How to Make Jam
Ingredients
fruit or berries
pectin
canning jars
kitchen utensils
Prepare your favorite fruit or berries by washing them and gently shaking to remove excess water. Mash fruit or berries into a large pulp. . Measure 4 cups of your fruit or berries and place it in a large 4 quart cooking pot. Add one package of pectin with the cool fruit or berries and bring it to a rolling boil stirring often so it won’t burn. When the mixture is at the boiling stage that can’t be stirred down, add 5 cups of granulated sugar all at once. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook for exactly 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the hot mixture into clean jars.
Tips & Warnings
· . Be sure to date your jars so you can keep track of when it was made and can use up the oldest first.
· Splenda may be substituted for the sugar for a lower calorie jam.
How to Make Freezer Jam
For gift-giving and long-term ease of storage, jam in sealed glass jars is the best choice. But for ease of preparation, freezer jam wins hands-down.
Some people prefer its flavor, too, because it tastes more like fresh fruit than cooked preserves. The dominant flavor in this jam is the strawberry, but the orange lends a nice subtle note and also stretches the berries.
Ingredients
fruit or berries
pectin
canning jars
kitchen utensils
Prepare your favorite fruit or berries by washing them and gently shaking to remove excess water. Mash fruit or berries into a large pulp. . Measure 4 cups of your fruit or berries and place it in a large 4 quart cooking pot. Add one package of pectin with the cool fruit or berries and bring it to a rolling boil stirring often so it won’t burn. When the mixture is at the boiling stage that can’t be stirred down, add 5 cups of granulated sugar all at once. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook for exactly 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the hot mixture into clean jars.
Tips & Warnings
· . Be sure to date your jars so you can keep track of when it was made and can use up the oldest first.
· Splenda may be substituted for the sugar for a lower calorie jam.
How to Make Freezer Jam
For gift-giving and long-term ease of storage, jam in sealed glass jars is the best choice. But for ease of preparation, freezer jam wins hands-down.
Some people prefer its flavor, too, because it tastes more like fresh fruit than cooked preserves. The dominant flavor in this jam is the strawberry, but the orange lends a nice subtle note and also stretches the berries.
Some canning recipes for call for bottled lemon juice rather than fresh. This is due to its constant level of acidity, rather than fresh lemons, in which acidity can vary. It’s not crucial for jam, which is often high in both sugar and acidity to keep it safe in storage, but can be important when canning low-acid foods like tomatoes or beans.
When making freezer jam, you can use plastic tubs with tight-fitting lids. If you plan on storing this for more than a couple of months, better plastic tubs mean better taste. I actually prefer to use glass canning jars with screw-on white plastic lids (often sold with the canning supplies). Either way, be sure to leave a little headspace for expansion as it freezes and write a “use by” date on the lid. (Freezer jam will keep for up to a year.)
Strawberry-Orange Freezer Jam
· 11 ounce mandarin oranges, drained & crushed
· 1-1/2 cups crushed strawberries
· 4 cups granulated sugar
· 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
· 1 cup water
· 1 box powdered pectin
Mix together crushed fruits. Add sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Let stand 20-40 minutes.
In a saucepan, mix water and pectin thoroughly. Bring to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down and boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and mix pectin into fruit, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Ladle into sterilized containers, wipe rims and add lids. Let jam set overnight. Store in freezer for up to a twelve months.
Makes approximately 6 half-pints (6 cups).
