Happiness is like Jam

"You can't spread even a little without getting some on yourself".

There are three reasons I make jam:

1. It's SOOOO much better than store-bought.

2. It's a good way to use up fruit.

3. It makes great Christmas gifts.

Actually four reasons - in years past I have gotten together with friends and had a "jam party". With Covid-19 still upon us I'm not sure if that will happen this year, but it's definitely easier to do with a friend! See below for the results of our 2019 jam party - a record 141 jars!

The types of jam I make vary based on which fruit I am trying to use up. The flavors I've made in the past include blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, plum (jelly), concord grape (jelly), peach, apricot, and hot pepper. Since I recently made cherry jam I'll share the details of that, but the approach is similar, it's just the fruit preparation that might vary.

First of all, you might have a question: "what's the difference between jam and jelly?" The difference is in the preparation, you strain the cooked fruit for jelly (or if you're a purist you can double-strain it). Since this is an extra step and you end up with less jam per pound of fruit, I usually don't bother. But I'll include instructions below in case you need to do it.

Second of all, you might wonder what type of equipment is needed for jam-making. It's not complicated, a couple of big pots, some clean tea towels, a wash cloth to wipe with, and canning jars and lids are the basics. In addition to your fruit, you'll need sugar and pectin. Some varieties call for lemon juice to help the fruit retain its color. Because the jars are boiled, it really helps to have a big canning kettle ( see lower right of photo above). And some specialty utensils are also helpful, one is a special funnel that fits just inside a jar lid, the other is a special set of tongs that fit around the jar. Tip: the jar lids come in two pieces, rings and flats. You will need to purchase new flats, do not use flats that came from existing jars of jam as they may not seal properly. Rings can be re-used over and over. You can buy flats separately, or both together depending on what you need.

Equipment for jelly-making: Making jelly requires you to cook and strain the fruit. I have a special strainer (my Mom called it a "ricer") that comes with a stand and large wooden paddle that you use to push the fruit through.

Put a clean tea towel (or muslin or cheesecloth) inside the strainer (it will get stained so wash and save it for future batches) . I recommend one of the first two to keep the juice more "pure". Some people even double-strain it. In addition to collecting the juice that runs through, my Mom used to close the tea towel with a rubber band and hang it to get all possible juice. Warning: make sure the hanging contraption is secure, I once ruined a shirt and nearly ruined my new kitchen tile by dropping a towel full of grape skins in a pot of juice. Now you know why I mostly stick to jam!

My recommendation for getting started is to buy a box of pectin. My usual brand is Sure-Jell, but whatever type you can find is likely to be fine. In the box is a paper insert that gives recipes. I always make cooked jam or jelly, but there are recipes for freezer jam as well. This blog gives details on how to make cooked jam. From the recipe insert you can determine how much fruit you need, or how many batches you can make from the fruit you have. You can also estimate the number of jars and amount of sugar and pectin needed. Tip: after years of buying individual boxes of pectin I discovered it's much cheaper and easier to buy pectin in bulk. So far the general recipe on the bulk container seems to work.

After you have all ingredients and jars necessary, the fun begins! I highly recommend you make sure you have everything you need before starting. I once got halfway through a batch and realized I didn't have enough sugar. After robbing the sugar bowl and using the extra-fine sugar I had bought for some other recipe, and still not finding enough I had to make a run to the store. I was NOT happy.

Warning - each recipe calls for a LOT of sugar. You will be horrified at how much. You'll be tempted to put in less, but that can cause the jam to not "set" (e.g. remain runny), and while we all like "ice cream sauce" you can only use so much of it. After a few disappointing batches I've learned to grit my teeth and include the full amount of sugar called for. There are low-sugar or even no sugar recipes for those who desire, but make sure you get the right type of pectin. In my opinion, making jam is so much work, and I am always nervous that my jam won't "set" properly, so why take chances? Unless you are a PB&J junky you probably won't consume enough of the stuff to impact your health.

Depending on how much prep your fruit needs, the most work is likely in preparing the jars. They must be sanitized since you will likely be storing your jam without refrigeration for a number of months and you don't want to take a chance on bacteria. So wash them thoroughly, either in the dishwasher or by hand, then boil the clean jars in your canning kettle for 10 minutes or so (I usually just leave them in there until I am ready for them). Remove them using your special tongs and drain the water, then invert them on a clean tea towel. By the time you're ready to use them they will likely be dry. I also prepare my lids the same way.

