2 cups water
½ cup lemon juice
2 cups organic cane sugar
1½ teaspoons agar agar
4 pounds firm stone fruit, pitted and sliced into bite-sized pieces
½ teaspoon spice, optional
Put the water, lemon juice, sugar, agar agar and spice into a nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. I like to add a hint of spice such as cinnamon, cardamom or garam masala. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the fruit to the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes to be sure that the fruit is hot all the way through.
Prepare four 16-ounce jars for storing the finished pie filling. Remove the pot from the heat and fill the jars, being mindful to distribute the juice evenly between them. Leave ½ inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and process in a hot water bath canner for 12 minutes. Jars will keep for up to a year. Yields 4 pints.
About the author
Jordan Champagne is the co-owner and founder of Happy Girl Kitchen Co.
She has a passion for preserving the local, organic harvest and loves sharing
her secrets at workshops she teaches in Pacific Grove and in Oakland.
