Selecting, Preparing and Canning: Plums, Halved or Whole1
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. 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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Footnotes
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
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.
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