One of the best reminders of summer’s bounty is opening a jar of homemade jam for those homemade biscuits that have been lightly toasted. It’s always nice when the weather is cold and rainy to open that jar of summer goodness. So you may be wondering how to can homemade jam. For anyone wanting to start learning how to can and preserve for their family I always suggest starting with jam. I feel that jam is the gateway into wanting to preserve everything.
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I have a previous blog post that details what you all need to start canning and preserving. So for the rest of this tutorial I am going to assume that you have access to these supplies.
Sometimes I don’t have the time in the summer to make jam so I like to freeze the berries/fruit and then when I have a little more time in the Fall/Winter I make batches of jam.
For this recipe I am following the one that is for berries in my favorite canning book: Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.
Let’s talk about sugar and sugar alternatives for a quick minute. Almost every normal jam recipe has a large amount of sugar. When you are making the jam DO NOT skimp on the sugar amount. Trust me your jam won’t set up completely if you do cut it back (I’ve had several recipes become syrup). There are dedicated cookbooks out there that do make jams with sugar alternatives like agave and honey and I have tried several that I like. (Check out Naturally Sweet Food in Jars).
Ok, so now we are ready to make jam! The first step will be to measure your fruit (fresh or frozen) and pour that in your pan on the stove top. In addition to the fruit this is also where you would add lemon juice (if the recipe calls for it) and the pectin. I prefer recipes that use powdered pectin.
Once the pectin is added and dissolved, you are going to bring it to a boil. During this step you are going to want to stir constantly as you don’t want it scorching on the bottom of the pan. Once it comes to a boil you will add all the sugar at once and continue stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Usually you will boil for one more minute and then pull the pan from the heat and get ready to fill jars.
One of the canning rules that you will see frequently is that you need to boil and sterilize your jars before filling. I have never done this because I learned from my parents and my parents never do this either. I just make sure all my jars have gone through the dishwasher (either that day or the day before) and if I am not able to use them right away I will place a tea towel on top of the jars so that no dirt or bugs try to get in.
Using a canning funnel the jars get filled to within 1/2″ to the top. Once the jars are filled you want to wipe the rims in case there was any spillage. I like to use a wet paper towel for this.
Now it is time to add on the lids. Before I put the lids on I boil them in a small saucepan, why you ask? this again is something my parents have always done so I do it to but it does help with sterilization.
Once the lids are on it is time for the rings, these should be tight but not too tight.
If the water bath canner’s water is boiling then you can add the jars and process for the time indicated in the recipe. (Most jams are around 10-15 minutes). When this is done I like to remove the jars and have them sit on a towel to cool and make sure they seal. You will know when they start to seal as you will hear the signature “pop” sound.
When storing any type of canned good my family has always removed the rings (to use later) and then rinsed the jars under hot water (to remove any debris the jars may have picked up on the outside when in the water bath). We like to write the contents and the year on the lid or sometimes I get fancy and make labels for the lids. Which makes them great for gift giving.
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