Prepare your fruit (see below for details of cherry jam), then simply follow the instructions in your pectin recipe. It can vary, but the type of pectin I've been using lately calls for you to blend the prepared fruit with pectin, then cook it to rolling boil, then add the sugar all at once, then cook it to rolling boil again, cook for 1 minute, and pour into jars. Simple, right???

Detailed instructions for cherry jam follow. For peach jam or blackberry, see the tips in the "Men Like Pie" blog. Or read the instructions that came with your pectin.

It goes without saying, but wash your fruit. I have a big colander I use for that purpose.

Prep your fruit. In some cases (blackberries, for instance) it's as easy as washing it. For peaches, you also need to peel them, chop them and take out the pits. For cherries, removing pits is harder, so I invested in a cherry pitter. It's well worth it! The pitter feeds the cherries through one at a time, you push a plunger which goes right through the cherry and pushes the pit into a separate bowl, and the pitted cherry comes out into your bowl. Make sure no pits remain in your cherries, the last thing you want to do is gift someone a beautiful jar of jam and have them break a tooth on a cherry pit!

Once your fruit is prepared, you mix it with the pectin in your big pot (check directions for timing of adding pectin) and start heating it. You will heat it until it reaches a full rolling boil (this means it doesn't stop boiling when you stir it). In the meantime, measure your sugar into a bowl. I find it hard to do this job while I am chatting with a friend because I lose track of the number of cups measured, and it has to be exact. Either nominate a less-distractable friend to do the measuring or have your friend count it with you. I find it helpful to use a plastic bowl (so it's not too heavy) with a handle (since you need to pour it in all at once, it's helpful to be able to stir with the other hand).

When your fruit/pectin has reached a boil, add the sugar all at once. Stir it to make sure there are no lumps. Stir occasionally, and bring it to a rolling boil again. This takes awhile, so don't get distracted! Usually at this point I am removing my jars to dry, counting lids, etc.

Once you reach a full rolling boil, you need to boil it for a certain amount of time (see your directions). You'll want to have a timer set and ready to go. Once boiled, you are ready to put it into jars.

Some fruits "foam up" and you can skim off the foam before putting it in jars. This makes for a more attractive finished product. I use a regular large metal spoon to skim my foam, but they create a special tool for this if you care to invest. You can also add a dab of butter to your fruit as you are bringing it to boil as that's supposed to reduce the foaming.

Now you use your special funnel and a ladle to spoon the jam into jars. (Don't worry, you're not crazy, this photo was taken from a jar of peach jam so yes, it's orange vs. the red cherry jam you were expecting!)

You want to fill it almost to the top (leave about 1/4 inch). Use your wash cloth and clean off the top of the jar, put on your jar flat, then wash around the edge of the jar, add your ring, and tighten. Be careful, your jars are hot! I also learned the hard way that using antique jars can be a mistake as one time I had a full jar of hot jam break all over the counter.

Now you re-use the kettle full of hot water to seal your jars by boiling them again. Usually 10 minutes is enough time. They sell a special insert for your kettle that allows you to lower and rise the jars all at once. I don't have one, so I use my special tongs. Be careful with the full jars because they take up more room than the empty ones. If your kettle is nearly full of water it will overflow! Once done, put the jars on your tea towel to drain and cool. As they cool, you will hear a "pop" sound, that is the flat of the jar going down and it means it is properly sealed. If you don't want to count the pops, you can carefully press on the top of each jar after they have cooled. If it "wobbles" the jar didn't properly seal and should be used within weeks. Properly sealed jars can last for months (the jars advertise 18 months, but I'm sure my Mom stored jam for years if not decades).

Last but not least, label your jars. While you might think you can tell the difference between cherry jam and strawberry jam, later on it's not so easy! You can get different types of specialty labels (round ones for the top, oblong ones that fit in the special niche on some jars). Tip: I have found it helpful to buy dissolvable labels, because the other ones are a pain to get off. If you plan it right, you get your empty jars back from people so that you can use them again next year!