To secure the best results in canning fruit a few directions must be carefully followed. The fruit must be perfectly fresh and not over ripe, the jars must be thoroughly sterilized and new rubbers should be used.

When filling the jars place them in hot water or on a hot cloth. Great care must be taken that the jars are filled to overflowing. There should be no bubbles and no space for air at the top of the cans. There are four methods of preserving fruit:

First-The old fashioned way of cooking it with an equal weight of sugar, but this is not desirable, as the large amount of sugar destroys the natural flavor of the fruit. Second-The method allowed one-half to three quarters pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, a small amount of water is added and all boiled together for fifteen minutes.

Third-Peaches, pears, plums and pineapple are very satisfactory cooked in hot syrup; weigh the fruit, allow one pound of sugar to one cup of water, boil this 10 minutes, then cook a small amount of fruit at a time in the syrup-fill pint jars with fruit, pour over hot syrup to cover. If there is not enough syrup, more can be made and added.

Fourth-Strawberries, raspberries and many of the small fruits are canned by filling pint jars with carefully selected and perfect fruit, pouring over the hot syrup, (allowing cup of sugar and one-half cup of water to each jar.) Seal and place in boiling water, and let stand until water is cold.

All recipes for this specific post call for level measurements.

To measure a spoonful of dry material, fill the spoon and level off with a knife.

• 4 gills.   =  1 pint 
• 2 pints   =  1 quart
• 4 quarts =  1 gallon
• 1 measuring cup = 2 gills 
• 2 measuring cups = 1 pint
• 4 measuring cups = 1 quart
• 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon 
• 16 tablespoons = 1 cup
• 1 oz. celery seed = 4 tablespoons
• 1 oz. mustard seed = 3 tablespoons 
• 1 oz. cinnamon = 5 tablespoons
• 1 oz. cloves = 5 tablespoons

Granulated sugar is always used unless otherwise stated. 2 cups = 1 pound.

• Blackberries – Allow one-half lb. sugar to one lb. fruit
• Black Raspberries – Allow one-half lb. sugar to one lb. fruit 
• Cherries – Allow three quarters lb. sugar to one lb. fruit
• Currants – Allow three quarters sugar to one lb. fruit
• Grapes – Allow three-quarters sugar to one lb. fruit
• Huckleberries – Allow one-half lb. sugar to one Ib. fruit
• Peaches – Allow one-half lb. sugar to one Ib. fruit
• Pears – Allow one-half lb. sugar to one lb. fruit
• Plums – Allow three-quarters sugar to one lb. fruit
• Pineapple – Allow three-quarters sugar to one lb. fruit
• Red Raspberries – Allow one-half lb. sugar to one lb. fruit
• Strawberries – Allow three-quarters sugar to one lb. fruit.

JELLIES – CONSERVES

To warm sugar for jellies, place in a shallow granite casserole, put in the oven and leave the door partly open.

Glasses should stand in hot water when being filled. To cover the jelly when cold, use hot melted paraffin (must be food grade), then place the tin covers.

Jellies should be kept in a cool, dark, dry cupboard or closet.

QUINCE JELLY

Allow equal quantities of quinces and sour apples like green Granny Smith. Wipe fruit, remove stems, cut in pieces and cover with cold water, cook slowly until fruit is tender. Strain but do not squeeze. Measure juice, allow three-quarters pound of sugar to every pint of juice. Boil juice for fifteen minutes, add heated sugar, boil five minutes, skim when necessary. Strain into glasses.

CRANBERRY JELLY

Pick over and wash four cups of cranberries, add one cup boiling water and boil for twenty minutes, rub through a sieve, add two cups sugar, cook for five minutes, turn into a mould.

GRAPE JELLY

Pick over, wash and remove stems from grapes, put in a preserving kettle (mash a few,) boil for thirty minutes, strain through a jelly bag. Measure, bring juice to the boiling point and boil five minutes, add an equal measure of heated sugar, boil three minutes, skim and strain into glasses. (10 lbs. grapes on stem makes about 2 qts, juice.)

CURRANT JELLY

Pick over currants, but do not remove stems, wash and drain. Mash and strain the juice. Measure and allow three-fourths of a pound (one and one-half cups) of sugar to one pint of juice. Let the juice come to the boiling point, then add the heated sugar and boil for seven minutes. Skim and strain into glasses.

CRABAPPLE JELLY

Cut apples in halves, cut out the spots but not the core; put in a kettle, cover with cold water, cook until soft, strain through a jelly bag. Measure, boil twelve minutes, add heated sugar allowing three-fourths of a pound sugar (one one-half cups) to a pint of juice, boil for one minute, take from the fire, add juice one lemon to 2 qts, juice, strain into glasses.

GOOSEBERRY JAM

• 4 pounds gooseberries
• 4 pounds sugar

Wash and drain the gooseberries, add the sugar, put on the back of the range and heat slowly to the boiling point and cook until thick.

RASPBERRY JAM

Pick over berries, mash and allow ¾ lb, sugar to 1 lb. fruit, cook slowly forty-five minutes to one hour.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Follow recipe for Raspberry Jam.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Pick over and wash three cups cranberries, add one and one-fourth cups sugar, one cup boiling water. Boil for fifteen minutes.

RHUBARB CONSERVE

• 5 pounds rhubarb 
• 7 pounds sugar
• 2 pineapples 
• 4 oranges

Cut rhubarb and pineapple in small pieces, slice oranges very thin, leaving on the rind, add sugar and let stand overnight; in the morning cook until quite thick.

PLUM CONSERVE

• 5 pounds of plums
• 4 oranges
• 5 pounds sugar
• 1 pound raisins
• 1 cup English walnuts

Cut plums, remove stones, add sugar and orange pulp cut in pieces, the yellow rind chopped; add raisins and nuts, and boil all together until thick. (Green gages or blue plums may be used.)

CHERRY CONSERVE

• 5 pounds cherries
• 4 oranges
• 1 pound seeded raisins.
• 1 cup English walnuts
• 5 pounds sugar

Pit cherries, add sugar, oranges sliced and peeld, chopped, add raisins, and nuts broken in pieces. Boil all together until thick (about forty-five minutes.)

GRAPE CONSERVE

• 6 pounds blue grapes 1 cup English walnuts
• 1 pound figs
• 1 pound raisins
• 5 pounds sugar
• Juice one lemon

Skin the grapes, cook pulp until soft, rub through a sieve, add the skins and other ingredients, boil for about one hour.

SUN-PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES

Hull the berries, weigh and allow sugar pound for pound. Let stand overnight, pour off the juice and boil for five minutes, then add the berries and boil five minutes. Spread on platters set in sun for fifteen hours (or five hours for three days,) cover with fine netting. Care must be taken that netting does not touch the fruit. Put in glasses and seal.

PRESERVED CURRANTS (COLD PROCESS)

• 1 pound Cherry Currants
• 1 pound sugar

Mash each currant, add the sugar and let stand one-half hour, then put in tight cans.

PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES OR CHERRIES

Weigh berries before hulling, using same weight of sugar. Put the sugar into a kettle and as the berries are hulled add them into the sugar. Put on back of range to heat slowly, when sugar is all dissolved let them boil briskly twenty minutes. Let stand in the kettle for three days in cool place, then can cold.

Cherries may be prepared in the same way, pitting them before putting into the sugar.

ORANGE MARMALADE

• 4 pounds oranges
• 4 pounds sugar

Remove peel from oranges in quarters, cover with boiling water and cook until tender, drain. Scrape to remove white portion, cut peel in shreds. Slice oranges, reject seeds and stringy portion; add sugar and cook slowly one hour, add rind and cook one hour longer. Fill jars or glasses.

PINEAPPLE AND STRAWBERRY

CONSERVE

• 3 quarts strawberries
• 1 large pineapple
• 4 pounds sugar

Crush the berries slightly, cut pineapple in dice, put in saucepan and bring to the boiling point, then add sugar and boil five minutes, skim out the fruit and cook the juice until quite thick, then add the fruit, heat thoroughly and put in glasses.

SPICED GRAPES

• 3 ½ pounds grapes
• 1 ½ pounds sugar
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 teaspoons each (cinnamon & clove)

Wash and stem the grapes, separate skins from pulp, cook pulp ten minutes, rub through sieve, add skins and other ingredients to the pulp and cook until thickened.

SPICED PLUMS

• 5 pounds plums 
• 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon 
• 3 pounds light brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon clove
• ¾ cup vinegar

Boil slowly for about one hour.

