Bottled Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemons and Limes
My kids love mandarin oranges so naturally I wondered why I couldn’t bottle my own oranges. I was amazed how easy it was!
Step 1: Gather ingredients and Equipment
- Fruit – The great thing about canning oranges is you can do as many or as few as you’d like. I used 1 15lb bag of navel California oranges and 6 very large grapefruit. The flavor of the oranges is best when canned with a bit of grapefruit.
- Water (or orange juice) – About 6 cups
- Sugar (optional) – ¾ Cup per 6 cups of water makes a light syrup.
- Canning Equipment – Jar grabber, lid magnet, ladle, funnel, etc.
- Medium Pot – For syrup
- Large pot or canner – For hot water bath
- Jars and Rings – For oranges I like to use a variety of sizes from ½ pint to quart.
Step 2: Prepare Jars and Lids
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Step 3: Peel the skins off the oranges and remove as much of the white part as you can.
Step 4: Pull the orange segments apart. Again, remove as much of the white part as you can.
Step 5: Prepare the syrup by adding 6 cups of water and ¾ of a cup of sugar (more if desired) in a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil.
Step 6: Fill your jars with oranges, don’t pack them too tight. Fill jars with boiling syrup, leaving ½ inch of head space. Slide a plastic knife around the edges to remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims with a clean wet rag. Secure lids and rings.
Step 7: Process jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, no matter the size of the jar. Remove jars from canner and allow cooling for 24 hours.
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