How to Make Homemade Jam and Jelly

So, you love jam on your toast in the morning and on your peanut butter sandwich. You even use it for those thumbprint cookies at Christmas time. You're paying $2.89 a jar and it's good, but just think how it would taste if you made it with freshly picked fruit. It's not hard to do your own canning. I've done it for years with seasonal fruit such as: strawberries, apples, peaches, pears, crab apples, grapes, blueberries, green tomatoes and hot peppers. I make enough to give as gifts at Christmas time and people are always begging for more.

All you need to start is a large pot, a large mixing bowl, a ladle, butter or margarine, measuring cups, white sugar, a product called Sure*Jell (which is pectin) and brand new canning jars with flat jar lids and screw tops. Some recipes may call for lemon and you will need cheesecloth if you want to make jelly instead of jam. Most large grocery stores and hardware stores carry the jars that come with lids and tops for around $6.00 to $$9.00. It's best if you buy the 1 cup jars marked jelly jars. They're smaller and perfect for making jam. They're sold 12 to a case and you can rest assured you'll have enough for your first batch of jam or jelly. Make sure you buy regular white sugar in the 5 pound bag. For many recipes you'll need 6 or more cups of sugar. Make sure you have the measuring cups that have a straight top edge because it's important to have exact measurements.

Now it's time to get to the store to see what fruit is in season and purchase the pectin. Make sure that you get fruit that's firm and ripe. Over-ripe fruit makes the jam a soft-set and under-ripe fruit makes a firm set. I can't stress enough to be very picky when buying the fruit. Even though I've been canning for years, I've had my disasters. You may want blueberry jam, but if strawberries are in season you need to buy those. It's very important not to alter the recipe or ingredients. To do so will cause what's called a set failure, meaning it will turn out runny or too hard. While you're at the grocery store you need to locate the pectin. My favorite product is Sure*Jell, which is a small box of a white, powdery substance. I've tried some of the other brands and haven't had the best experience. Sure*Jell has the easiest directions and provides a lot of different recipes for different fruits, right inside the box. It also has a telephone number for questions in case you have problems and a website: www.surejell.com in case you want a recipe for something exotic; like hot pepper jam, tomato jam or banana-nut bread butter. While I'm on the subject of pectin, another thing to remember is that you can't use the same recipe with different types of pectin. Pectin comes in a powder and liquid form and it's not interchangeable.

As a beginner I'd suggest something easy like strawberry jam, which I'll provide the recipe for. Strawberries are on the grocery shelves year round and most people love strawberry jam. It's important to wash the jars and screw tops in hot, soapy water, rise well and air dry. Take the flat tops and put them in a small frying pan covered with water and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to keep them hot. Measure the exact amount of sugar into a bowl and put it to the side. Prepare the fruit, which involves removing the stems and washing the berries thoroughly. For strawberries, crush 1 cup at a time using a potato masher. Do not use a blender or food processor because jam should have pieces of fruit. Make sure you use the exact amount of fruit required. The recipe is as follows:

2 qt. strawberries = 5 cups crushed strawberries
7 cups of sugar
1 box of Sure*Jell
This will yield 8 cups (7-8 jelly jars).

Put crushed fruit into a large pan and set on stove on a high heat. Immediately add Sure*Jell to fruit and stir completely. To reduce foaming, add 1/2 teaspoon of butter or margarine. Bring this mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir the exact amount of sugar in quickly. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a wood or metal spoon. Make sure you have dishtowels and/or pot holders ready for the next step. The jam is hot and will burn you right through the glass jars.

At this stage you need to move very quickly. I usually ask my husband to give me hand during this final step, but it can be done alone. Quickly ladle the jam into the jar, filling to 1/4 to 1/8 inch from the top. Wipe the jar rim with a paper towel and cover with the flat lid; then screw the top on very tight. Invert the jar for 5 minutes, then turn upright. Keep moving, it's important that you fill all the jars while the mixture is hot. After the jars cool, check the seal by pressing the middle of the lid with your finger. If the lid springs back that means that the jar didn't seal properly and will need to be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks. As the jars cool, you'll hear a loud "POP", which is an indication they are safe to store on a shelf for up to 1 year, but again, make sure you test each of them with your finger. Make sure you let the jars stand at room temperature for 24 hours. After that they need to be stored in a cool, dry, dark area.

Strawberry jam made in this way needs to sit at least one week before you open it and eat it. After the jar is opened it needs to be refrigerated and for best taste should be consumed within about 1 month. Always check the contents when you first open homemade jam. If it smells bad or has mold don't eat it. It can cause food poisoning, which usually comes from improper sealing or jars not washed properly.

The last thing you need to do is fill the pan with hot, soapy water immediately and wash out any jam left inside. The jam mixture dries quickly and is almost impossible to remove if you don't clean the pan and utensils when finished.

Once you make that first batch of jam you'll realize that there's nothing intimidating about the process. After you taste it, you'll never buy store bought again.