Editor's note: These instructions are excerpted from The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. They originally accompanied the following recipes:

Old-Fashioned Raspberry Jam
Jalapeño Mint Jelly
Sweet and Chunky Apple Butter

Below is the step-by-step procedure for processing foods that require less than 10 minutes processing time. Use this procedure for all sweet spreads as directed in the recipes.

If the recipe requires a preparation and cooking time longer than 20 minutes, begin preparation of the ingredients first. Then sterilize the jars while the prepared food is cooking. If the ingredients require a shorter preparation and cooking time, begin heating the canner before you start your recipe.

Recipe notes

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

Grape Dumplings

Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.

XO Sauce

Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.

Fufu

Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.

Wampanoaug Clam Fritters

The clams’ natural briny sweetness serves as a surprising foil for the tender fritter batter—just be sure to pull off the tough outer coating of the siphon.

Not-So-Secret Burger Sauce

Every sauce needs a few secrets. Ours is smoky, sweet, and savory—use it for burgers, fries, tenders, and more.

Île Flottante

Originally called omelette à la neige (snow omelet) in reference to the fluffy snow-like appearance of the meringue, île flottante (floating island) has a lengthy history that dates back to the 17th century.

Palets Bretons

Palets bretons are oversize cookies that feature butter, and because they’re from Brittany, they’re traditionally made with beurre salé, salted butter.