Bottle
fresh mandarins in water, honey, fruit juice or syrup to enjoy all year long! Serve
preserved mandarins with yoghurt or chia pudding, on top of a leafy green /
walnut salad, as part of a cheese platter, decorating desserts – they’re
delicious with vanilla ice-cream - or simply enjoy straight from the jar. This
recipe can also be used for clementines, grapefruit, oranges, pomelo, tangelos
and tangerines.
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Ingredients for BOTTLED MANDARINS
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Yield: 1 litre
(4 cups)
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Yield:
4.5 litres
(18 cups)
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Yield: 7 litres
(28 cups)
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Mandarins
(Firm,
Sweet)
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900g (2 pounds)
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4kg (9 pounds)
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6.3kg (14 pounds) |
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Pectinase
(Optional)
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1 teaspoon (approximately – refer to
packaging)
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Water, Citrus Juice or Syrup
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Refer to syrup
chart below for syrup ingredients and quantities.
Very light, light
or medium syrup is recommended.
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1. Weigh fruit to determine the bottling yield.
Choose mature fruit that is firm and sweet.
2. Sterilise all equipment by washing in hot
soapy water and rinsing well before use.
3. Wash and peel mandarins, discarding white pith
(this causes bitterness in the preserved fruit).
4. Optional: Place mandarin segments into pectinase
water (i.e. 1 teaspoon pectinase dissolved in 2.5 litres water) to soak for 6-12
hours to dissolve the pith. Repeat washing, peeling and soaking with the
remaining fruit. Pectinase soaking can be done at room temperature or in the
refrigerator overnight.
5. Prepare jars by boiling in a pot of water for
10 minutes before filling (if required).
6. Soak lids in hot water (not on heat) for at
least 5 minutes before use.
7. Prepare syrup (if using), ensuring all sugar
has dissolved. Refer to syrup chart below.
8. Heat water, citrus juice or syrup until hot.
9. Drain mandarins and gently rinse with fresh
water. Drain fruit.
10. HOT
PACK: Combine fruit and hot syrup (off heat) to warm fruit through.
11. Remove jars from hot water and place onto a
heatproof surface i.e. tea towel.
12. Pack hot jars with the hot (or raw) fruit to 1cm
(1/2 inch) from the rim of each jar.
13. Add hot syrup (or other liquid) into each jar,
filling to 1cm (1/2 inch) from the rim of each jar.
14. Using a non-metal utensil, remove any bubbles
and add more hot syrup/juice if required to correct the headspace if it dropped
below 1.25cm (1/2 inch) from the jar rim. Excess syrup can be frozen for
later use.
15. Wipe jar rims with a damp paper towel to
remove any food residue.
16. Remove lids from hot water and seal jars i.e.
twist to secure “fingertip tight”.
17. Process jars in water bath or pressure canner
as per charts below:
BOILING
WATER CANNER (WATER BATH):
18.
Return jars of bottled mandarins into the pot of boiling water and boil for the
processing time stated below. Start the timer once the water comes back to a
full boil.
19. Turn off the heat source once the time is up. Remove jars from hot
water after 5 more minutes. Cool jars overnight on a heatproof surface i.e.
wooden board or towel. Do not adjust lids during this time.
PRESSURE
CANNING (DIAL OR WEIGHTED GAUGE):
18. Place sealed jars into the pressure canner
and secure the pressure canner lid. Put onto heat and vent for 5 minutes (begin
timing once the white steam is constant). Then add weights (or cover) and bring
to the required pressure level for your altitude (see charts
below). Once the pressure is reached, process for the time stated in the
charts below for your altitude. Reduce/increase the heat source to keep the
pressure at the constant level.
19. Turn off the heat source once the time is up.
Allow the pressure canner to return to zero and then remove the lid (be
careful, lid and canner will be very hot). After 5 more minutes, remove jars
from the pressure canner and place them onto a heatproof surface (i.e. wood
board or a towel). Do not adjust lids during this time.
20. After 12-24 hours: check jars have sealed
before labelling and dating clearly.21. Store jars of bottled mandarins in a cool,
dark and dry place (i.e. pantry) for up to 12 months. Jar lids should remain
tightly sealed during storage, and not flex up or down when pressed (which
indicates jar seal failure, do not consume).
22. Refrigerate jars upon opening and consume
contents within 5 days.
NOTES:
o 1/4 teaspoon
citric acid can be added to each litre/quart jar to help retain colour, if
desired;
o Pectinase may also be labelled as pectic enzymes. It is used to clarify wine and homebrew, as well as citrus pith/membranes – resulting in jewel-like preserved fruit! Pectinase is available from homebrew stores (and online) in powdered or liquid form.
Check the packaging for dosage and water quantity required.
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Syrup Chart for BOTTLED MANDARINS
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Syrup
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Sugar %
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1L (1
quart) batch
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4.5L (9 pint) batch |
7L (7 quart) batch |
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Very Light
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10%
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1 1/2 cups water
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3 tablespoons
sugar
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6 1/2 cups water |
3/4 cup sugar |
10 1/2 cups water |
1 1/4 cups sugar |
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Light
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20%
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1 1/3 cups water
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1/4 cup
sugar
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5 3/4 cups water |
1 1/2 cups sugar |
9 cups water |
2 1/2 cups sugar |
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Medium
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30%
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1 1/4 cups water |
1/2 cup
sugar |
5 1/4 cups water |
2 1/4 cups sugar |
8 1/4 cups water |
3 3/4 cups sugar |
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Citrus Juice
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varies
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1 1/2 cups fruit juice |
6 2/3 cups fruit juice |
10 2/3 cups fruit juice |
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Water
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0%
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1 1/2 cups water |
6 2/3 cups water |
10 2/3 cups water |
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Processing Time for BOTTLED MANDARINS in a Boiling Water Bath
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Jar
Size
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Altitude
≤ 1,000
feet
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Altitude
1,001 - 6,000
feet
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Altitude
>
6,000 feet
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Hot Pack
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≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
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10 minutes
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15 minutes
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20 minutes
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Processing Time for BOTTLED MANDARINS in a Dial Gauge Pressure Canner
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Jar Size
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Processing
Time
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Canner
Pressure
at
Altitude
≤ 2,000
feet
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Canner
Pressure
at
Altitude
2,001 – 4,000
feet
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Canner
Pressure
at
Altitude
4,001 -
6,000 feet
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Canner
Pressure
at
Altitude
6,001 -
8,000 feet
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Hot Pack
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≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
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8 minutes
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6 PSI
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7 PSI
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8 PSI
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9 PSI
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Raw Pack
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≤ 500ml
(pints)
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8 minutes
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6 PSI
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7 PSI
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8 PSI
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9 PSI
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≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
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10 minutes
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6 PSI
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7 PSI
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8 PSI
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9 PSI
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Processing Time for BOTTLED MANDARINS in a Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner
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Jar Size
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Processing
Time
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Canner
Pressure
at
Altitude ≤ 1,000 feet
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Canner
Pressure
at
Altitude ≥ 1,000 feet
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Hot Pack
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≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
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10 minutes
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5 PSI
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10 PSI
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Raw Pack
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≤ 500ml
(pints)
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8 minutes
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5 PSI
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10 PSI
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Raw Pack
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≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
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10 minutes
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5 PSI
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10 PSI
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Author:
Megan Radaich
Image Credit: Megan Radaich
Publication: www.foodpreserving.org