Mixed Fruit Cocktail Recipe

Makes 6 pints

Ingredients:

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

    • Special Equipment: Pint or half-pint jars

    Instructions:

    1. Stem and wash grapes, and keep in ascorbic acid solution.
    2. Dip ripe but firm peaches, a few at a time, in boiling water for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes to loosen skins.
    3. Dip in cold water and slip off skins.
    4. Cut in half, remove pits, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and keep in solution with grapes.
    5. Peel, halve, and core pears.
    6. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes, and keep in solution with grapes and peaches.
    7. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
    8. Drain mixed fruit.
    9. Add 1/2 cup of hot syrup to each jar, then add a few cherries and gently fill the jar with mixed fruit and more hot syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
    10. Adjust lids and process in a boiling-water canner according to the altitude. At 0 - 1,000 ft, process for 20 minutes. At 1,001 - 3,000 ft, process for 25 minutes. At 3,001 - 6,000 ft, process for 30 minutes. Above 6,000 ft, process for 35 minutes.