Zell Wood

I am in love with this recipe and thought I would share. It was taken from a canning book from the 1880's (from what I was told) and altered by my great Grandma.

Amaretto Cherries

Ingredients
I. 1 Large Lemon (Zest all the Yellow)                                                                                                          
II. 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
III. 2 1/2 cups water
IV. 2 cups sugar
V. 7 cups pitted cherries
VI. 2 tablespoons Amaretto Liqueur (per pint)

Directions
Combine lemon zest, tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 table spoon amaretto, water and 2-4 pitted cherries in a blender and blend on high, place the blended concoction in saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, add in the sugar, continue to boil for about a minute. Pack the cherries into hot jars and add 1-2 tablespoons of the Amaretto Liqueur to each jar, add in boiled concoction leaving ½ headspace. Process in a pressure canner at 5 pounds for 10 minutes.

This is how I can Bacon Grease It is 99% the same steps as above but some parts are very different.

Clarified Bacon Grease
Ingredients
I. 4 cup rendered bacon fat
II. 4 cups cold water, divided
III. Fine mesh strainer
IV. Cheese cloth  
Directions
Strain hot rendered bacon fat through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan.  Add 2 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and gently boil for 1-2 minutes.  Transfer to a heat-proof container and add the remaining 2 cup of cold water.  Refrigerate until the fat has solidified. The mixture will separate into a layer of clarified fat and a layer of water mixed with impurities.  Remove the solidified fat and discard the water and impurities.
Place the clarified bacon fat in a container and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months to a year, yields about 1 quart of of rendered bacon grease.
Stop here for simple clarified Bacon Grease, Continue for canning instructions.

Reheat the fat to boiling and restrain it through cheese cloth that is layered over fine mesh strainer and into an extremely clean deep fryer, bring the grease up to 250-300 degrees, DO NOT LET THE GREASE GET UP TO 320 DEGREES (!!), Allow the grease to stay 250-300 degrees for at least 90 minutes, allow grease to cool to a more manageable temperature (I like to pour the hot grease back into a hot sauce pan to make straining it into jars easier) and strain through cheese cloth that is layered over fine mesh strainer and  into hot sterilized jars leaving 1 inch head space.
Process in a pressure canner at 15 pounds for 90 minutes.
* Yields about 1 quart of canned bacon grease
!!!***Disclaimer The USDA does not recommend canning Bacon Grease in any form***!!!
!!!***You are responsible for your own health ***!!!