Sugar is used in canning fruit for the purpose of improving flavor and is not necessary for preservation.
Thin syrup—1 part sugar to 2 parts water for sweet fruits.
Medium Syrup—1 part sugar to 1 part water for berries and medium sweet fruits.
Thick Syrup—2 parts sugar to 1 part water for sour fruits.
To make syrup add sugar to boiling water. Stir until all sugar is dissolved, then boil 2 or 3 minutes.
Canned Peaches
Scald sound, firm freestone peaches, a small number at a time, in boiling water just long enough to loosen skins; dip them quickly into cold water and slip off skins. Cut peaches in halves, and remove stones. Have ready a syrup made by boiling sugar and water together until sugar has dissolved, using 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar to each cup water. Allow about 1 cup syrup for each quart jar of peaches. Put in 1 cracked peach pit for every quart of syrup.
Can-cooked Method.—Pack peaches in overlapping layers with rounded side uppermost and blossom end facing glass. Fill each jar with hot syrup and adjust rubber, cover and upper clamp, thus partly sealing jar. Place jars on a rack in hot water to cover tops to a depth of 1 inch. Bring water to boiling point, and boil pint jars 16 minutes, quart jars 20 minutes. Remove jars, seal and invert to cool.
Open-kettle Method.—Cook peaches in syrup until tender; then with sterilized spoon slip them carefully into sterilized jar; fill jar to overflowing with syrup. Adjust rubber, cover, seal immediately, and invert to cool.