Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: Bernardin
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by Bernardin.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: 125 ml or 250 ml jars
- Headspace: 1/4 inch (0.5 cm)
- Processing: 15 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); follow Bernardin’s altitude-adjustment guidance above that elevation.
Tested/documented source
Bernardin: Baby Food Fruit Purée — Bernardin. The source and recipe card remain authoritative for all quantities and processing instructions.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare the canner, jars, lids, produce, and measured ingredients.
- Prepare only fruit covered by the source, add the documented water proportion, cook until soft, press through a sieve or food mill, return the purée to a boil, and hot-pack.
- Fill jars, adjust headspace, process for elevation, wait 5 minutes after processing, and cool upright and undisturbed for 24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- 125 ml or 250 ml jars with compatible lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter,
canning funnel, and nonmetallic bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients to the size and condition specified by Bernardin.
- Cook the complete tested mixture.
- Hot-pack evenly and maintain 1/4 inch (0.5 cm).
- Process with jars covered by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of boiling water.
Safety essentials
Use only fruit and jar sizes covered by Bernardin’s tested directions. Do not add low-acid vegetables, dairy, thickeners, or other untested ingredients.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
A Bernardin-documented hot-packed fruit purée for 125 ml or 250 ml jars.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and primary source, measure all ingredients before heating, confirm your elevation, and prepare only one tested batch at a time.
Altitude-adjusted processing
15 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); follow Bernardin’s altitude-adjustment guidance above that elevation.
Maintain a full rolling boil throughout processing. If boiling stops, return to a boil and restart the full processing time.
Baby Food Fruit Purée — Bernardin
Ingredients
- Fruit of choice
- Water
- Granulated sugar, optional
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
- Place the required number of clean 125 or 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use. Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised.
- The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed.
- Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning. Wash and prepare fruit (peel, core, pit, etc.). Coarsely slice or chop fruit. Measure fruit into a large saucepan, crushing gently if desired.
- Add 1 cup (250 ml) hot water for every 4 cups (1000 ml) fruit. Stirring frequently, cook slowly until fruit is soft. Press through sieve or food mill. Add sugar to taste, if desired. Return fruit purée to saucepan; bring back to a boil. If sugar is added, boil until it dissolves.
- Quickly ladle hot purée into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more fruit purée. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim.
- Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining fruit purée. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water.
- Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time.
- At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 15 minutes.* When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.
- After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.
- For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.
- Processing: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 15 minutes - 15 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 15 minutes
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Before feeding, inspect the jar and reheat or portion according to current pediatric feeding guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a larger jar?
No. Use only the jar sizes documented by Bernardin.
Can I change the principal ingredients?
Do not alter the tested formulation when preparing it for shelf-stable storage.
Recipe context
This is a plain fruit purée process, not a formula for mixed meals, meat, dairy, or low-acid vegetable purées.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar; do not store it at room temperature.
Liquid loss or floating fruit: Cool undisturbed, verify the seal, and inspect before storage. Discard spoiled food without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: Bernardin. Editorial organization changes only; the tested formula and safety requirements remain in the WPRM recipe card.