Hi Ann,

Yes, you can make as much syrup as you want and keep going indefinitely. (I don't know if you want to do that, though!) You can also make syrup ahead, refrigerate, reheat and do another batch the next day or later in the week. Sugar syrups keep very well.

As to your other question, usually the capacity claims are based on narrow-mouth jars. Wide-mouth take up more space. You can pack them snugly, but they shouldn't grate on each other, if you know what I mean. You don't want to risk scratching so that the glass loses its integrity. Then next time they're used you may find breakage when you open the canner. Also, if the jars are packed too tightly, it can be a real struggle to get the jar lifter over the tops to remove. So if you get over-ambitious with tight packing, it can come back and bite you.

Carol

I agree with the syrup amounts and how you can use it later. You can even can or freeze it for later.
I wouldn't pack the jars too tightly, you need to allow the water and heat to circulate around them. I agree with Carol, they shouldn't grate against each other.

Great! Thank you both for answers to both questions. I've got the apples peeled and cored and sitting in Fruit Fresh, am about to make syrup, so I'll just make some extra. And that was my instinct on the jars, glad to have it verified.

Ann

Linda Lou, I hadn't thought of doing that, but it's a great idea for leftovers. What's the time for canning sugar syrup?

Carol

When I made the spiced apple rings, I had a lot of extra syrup. I canned it as two extra half-pints using either the apple ring processing time since I was BWBing those anyway.

Melissa

Melissa, I use the same time, too, and add them to the canner if I have room. Carol, you know me, I tend to overkill, so I used the time for the fruit if I had the fruit in it for a hot pack. I did this when I made maraschino cherries. What a great thing the syrup was for adding to Sprite as a drink !

I canned my extra marschino syrup too. I don't know why I didn't think about applying it to the plain syrup. Usually I shove it in the fridge and forget about it. Just a brain lapse, I guess, LOL.

Carol

Ann - I note from your posts that you are as interested in the "sugars" as I am.

One of the ways that I feel I'm improving on the "sugar thing" is to combine a lot of my own fresh fruit with some of the commercial overly-sugared that I buy.

For instance, our plum tree has always been a big producer, also citrus is easier to come by than say - berries, pears, apples. So - if I buy canned juices - for instance, I mix it with some of my abundant plum puree or limes, lemon, mandarins, etc. It gives a bit of change to our diet too.

From some of Zabby's posts, I found that because of my limited berry crop, I could mix them with apple sauce, and get a variation of the old familiar plain kind.

When I buy cereal at the market, I usually opt for oat meal, make my own granola to use a lot of dried fruit that I have, (also marmalades and honey). So that way, I can control a lot of the sugars - to some extent - that we eat.

I've noticed now when I buy commercial products, to my taste, they usually are too sweet or too salty - isn't that great? - I seem to be keeping my weight under control as well. I am very pleased with my home preserving for those reasons.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay