Last week, i picked my sister’s currant patch. This week i bought a lot of stone fruit. So today I’m making red current jelly and spiced stewed fruit. I really like being able to pull the street fruit out of the freezer in the middle of winter and enjoy the summer flavors.
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What do you do, cook the fruit then freeze it? Sounds easier than canning it. I can a bushel of peachs every year and its a lot of work.
Youre right though, nothing better than a bowl of canned fruit in january. Like a shot of.summer.
Yes, I basically follow a canning recipe, but don’t cook it quite as hot, (or don’t worry about the temp, anyway) and then I put it into plastic containers and freeze it. And yes, it’s delicious, especially in the middle of the winter.
The jelly is more work, but it’s totally worth it. Cook the currants until they are soft and translucent, and squeeze out the juice. Measure it, and add 3/4 cup sugar for every cup of juice. Boil slowly, skimming scum from time to time, until the temp is 219F, then pour into glass bottles (that I’ve previously boiled.) You don’t need to be super careful with jelly, because it’s both too sweet and too sour for botulism, and nothing else dangerous wants to grow in it, either. But I want everything to be extremely clean to reduce the risk of getting some mold, which ruins the flavor even if it doesn’t hurt you.
I bought a freezer during the nadir of the pandemic, when I was avoiding shopping, and having frozen meat delivered. So I have a lot of freezer space. I love having the freezer, as it turns out.
So you think I should do that with my bushel of peaches that I do every year? Or stick to canning.
I think you need to answer that. Do you have freezer space? Do you have freezer containers (plastic)? Do you have canning containers (glass)? How much of a pain to you is the sterilizing part of canning?
You still need to wash, cut, and at least partially cook the peaches.
Also, if you need help getting rid of those peaches, it’s easier for you to ship me canned peaches than frozen. 
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Actually, good point. I give away most of my canning , better for folks if they’re taking home jars than freezer packs.