🥫 My Proudest Canning Projects
Lemon Curd • Blackberry Pie Filling • Spicy Nacho Cheese
🥫 Three proud canning projects — Lemon Curd, Blackberry Pie Filling, and Spicy Nacho Cheese Sauce!
📌 In This Article
🥫 My Proudest Canning Projects
"I wanted to say hi and show a few of my latest projects that I'm most proud of! Lemon Curd, Blackberry Pie Filling, Spicy Nacho Cheese Sauce." 🥫✨
There's nothing quite like the feeling of seeing rows of beautifully canned jars on your pantry shelf. Each one represents hours of work, a labor of love, and the satisfaction of preserving something delicious. Today, I'm sharing three of my proudest projects — each one unique, challenging, and absolutely worth the effort.
Whether you're a seasoned canner or just getting started, these recipes are sure to inspire you. From the bright, tangy Lemon Curd to the rich, spicy Nacho Cheese Sauce, there's something here for every taste. So grab your apron, fire up the canner, and let's get started!
🍋 Lemon Lime Curd
🍋 Traditional lemon curd — bright, tangy, and luscious
Lemon curd is a traditional British dessert topping. It is made from lemon or lime juice, egg white, egg yolk, butter, and sugar. It is similar to lemon custard, but traditionalists feel that curd has more lemon flavor than lemon custard.
Made fresh, it has a refrigerator shelf life of approximately 1 week. Canned, it can have a shelf life of approximately 3 to 4 months. If you don't mind the darkening that occurs, it can have a shelf life of up to 1 year.
This recipe and process was developed and research tested by the University of Georgia, National Center for Home Food Preservation.
📦 Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup lemon or lime zest
- 1 cup bottled lemon or lime juice
- ¾ cup butter
- 7 large egg yolks
- 4 large whole eggs
📝 Instructions
- Wash jars: Wash four half-pint canning jars with warm, soapy water. Rinse well; keep hot until ready to fill. Prepare canning lids according to manufacturer's directions.
- Prepare canner: Fill boiling water canner with enough water to cover the filled jars by 1 to 2 inches. Preheat water to 180°F.
- Combine sugar and zest: Combine sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl, stir to mix, and set aside about 30 minutes.
- Cook curd: In the top of a double boiler, whisk egg yolks and whole eggs together. Slowly whisk in sugar and zest. Blend in lemon juice and add butter pieces.
- Heat: Place over boiling water. Stir gently but continuously until mixture reaches 170°F.
- Strain and fill: Remove from heat, strain through a mesh strainer. Fill hot curd into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.
- Process: Process in boiling water canner for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude).
- Cool: Let cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours and check for seals.
🫐 Blackberry Pie Filling
🫐 Blackberry pie filling — batch two of five quarts!
Blackberry pie filling is a summer favorite that allows you to enjoy the taste of fresh berries all year round. This recipe uses Clearjel as a thickener, which ensures a perfect pie consistency every time.
The key to this recipe is gently folding in the berries to keep them whole and beautiful. The result is a rich, berry-packed filling that will make your pies the star of any dessert table.
📦 Ingredients
- 5 quarts fresh blackberries (washed and dried)
- 1 ¾ cup Clearjel
- 5 cups sugar
- 7 ½ cups water
- ½ cup lemon juice
📝 Instructions
- Combine: In a large pot, combine sugar, Clearjel, and water. Mix well and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add lemon juice: Add lemon juice and stir.
- Add berries: Gently fold in blackberries.
- Fill jars: Fill hot quart jars leaving at least 1 inch headspace.
- Process: Process in a water bath canner for 30 minutes (adjust for altitude).
🧀 Spicy Nacho Cheese Sauce
🧀 Spicy nacho cheese sauce — 16 half-pints of cheesy goodness!
This spicy nacho cheese sauce is the perfect addition to your game day spread or taco night. Made with real American cheese, butter, cream, and a kick of dried jalapeño and cayenne, it's rich, creamy, and packed with flavor.
The secret is using dried peppers for a concentrated heat that infuses the sauce beautifully. This recipe yields 16 half-pint jars — plenty to share or keep all to yourself!
📦 Ingredients
- 4 lbs American cheese (cubed)
- 5 sticks of butter (2.5 cups)
- 32 oz heavy cream
- 1 large red onion (finely diced)
- 1 large tomato (drained of juices)
- 3 dried jalapeño peppers (crushed)
- 1 dried cayenne pepper (crushed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
📝 Instructions
- Melt butter: In a large stockpot, melt butter on low. Once fully melted, turn heat up to medium-low and add onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add cream and cheese: Slowly add heavy cream and cheese. Cook on low until cheese is melted and sauce becomes consistent.
- Add seasonings: Add tomatoes, dried peppers, and salt & pepper to taste.
- Fill jars: Pour sauce into hot ½ pint jars.
- Process: Process in a water-bath canner for 25 minutes (adjust for altitude).
💡 Pro Tip: This recipe yielded 16 half-pints — adjust quantities based on your desired batch size!
📄 Printable Recipe Cards
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ LEMON CURD ║
║ BLACKBERRY PIE FILLING ║
║ SPICY NACHO CHEESE SAUCE ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
LEMON CURD (4 half-pints):
2½ c sugar · ½ c zest · 1 c lemon juice · ¾ c butter · 7 yolks · 4 eggs
Process 15 min (water bath)
BLACKBERRY FILLING (5 quarts):
5 qts blackberries · 1¾ c Clearjel · 5 c sugar · 7½ c water · ½ c lemon juice
Process 30 min (water bath)
NACHO CHEESE (16 half-pints):
4 lbs American cheese · 5 sticks butter · 32 oz cream · Onion, tomato
Dried jalapeño & cayenne · Salt & pepper
Process 25 min (water bath)
"I wanted to say hi and show a few of my latest projects
that I'm most proud of!" 🥫
© CanningRebels — Proudest Canning Projects | Lemon Curd, Blackberry Filling & Nacho Cheese
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