GINGER PEARS

• 4 pounds brown sugar 
• 4 lemons
• 1 pound candied ginger
• 8 pounds pears

Slice pears, add sugar and ginger, ent in small pieces, let stand overnight, in the morning add the lemons peeled and sliced thin, cook slowly about three hours, put in cans or stone jar. (Pears not fully ripe are best to use.)

PICKLES

In preparing pickles care must be taken that the vinegar is not too strong; it is quite safe to reduce pure cider vinegar by about one-third. When ground spices are used they should be tied in a muslin bag to prevent the pickles from becoming dark.

RIPE CUCUMBER PICKLES

Cut 5 large encumbers in quarters, peel, remove seeds. Cook slowly in boiling water to which is added two teaspoons salt, one teaspoon powdered

powdered alum to each quart of water; when clear drain, place in jar, pour over syrup made by boiling five minutes four cups sugar, one pint of vinegar with two tablespoons each whole cloves and cinnamon tied in a bag.

Scald the syrup three consecutive mornings.

OIL PICKLES

• 25 medium sized cucumbers
• 1 cup olive oil
• 4 onions
• 3 tablespoons celery seed
• 1 quart vinegar
• 3 tablespoons mustard seed

Peel and slice cucumbers and onions thin, sprinkle with salt, let stand for three hours, drain thoroughly, add other ingredients and put in bottles or cans.

CHUNK PICKLES

Fifty medium sized cucumbers, cover with strong brine (allowing two cups salt to four quarts water), let stand in brine three days, drain; let stand in clear water three days; cut in inch chunks, for seven pounds cucumbers take weak vinegar to cover (about three pints), add one teaspoon powdered alum, simmer slowly two hours.

Skim out cucumbers, put in a large stone jar, add to the vinegar three pounds sugar, one ounce each whole allspice, cinnamon and celery seed, boil five minutes and pour over the pickles.

MUSTARD PICKLES

• For Brining:
• 6 large Cucumbers
• 1 qt. small Cucumbers
• 1 qt. small onions
• 1 qt. Small green tomatoes
• 1 large Cauliflower
• 6 green peppers
• 2 bunches celery
• For Cooking:
• 6 tablespoon mustard 
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 ½ cup cup sugar
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 cups cold water
• 3 pints vinegar
• 1 lemon 
• 1 red pepper

Six large cucumbers, peel and cut in thick slices. 1 qt. small cucumbers, 1 qt. small onions, 1 qt. small green tomatoes cut in half; 1 large cauliflower, 6 green peppers, 2 bunches celery. Soak in brine 24 hours, (allow 1 cup salt to 1 gallon water). 

In the morning scald in the same brine (or heat but don’t let it boil). Then, add six tablespoons mustard, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 ½ cup sugar, 1 cup of flour, with 2 cups cold water; add 3 pints vinegar. Cook ½ hour with the vegetables, then add 1 lemon peeled and sliced and 1 red pepper.

PICKLED PEACHES

• 7 pounds peaches
• ⅓ cup stick cinnamon 
• ¼ cup whole clove
• 3 pounds light brown sugar
• 1 pint vinegar 

Rub off the peaches or peel them and cook in the syrup until tender, fill jars and pour over the syrup.

PICKLED PEARS

Follow recipe for pickles peaches.

SLICED GREEN TOMATO PICKLE

• 1 peck green tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons mustard (wet in cold water)
• 1 quart vinegar
• 2 pounds sugar
• 1 tablespoon each (cinnamon and clove)

Cut tomatoes in one-fourth inch slices, cook in boiling salted water until tender, drain thoroughly. Put in a jar, sprinkle whole spices and mustard seed between layers-pour over the hot vinegar. A few slices of onion may be added.

BORDEAUX SAUCE

• 2 quarts cabbage 
• 1 quart green tomatoes
• ½ tablespoon turmeric 
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed
• 5 small onions
• ½ tablespoon whole allspice 
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 red pepper 
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt 
• 1 quart vinegar

Slice cabbage, tomatoes, onions and pepper very thin. Boil all together for one-half hour and can.

