Making Jams

To make the best, most natural tasting, sweet jams it is recommend that you do so without the use of artificial pectin. Most fruits have enough pectin naturally to produce the desired consistency for your jam. While some fruit, like blueberries, will require that you add pectin to reach the desired consistency.

For the best results you will want to use fruits that are fully ripe. The process for making jam is actually quite simple. First you will want to wash your fruit really well, but do not soak the fruits in water. Next, remove the skin, stems, pits, and seeds. You can purchase a pitter from a kitchen supply store and this will come in handy, especially when making cherry jam. After you have washed and removed unwanted items from your fruit chop the fruit and then crush it with a masher. If you are using seedy berries you can use a food mill or sieve to help you in this process.

Then, you add sugar, usually equal to the amount of fruit, and some lemon juice. So for example if you are using four cups of strawberries, you will use four cups of sugar. Of course you will want to follow your recipe for the particular type of jam you are preparing.

Next, you bring your mixture to a boil and stir vigorously and constantly until your mixture reaches the desired consistency. You are now ready to jar and seal your jam to enjoy and share with your family and friends!