Wednesday 18 July 2012

Making Jam

Well the berries are ready for picking. Went out to the lake and got some saskatoons (but the baby ate them ALL... wow...) and now all the raspberries are ready. And I will have raspberries coming out my EARS this summer, so I've decided to make jam (even though my husband prefers raspberry milkshakes... there will be plenty for everyone!).

So here are some easy instructions on how to make raspberry jam. Head down to J&P to buy some liquid pectin to make the job super-easy! (NOTE: you will need a canning pot and jars with lids)

1) Pick the berries and squish them (aim for 6 cups squished berries, as this is what this recipe uses).
2) Sanitize the jars (if you boil them 5 more minutes it will get the same effect, but you may end up with mushy jam.
3) Measure out 7 cups of sugar (some recipes I've read would use up to 10-12 cups sugar for this amount of raspberries, but I don't want to get diabetes just from eating my jam!) and grab your packet of liquid pectin.
4) Stir the pectin and 2 cups sugar into the berries and put into a pot over medium to high heat and get to a solid boil (should take 5-10 minutes)
5) meanwhile, put the lids in warm (not boiling) water
6) add the rest of the sugar and bring to boil 1 more minute
7) you may skim the foam off at this point
8) use a teaspoon to take a bit of the jam out. Let it cool. This will show you the consistency of your jam.
9) (Optional) Let stand 5 minutes and stir
10) Fill the jars with the mixture and put the lids on.
11) Put the jars into the canning pot. Make sure there is at least 2 inches water above them. Boil for at least 5-10 minutes but any longer than that and the jam will be runny.
12) Lift the jars out and let them cool overnight in a draft-free place
13) After cooling overnight you can take the outer rings (not the actual lids) off, so they don't rust. Also check to see all the seals held. If not, you'll have to re-can them right away (within 24 hours of the last attempt) or refridgerate and use within the next few days.

These jars will be good for 6-12 months. Be sure to use a permanent marker (or label) to write down the jar contents and the date.

Happy canning!

3 comments:

  1. A quote from "dukegirl" on another website: The boiling time is crucial and a "rolling boil" is a pretty strong boil that cannot be tamed by stirring. Also, make sure you add the pectin and sugar at the right times. For powdered pectin, you add the pectin at the beginning, bring to a rolling boil and then add the sugar and boil hard for one minute. With liquid pectin, you add the sugar first, bring to a rolling boil, then the pectin, then boil hard for a minute.

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  2. Another thing I heard was don't touch the jam for TWO WEEKS. So I guess I'll post an update on how it turned out in August. Until then, it will sit there... tempting and tantilizing...

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  3. Herm, I dont have a canning pot or lidded jars.. My neighbor suggested I try "freezer jam" since it's super easy. I googled it, and there's a special kind of freezer jam pectin that you have to buy, but it is VERY simple- mash, sugar, pectin, done. No boiling required! So I might try that, then I dont have to buy a new pot.

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