Can you can citrus fruits? Yes, you can can citrus fruits

 



Step 1 - Select the fruit
Pick fresh citrus that are not soft, moldy
or discolored.
The flavor of sweet citrus (such as oranges and clementines) is best if the
sections are canned with equal parts of grapefruit. Grapefruit may be canned
without oranges. Sections may be packed in your choice of water, citrus
juice or syrup.

Step 2 - Wash the fruit in plain cold water, no soap.

Step 3 - Get the jars and lids washed
The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sterilize" cycle; you
don't really have to sterilize the jars - the boiling water bath sterilizes
everything, jar, lid, contents and all; but you DO want to get the jars as clean as
you can first, it it can reduce the process time in the water bath which improves
quality. I get the dishwasher going while I'm preparing everything else, so the
jars are clean and hot (and less likely to crack when you put boiling hot fruit in
them) by the time I'm ready to fill the jars.
Lids: Put the lids into a pan of hot water for at least several minutes; to soften
up the gummed surface and clean the lids.

Step 4 -Peel the fruit.
Using your fingers, peel the skins and
remove any remaining white portion of
the rind, discard this - it is a tasteless
and spongy.

Step 5 -Pull the segments apart or slice
the oranges and lemons in segments or
in half; however you like!
Pull the segments apart by hand or cut in
half, across the segments, whichever you prefer. You may want to
also remove any seeds, as well.
More seriously, your should cut out and
discard the tough, white part in the
center - it's tough, bitter and
tasteless! Basically, anything that is
white, is bitter, and can be removed.
Save any juice that leaks out! You can
use it in the syrup solutions you will
make in the next step!

Step 7 - Prepare the syrup solution
Obviously, there needs to be some type of liquid around the fruit in the jars. It is
up to you whether you want to use a light or heave sugar solution, plain water , or
an artificial sweetener solution. If you want a sugar solution, a very light, light, or
medium syrup work best.
Adding syrup to canned fruit helps to retain its flavor, color and shape. It is not a
preservative; it does not prevent spoilage of
the fruit. That is accomplished by a combination of the water bath processing to
create a sterile environment, the jar sealing mechanism (lid and ring) to keep it
sealed, and the natural acidity of the fruit to prevent anything from growing.



Be careful when you pour any hot liquids into a glass jar. The jar can crack and shatter. Usually, I'll stick the jar upside down in the pan when softening and sterilizing the lids to get it a little hotter, but please be mindful that this could happen.











What can you do with leftover peels?