Fruit in syrup

[chadspad]

How would one go about preserving fruit (most likely plums) in jars with syrup please? How much sugar would be needed?
Thanks Wendy

[Luath]

Plums are very good done like this, and will keep for up to about a year; much better than freezing.
Wipe the plums over, cut in half and remove the stone. Pack into clean and dry preserving jars. Have ready your stock syrup - for fruits, use 1 lb sugar to 1 pint water - place in pan and heat gently until sugar thoroughly dissolved. Bring to almost a simmer, then pour over the fruit, put on the lids and process in a hot water bath for about 30 minutes. Use this for other drupes/stone fruits - cherries, gages, peaches, apricots, etc.
other fruits require more or less time in the processor/water bath.

Hope this helps, let us know how you get on.

[chadspad]

Thanks Luath,

Its my mum thats doing all the necessary but yes, will report back!

[ina]

You don't need that much sugar - you can use as little or as much as you like. I hardly use any at all, and my fruit keeps perfectly well - have had some for two years, and it was still ok. It's the hot water bath - well, boiling water - that preserves it. (My mum used to have a book that told you exactly what temperatures you needed for which fruit or veg - unfortunately I don't have that here, nor do I have the thermometer that went with it, so I improvise a bit. Length of time in water depends on size of jar, too.)

[Luath]

That's the amount of sugar I like to use, and have always used that much, so that's how I do it; it's the sort of standard old fashioned amount, I suppose, being a standard old fashioned sort of person. I do most of my fruits for around 30 - 40 minutes or so with good results. Works for me 8)

[ina]

Seeing that we are all supposed to eat less sugar, I've been trying over years to see how little I could get away with - and found out that it's mostly the temperature and working to a very high standard of cleanliness that prevents the stuff going off. That's not saying that sweet syrup with your fruit is not nice! It might just put off some people who'd rather not eat that much sugar. After all, you can buy canned (and bottled) fruit without added sugar, just preserved in fruitjuice. I've tried that this year, too, for the first time - juice made up from concentrate to double normal strength (which, of course, gives it more sweetness).

[Imp]

Glad I saw this, I've got a glut of fruit to preserve!

Can I ask a question? When in the 'bath' should the lids be sealed or open for Kilners and for screwtop jars?

Thanks