1. Collect the best fresh mandarin oranges. These should be ripe and have a flesh that is between firm and slightly soft.
2. Wash the canning jars and their canning lids and ring bands in warm, soapy water. Rinse the equipment with warm water.
3. Lower a canning rack into a boiling water bath canner. Pour clean water into the canner until it’s half-full. Place the canning jars on the rack and heat the canner to a steady simmer at 180°F. Keep the jars hot until filling time.
4. Wash the mandarins in lukewarm water to remove pesticides, bugs, and dirt. Rinse them under cool running water. You might have to wash mandarins bought from the grocery store with soapy water to ensure thorough cleanliness.
5. Peel the mandarins, separate the segments, and remove the white pith and membranes. The white parts may make your canned mandarin oranges bitter. Avoid piercing the segments to prevent the flavor from leaching into the syrup.
6. If you want your canned fruit to look like the store-bought type, soak the orange segments in Pectinase—a pectic enzyme that helps dissolve pectin and remove more membranes and pith. Rinse the segments to wash off the enzyme.
7. Prepare a simple syrup. This could be extra light, light, or medium syrup, depending on your preference. Add water and sugar to a large pot and heat the mixture to a steady boil.

• Extra light syrup: 6½ cups water and ¾ cups sugar
• Light syrup: 5¾ cups water and 1½ cups sugar
• Medium syrup: 5¼ cups water and 2¼ cups sugar

Hot Packing Mandarin Oranges

8. Drain the jars and fill them with mandarin orange slices and the hot syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace. Pack the segments tightly to keep them from floating after shrinking when heated.
9. Remove the air bubbles from each jar by running a wooden skewer along the inner walls.
10. Wipe rims with paper towels dampened with vinegar. Add new canning lids on the jars and apply the accompanying ring bands on the jars to fingertip tightness.
11. Using a jar lifter, lower each jar onto the canning rack without tilting or turning it. Check that the water covers the jar tops by 1-2 inches.
12. Heat the canner on high to bring it to a steady boil. Cover the canner with its lid and process both pint or quart jars as per the elevations below:

Water Bath Canning Processing

• 0 – 1,000ft: 10 minutes
• 1,001 – 6,000ft: 15 minutes
• Above 6,001ft: 20 minutes

Post Processing

1. Remove the canner from the heat and open the lid for the steam to escape. Start taking out the jars after 5 minutes, placing them upright on a raised surface lined with warm dish towels.
2. Cool the jars naturally for 12-24 hours to room temperature without tightening the lids.
3. Remove the ring bands and check the lids for successful sealing. Properly sealed lids shouldn’t flex when pressed. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and eat the mandarins within 5 days.
4. Wash the properly sealed jars, dry them, and label them by date and contents. Keep the canned oranges in a cool, dry place.