LITTLE CUCUMBER PICKLES

• 250 small cucumbers
• 2 quarts & one pint vinegar
• ½ cup salt 
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup mustard seed
• ½ cup horseradish root, cut fine
• 1 teaspoon powdered alum
• 1 tablespoon whole clove 
• 1 tablespoon whole cinnamon
• 2 green peppers, cut fine

Pour boiling water over the cucumbers, let stand overnight, in the morning drain. Boil the vinegar with all the ingredients and pour hot over the cucumbers.

CUCUMBER PICKLES (COLD PROCESS)

• 2 gallons vinegar 
• ½ cup whole clove
• ½ cup whole allspice
• ½ cup stick cinnamon
• ½ cup mustard seed
• 2 teaspoons powdered alum
• ½ cup salt
• ½ cup horseradish root

Scald vinegar, spices and alum, cool, add salt and horseradish root; put in stone jar and add cucumbers as picked.

SLICED CUCUMBER PICKLE

• 1 quart sliced cucumbers 
• 20 whole cloves
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Vinegar

Peel and slice cucumbers, onion and pepper thin; sprinkle with salt, let stand three hours, drain. Add other ingredients with enough vinegar to cover. Scald fifteen minutes but do not boil.

SWEET PICKLED WATERMELON

Cut skin from melon rind, cut in two-inch squares, soak twenty-four hours in salted water; drain, cook in boiling water until clear (about two hours.) Make a syrup of one quart of vinegar, four pounds sugar; add two tablespoons cinnamon, one tablespoon clove in a bag. Add the rind and cook until tender, take from the fire, let stand overnight, in the morning put rind in a jar, cook the syrup until thick and pour over the rind.

PRESERVED TOMATOES

• 1 lb. yellow pear tomatoes 
• ⅓ cup candied ginger 
• 1 pound sugar
• 2 lemons

Cover tomatoes with boiling water to remove skins, add sugar and stand over night; in morning drain off syrup and cook until thick; add ginger and lemons sliced thin. Cook until tomatoes are clear.

INDIA RELISH

• 1 cabbage
• 6 onions
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 2 teaspoons mustard seed
• 1 pint vinegar

Chop the cabbage and onions, put in layers in jar with salt, stand twenty-four hours, rinse and drain. Boil vinegar, sugar and spices, pour over the cabbage and let stand over night; in the morn ing boil all together five minutes.

SHIRLEY SAUCE

• 12 ripe tomatoes
• 2 cups vinegar
• ⅓  cup sugar
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 3 red peppers

Peel and slice tomatoes, remove seeds from peppers and chop with the onion, add vinegar, sugar and salt. Cook slowly three hours and bottle.

CHILI SAUCE

• 18 large ripe tomatoes 
• ½ tablespoon ground clove 
• 2 cups vinegar
• 4 green peppers
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 4 onions

Peel tomatoes and onions, remove seeds from the peppers, chop all fine, then boil slowly about three hours

TOMATO KETCHUP

Boil tomatoes until soft, rub through a sieve, to each gallon of pulp add three tablespoons salt, one half tablespoon pepper, two tablespoons ground mustard, one-eighth teaspoon cayenne pepper, one fourth teaspoon allspice, two teaspoons cinnamon, two cups vinegar, one cup sugar. Boil slowly until thick.

MINCE MEAT

• 4 quarts chopped apple 
• 2 quarts cooked chopped lean beef
• 1 quart chopped suet
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 cups cut raisins
• 2 cups English currants
• 2 cups cider
• 2 cups boiled cider
• 1 cup shaved citron 
• Juice two lemons
• 1 cup brandy
• 2 teaspoons clove
• 2 cups molasses 
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 small nutmegs

Boil all together for one hour.

GRAPE JUICE

• 3 quarts grapes stemmed 
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 quart water

Cook the grapes and water until soft, strain, add sugar, boil for three minutes and bottle.

ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING

• 2 cups stale bread crumbs
• 1 cup flour
• ½ pound suet chopped fine 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• Little nutmeg
• 2 cups raisins
• ½ cup currants
• ½ cup dates or figs
• ¼ pound citron
• Juice and grated rind 1 lemon
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon hot water

Mix in the order given, steam for four hours.

TO PRESERVE EGGS FOR WINTER USE

To 10 qts. water add 1 qt. of fresh slaked lime and 2 cups of common salt. Put eggs in a large jar or butter tub, cover with the mixture. Add water occasionally as it evaporates. (Eggs are best to put down in the spring.

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