Greetings All, I FINALLY got around to making the Apple Butter and wanted to give you all a big THANKS! Last weekend got consumed by errand, appointments, and social obligations so I was unable to get any cooking done. This weekend I put up the 'Do Not Disturb' sign, locked the door, and turned the phone off. Of course I didn't spend it all cooking. A lot of the time was spent turning nothing (counter space) into something (counter space). Unbelievable the amount of junk (and old canned goods) that accumulates in... Well, we won't go there. ;) Anyway, the recipe I chose was a basic one from the Ball canning book (starting simple). It didn't turn out GREAT and it wasn't terrible. I towards the end I thought it was tasting too sweet so I added an additional tablespoon of lemon juice. Maybe good, maybe not. There also seemed to be too much cinnamon and I might have cooked it down to far. It spread okay warm but I haven't tried it from the fridge. Anyway, fresh bread cut both the sugar and the cinnamon so I think I worried needlessly. There WAS an aftertaste of bottled lemon juice which I attribute to adding it in so late in the process. Over all it was tasty but I think it could be better... Next time. :D For now, I have most of it in the freezer in 4 ounce Rubbermaid containers. I'll vacuum seal those later and thaw as required. Once again, Thanks for all your help. Regards, Tim :)

I figured if it said get it within 24 hours of pressing they meant unpasteurized - so you don't want the bacteria to grow (or as you said start fermenting. BTW, I mixed up the Ball Complete (which makes your own juice) instructions with NCHFP, Ball says to keep it at 190 for 5 minutes, NCHFP doesn't. But do you have to start with unpasteurized juice to make a quality canned product? Yes, this is pasteurized juice from PA, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, and malic acid added. Process quarts 5m in pre-sterilized jars for best flavor? Will it still taste like cider? Or will 1 more processing added to what's already been done/added to it result in "muh" taste? I could pour some off each jug and just leave them in the garage to freeze, take into house as needed, but I don't know when we're going to get a thaw (about time, we're about 20 degrees below normal)!

Nancy, I'm just happy that you posted this question, since I had never heard of Candy Apple Jelly. I looked up the recipe on line, and plan on making some later this week. My son wanted to make something with apples, and the local ones aren't quite in season yet, so this will keep him happy till then! For others who may not have heard of it before, I thought I would post the recipe: CANDY APPLE JELLY 4 cups apple juice 1/2 cup red-hot candies 1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin 4 1/2 cups sugar DIRECTIONS In a large kettle, combine apple juice, candies and pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off any foam and undissolved candies. Pour hot liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water bath. Thanks again for the idea! Bonnie

ThatÂs a good first posting, RH. I think you are a smart inquirer. Not that it matters. But, hereÂs a reply. Your query, "How long do these iron pipes last," is a great new question. The answer is, it depends. Aw Shucks. You see, if there are no extenuating circumstances, cast iron pipes are about as good as it gets. Of course, that is for old installations, such as yours. You can hardly beat PVC for new work. That said, if you have CI and it is properly installed, it will outlive you. I had a bad experience in a rental house. The idiots (sorry, they arenÂt that clever) installed CI piping when the sewers came thru after septic systems were the norm. It would have been just fine, except that the DIYers were not up to the task. They installed the new lines with a reverse slope. That is, instead of having a natural drainage slope of ¼" per foot, they installed the new pipes so that there was a small negative slope; but altogether it was a total fall. That is, the 4-inch pipes were fully adequate to take the flow, but the negative slope meant that there was a dip in the run that always was wetted with sewage. This failed, as luck would have it, years later when I became the owner. The CI pipe (No-Hub) which is a different recipe than the older version, was eaten-thru, so that is eventually formed a leak. The lower surfaces were rotted away and the leaks were evident as thin skin on the bottom-most outside diameter. This could easily occur, unseen, underground. CI pipe is a premium product. If you have it, it should last a "lifetime." Whatever that means. But I canÂt help thinking PVC is a superior product. I have also used ABS. It, too, is a great material for the purpose. It is much lighter in weight, but very durable. I would like to see it become the standard. Pinoke