Canning citrus juice is an open ended recipe. Squeeze as much as you wish, and strain as much of the pulp out to your preference. I used 12 cups juice, which produced 6 pints worth. My smaller canning kettle holds 7 pints, but I ran out of navel oranges to squeeze.
Is canning OJ worth your time? Maybe. Maybe not. I had gotten a deal on navel oranges and the supplies to do it. I like having juice around for the rare times I serve it (often when a kid is sick). I find if I buy a big container at the store, it gets sucked down. And none of us need that much sugar. A pint is enough for the two boys with no leftovers. And more so, I know what is in it. 100% juice and no sketchy “flavor packets” that commercial orange juice has added. And well….it gives you shelf stable juice, in glass!
Canned Orange Juice
Ingredients:
- Freshly squeezed orange juice
- Pint mason jars, new lids and rings
Directions:
Add rings and lids to a small saucepan and fill ¾ with water. Bring the small pot to a simmer, take off heat.
Place clean canning mason jars in a canning kettle, fill jars with water, and the pot about half full. Bring to a boil.
Add orange juice to a tall saucepan or stockpot. Heat over medium until it registers 190°, watch it so it doesn’t boil.
Lay out a clean kitchen towel on counter, drain jars and place on towel. Dip funnel and ladle into boiling water to sterilize.
Pour hot orange juice into jars, leaving ½″ head space. Take a new damp paper towel, wipe the rim of each jar. Place a lid on top, then a ring, hand tightening on. Place jars in canning rack, lower into canning pot. Turn heat up to high, bring to a rolling boil (make sure the jars are fully covered with water – if not, add in some of the reserved hot water from the pan used for the lids). Once boiling, process for 10 minutes for pints. Remove from pot, let cool on a dry towel overnight, listening for the ping sound as they cool.
Test lids by pressing gently and making sure they are flat and do not bounce back up. If any do not seal, consume soon and keep refrigerated. For best long-term storage, take rings off jars, keep jars in a cool, dry and dark place, and use within a year. The juice will separate during storage. This does not affect it.
Chill and shake well before serving.
~Sarah