We're Jammin'

Blackberries. We have them coming out of our eyeballs right now. We inherited quite a few thickets of them with this house and my husband, who is a blackberry jam fiend, has been excitedly picking bucket after bucket and unloading them into my kitchen. He is insistent that I jar each and every one into his favorite jam so that he can grow fat and happy over the winter. It takes 2 quarts of berries to make 8 cups of jam. I have 14 quarts...

So! Now that my kitchen is speckled with little purple dots, I want to share with everyone how I make my jam. First and foremost, the key to making good jam, is have all of your ingredients, utensils, and cookware ready before you even think about turning on that stove. Jam making is really simple if you are prepared. It can be disastrous if you are not. You will need:

• A large stock pot, 8 quarts or more, with a rack in the bottom. There are special canning pots made just for this purpose. I make due with my large pasta pot and a broiling rack.
• 8 to 10 sterilized 1/2 pint jars with bands and brand new lids.
• A second stock pot to stew the fruit in.
• 2 quarts of fruit. Blackberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry...Whatever you like.
  
• 3-4 cups of sugar
• 1 package no sugar needed pectin. It is important that you use the no sugar kind or it will not gel properly with so little sugar. Standard pectin requires 7-8 cups of sugar! Too much!

Optional:

• Butter
• Food mill
  
• Canning funnel
• Jar lifter

This is a food mill. I don't know how I have lived my life without it. It crushes the fruit through a sieve to remove any unwanted seeds or pits. It also crushes the berries perfectly. I have also used this for mashed potatoes. It is a remarkable invention. This one is an older model that I purchased on ebay for around $15.

We prefer seedless jam. Jake dislikes the seeds and I have stomach problems if there are too many seeds in my food. If you do not own a food mill, you can also remove the seeds by crushing the berries in a sieve with a pestle or the back of a wooden spoon, though your hands will hate you for it.


This is how much seed was removed from the entire 2 quarts of fruit. Some seeds still make it through the sieve, but they are often soft and too small to notice.


Meanwhile, fill your large stock pot with water, put your rack in the bottom (To keep jars from touching the base) and put your clean, sterilized jars filled with more water into the pot. These need to be heated so they will not break when you pour your hot jam in the jars. I usually bring them to a semi boil. (I have no idea why my water looks yellow in the picture! It's clean from the tap I promise!)


Now, do you have everything else measured out and ready? Sugar? Butter? Pectin? Spoons, Knives and an empty bowl or two just in case? Ok now, pour your crushed or processed fruit into the smaller stock pot and lets get ready to jam!


Add a small shave of butter to keep the fruit from foaming. It will still foam, but not nearly as much as without. You do not have to do this, but it helps out in the end. Also add your packet of pectin powder and stir until homogeneous and completely blended. Put that sucker on high heat!


Now, this mixture will need to be brought to a 'roiling boil'. This means that the mixture will keep boiling angrily even when stirred. Oh, and keep stirring. Don't stop! The last thing you want is your fruit, that you spent either money or time collecting and crushing, burning to the bottom of your pot rendering the entire mess useless. Just keep stirring and it will be ok. Yes, I know you are watching a pot boil, I know it seems impossible, but it WILL boil. Don't stop stirring! Suggested listening: Bob Marley: Stir it up

Once the mix looks good and angry, slowly stir in your sugar. I add sugar to taste. Blackberries are a little bitter so I add more depending on the batch. You will need to taste it. But for goodness sake, DON'T LICK THE SPOON! Ow! Just dip a little out, set it to the side for a minute and then gently taste it. You wan't to keep your tastebuds don't you?

Bring the now sugary mix to another angry roiling boil. Once it reaches this stage you will need to boil it for 3 minutes. Are you still stirring?


Before you jar your jam the seals on the lids need to get hot. Just dip a little water out of your simmering stock pot full of jars and pour it over the lids in a bowl or pot. They don't have to boil, just enough to get the gasket inside soft so that a good seal is made. Yes, I know you are stirring, but you can use the other hand can't you?


Once your jam has boiled for three minutes, remove it from the heat. Now you will need to spoon off any foam that accumulated. It is not necessary, it will not ruin your batch, but the foam is not attractive when you open your jar later for a nice sandwich.


Now, removing the jars from the hot water is tricky if you don't have a jar lifter. You should really have one. But I say it is optional since I canned all last year without. But however you find to do it, remove each jar, fill it, seal it, and repeat until all of your jars are filled or all of your jam is depleted. Fill the jars (Using your canning funnel if you have one) to within 1/2 inch of top of rims. IMPORTANT!: Make sure you wipe the rim and outside threads with a clean damp cloth. If there is any residue of any kind on the rim, it may keep your jar from sealing and that jar will be no good.

Lay your hot lid on the jar and add the ring, tightening nice and firm. Set aside and fill the rest of your jars.


Once all of your jars are full of delicious jam, put the jars back into the hot water bath, make sure there is at least one inch of water over the jars, and bring to a boil. This will need to be boiled 10-15 minutes depending on your altitude. (Longer process time for higher altitude)

Then remove your jars to a towel. The lids will start to pop meaning that a vaccum is forming inside the jar. This is ultimately what preserves your canned foods. It is a very satifying sound! I check my jars often to make sure they are still sealed throughout the winter. If any pop up, you need to discard the contents. Do not eat canned foods with a popped seal!

Leave your jam in a safe place undisturbed for 24-48 hours. Then you can enjoy the 'fruits' of your labor!


Enjoy your jam!

*The Pickles you see at the top of this post are coming soon!