USDA Fruit Cocktail

Gather

Ingredients

• 3 lbs peaches
• 3 lbs pears
• 1-1/2 lbs slightly underripe seedless green grapes
• 10-oz jar of maraschino cherries
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 cups water

Preserve

Instructions

1. 01

   Stem and rinse the grapes, then place them in an ascorbic-acid bath. Loosen peach skins in boiling water for 1-1/2 minutes or less, chill, peel, pit, and cut the flesh into 1/2-inch cubes; add the cubes to the holding solution.

2. 02

   Peel, halve, and core the pears. Cut them into 1/2-inch cubes and hold them with the peaches and grapes.

3. 03

   Dissolve 3 cups sugar in 4 cups water and bring the syrup to a boil. Drain the prepared fresh fruit.

4. 04

   Put 1/2 cup hot syrup and a few maraschino cherries into each hot half-pint or pint jar. Add the mixed fruit gently, cover with more syrup, and keep 1/2-inch headspace; remove bubbles, wipe rims, and apply lids.

5. 05

   At 0-1,000 ft, process half-pints or pints for 20 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Increase the time.
   Calculate your elevation adjustment →