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Publication #FCS8276

 

Selecting, Preparing, and Canning: Apricots -- Halved or Sliced 1

United States Department of Agriculture, Extension Service2

Quantity: An average of 16 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 10 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 50 pounds and yields 20 to 25 quarts -- an average of 2-1/4 pounds per quart.

Quality: Select firm, well-colored mature fruit of ideal quality for eating fresh.

Procedure: Dip fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins loosen. Dip quickly in cold water and slip off skins. Cut in half, remove pits and slice if desired. To prevent darkening, keep peeled fruit in ascorbic acid solution. Prepare and boil a very light, light, or medium syrup or pack apricots in water, apple juice, or white grape juice. Raw packs make poor quality apricots.

Processing directions for canning apricots in a dial or weighted-gauge canner are given in Table 1 and Table 2.

Tables

Table 1. 

Table 1. Process Times for Some Acid Foods in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner.
  Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Type of Fruit Style of Pack Jar Size 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
Fruit Purees 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

Hot and

Raw

Pints or

Quarts

 10 6 7 8 9
Pears Hot Pints or Quarts 10 6 7 8 9
Plums Hot and Raw Pints or Quarts 10 6 7 8 9
Rhubarb Hot Pints or Quarts 8 6 7 8 9
Table 2. 

Table 2. Process Times for Some Acid Foods in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner.
  Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Type of Fruit Style of Pack Jar Size

Process

Time (Min)

0-

1,000 ft

Above

1,000 ft
Applesauce Hot Pints 8 5 lb 10 lb
Hot Quarts 10 5 10
Apples, sliced Hot Pints or Quarts 8 5 10
Berries, whole Hot Pints or 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 Pints or Quarts 10 5 10
Fruit Purees Hot Pints or Quarts 8 5 10
Grapefruit and Orange Sections Hot Pints or Quarts 8 5 10
Raw Pints 8 5 10
Raw Quarts 10 5 10
Peaches, Apricots, and Nectarines

Hot and

Raw

Pints or Quarts 10 5 10
Pears Hot Pints or Quarts 10 5 10
Plums Hot and Raw Pints or Quarts 10 5 10
Rhubarb Hot Pints or Quarts 8 5 10

Footnotes

1.

This document is FCS 8276, 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. Reviewed: June 2008 and March 2011. 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 website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

2.

Reviewed for use in Florida by Amy Simonne, assistant professor, Food Safety and Quality, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, 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. Nick T. Place, Dean.