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Selecting, Preparing and Canning: Plums, Halved or Whole1

United States Department Of Agriculture, Extension Service2

Quantity: An average of 14 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 9 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 56 pounds and yields 22 to 36 quarts — an average of 2 pounds per quart.

Quality: Select deep-colored, mature fruit of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking.

Procedure: Stem and wash plums. To can whole, prick skins on two sides of plums with fork to prevent splitting. Freestone varieties may be halved and pitted. Prepare very light, light, or medium syrup. Hot pack — Add plums to hot syrup and boil 2 minutes. Cover saucepan and let stand 20 to 30 minutes. Fill jars with hot plums and cooking syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Raw pack — Fill jars with raw plums, packing firmly. Add hot syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process.

Processing directions for canning plums in a boiling-water canner are given in Table 1, in a dial-gauge canner are given in Table 2, and in a weighted canner are given in Table 3.

Tables

Table 1. 

Table 1. Recommended process time for Plums, halved or whole in a boiling-water canner

Process Time at Altitudes of
Styleof Pack
 JarSize
 0-1,000 ft
 1,001-3,000 ft


 3,001-6,000 ft
 Above6,000 ft
HotandRaw
 Pints
 20 min
 25
 30
 35
Quarts
 25
 30
 35
 40
*After the process is complete, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait five minutes before removing jars.



Table 2. 
Table 2. Process Times for Some Acid Foods in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner.

Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Typeof Fruit
 Style of Pack


 JarSize


 Process Time (Min)
 0-2,000 ft
 2,001-4,000 ft
 4,001-6,000 ft
 6,001-8,000 ft
Applesauce
 Hot
 Pints
 8
 6 lb
 7 lb
 8 lb
 9 lb
Hot
 Quarts
 10
 6
 7
 8
 9
Apples,sliced
 Hot
 Pints or Quarts


 8
 6
 7
 8
 9
Berries,whole
 Hot
 Pints or Quarts


 8
 6
 7
 8
 9
Raw
 Pints
 8
 6
 7
 8
 9
Raw
 Quarts
 10
 6
 7
 8
 9
Cherries,sour or sweet
 Hot
 Pints
 8
 6
 7
 8
 9
Hot
 Quarts
 10
 6
 7
 8
 9
Raw
 Pints or Quarts


 10
 6
 7
 8
 9
FruitPurees
 Hot
 Pints or Quarts


8
 6
 7
 8
 9
Grapefruit and Orange Sections
 Hot
 Pints or Quarts


 8
 6
 7
 8
 9
Raw
 Pints
 8
 6
 7
 8
 9
Raw
 Quarts
 10
 6
 7
 8
 9
Peaches,Apricots, and Nectarines
 Hotand Raw
 Pints or Quarts


 10
 6
 7
 8
 9
Pears
 Hot
 Pints or Quarts


 10
 6
 7
 8
 9
Plums
 Hotand Raw
Pints or Quarts


 10
 6
 7
 8
 9
Rhubarb
 Hot
 Pints or Quarts


 8
 6
 7
 8
 9
*After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face.



Table 3. 
Table 3. Process Times for Some Acid Foods in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner

Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Typeof Fruit
 Styleof Pack
 JarSize
 Process Time (Min)
 0-1,000 ft
 Above1,000 ft
Applesauce
 Hot
 Pints
 8
 5 lb
 10 lb
Hot
 Quarts
 10
 5
 10
Apples,sliced
 Hot
 Pintsor Quarts
 8
 5
 10
Berries,whole
 Hot
 Pintsor Quarts
 8
 5
 10
Raw
 Pints
 8
 5
 10
Raw
 Quarts
 10
 5
 10
Cherries,sour or sweet
 Hot
 Pints
 8
 5
 10
Hot
 Quarts
 10
 5
 10
Raw
 Pintsor Quarts
 10
 5
 10
Fruit Purees
 Hot
 Pintsor Quarts
 8
 5
 10
Grapefruitand Orange Sections
 Hot
 Pintsor Quarts
 8
 5
 10
Raw
 Pints
 8
 5
 10
Raw
 Quarts
 10
 5
 10
Peaches, Apricots, and Nectarines
 HotandRaw
Pintsor Quarts
 10
 5
 10
Pears
 Hot
 Pintsor Quarts
 10
 5
 10
Plums
 Hotand Raw
 Pintsor Quarts
 10
 5
 10
Rhubarb
 Hot
 Pintsor Quarts
 8
 5
 10
*After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face.



Footnotes

1. This document is FCS 8299, a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: May 2003. Revised: July 2005. Reviewed: June 2008. This document was extracted from the Complete Guide to Home Canning, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. It was originally published on CD-ROM as part of HE 8148, Guide 2: Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Fruit and Fruit Products. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

2. Reviewed for use in Florida by Amy Simonne, assitant professor, , Food Safety and Quality, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl, 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.