The finished product - raspberry/blackberry jam
Other than cheesecake, this is another one of my I-never-knew-I-could-do-that type recipes. I literally spent months researching how to make jam. I could probably tell you all you needed to know, short of actual experience! As you can see this turned out to be a complete success! We’ll just ignore the mess that I created during the jamming process.
I would like to do a walk-through on how to make jam, but this is in no way a complete walk-through. Making jam is easy, as long as certain rules are followed to prevent bacteria growth or illnesses. There are several rumors and myths about how to actually seal the jar, and I will be following the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s method of canning. I’ll include plenty of links at the bottom of this post, as well as book recommendations.
Sterlization is crucial!
Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Really! As far as canning goes, sterilization (not JUST clean) is key in making sure your jam (or whatever else your preserving) is safe for long-term storage. Remember: Sanitize means that it will kill most of the organisms. To sterilize means it kills ALL organisms. What I did was just left the jars in the pot and let it get to a rolling boil the entire time I was making the jam. Once I was ready to fill the jars I just quickly took the jars out, dumped the water, and filled them. This keeps the jars hot so when you pour hot jam into the jars it prevents them from cracking/breaking. I also had my potato masher, ladle, funnel, and anything that will touch the jam in a pot with a small boil. In yet another pot I boiled the jar lids and rings right before I was ready to fill the jars.
Mashing the jam
Another thing is to follow the recipe pretty much exactly. The only exception is if you’re switching one fruit for another, just make sure it’s a similar type of fruit (raspberry/blackberry) because different fruits have different amounts of pectin. Pectin actually comes from fruit and is a type of thickener, it’s available in powder or liquid form. I used powdered pectin for this recipe. This recipe was a simple blackberry jam, but I did half blackberries and half raspberries. This kind of alteration is ok because it was similar fruit and it added up to be the same amount as the recipe called for.
Don't need to get rid of all the chunks
The reason it is important not to change the recipe is because the jam may not set properly if the amounts of sugar, pectin, or fruit is altered. If you’re looking for a low-sugar type of jam there are plenty of recipes out there. They even sell reduced-sugar pectin! Anyways, back to the recipe. I used frozen fruit and thawed them in cold water. The great thing about jam is it doesn’t matter if the fruit is slightly mashed up, as long as it is ripe you will get excellent flavor. After the fruit thawed I put them over medium heat in a large pot and mashed the fruit to bits.
Time consuming, but at least it's optional
One thing that you could do is sieve some of the seeds out. It’s possible with raspberries/blackberries, not possible with strawberries. What I did here was literally push the fruit through the sieve. A nice liquid came out, but I was missing out on what I call “the meat”. The good stuff! I may ask for a food mill for Christmas so that I have the option of taking some or all seeds out. Though, hubby doesn’t mind the seeds. He says that’s what makes it homemade!
Ready for pectin, sugar, and boiling!
When using powdered pectin make sure to sprinkle it careful and spread it out. If it is just dumped in then it will clump. I will tell you right now…this pot is not big enough. I learned my lesson. After 8 cups of sugar there was only 2 inches of room and it boiled over. I had jam everywhere! Under the burner, on the burner, and it even pooled in the middle of the stove. Thankfully it doesn’t stain right away and thankfully hubby was home!
Make sure to skim the foam off the top
This is before it got ugly. I’ll spare you the gory pictures. However, this is a great picture of the foam that you’ll need to skim off before ladling this into your jars.
Starting to sterilize the rings and lids
My first jar 
My first jar of jam! I actually forgot to wipe the rims of the jars on this one, I was just so excited! It’s important to wipe the rims with a paper towel to maintain a clean seal. The seal is the most important part to preserving! Otherwise, it’s all got to be eaten up in just a few months. Oh, and you can get a hint as to how much of a mess I made based on the pot to the right.
The mooses are supervising...oh, excuse me, moose
Ladling the super hot jam into the jars. Don’t taste this unless you let it sit on a spoon for a few minutes, just saying…
What a mess, but I felt so proud of myself!
But I’m not done yet…it’s time for processing.
Processing...not just for computer nerds
See the bubbles near the surface? That isn’t from the water boiling, it’s the air escaping the jars. This is what will create the seal in order to preserve the food. Processing is the time that the jars are in the hot water from the start of boil. Depending on where you live could depend on how long it will take to get a boil. Altitude affects the length of time it takes for water to boil. It takes less time for water to reach a boiling point for someone at sea level than it is at higher altitudes. I will include a link at the bottom of this post for you to determine what your processing time would be.
My bounty
Canning (or “putting up”) can be time consuming, but you’re left with food that can be given as gifts, kept in your basement until a snowy day, or even donated to food banks. Once you buy supplies the only costs associated with canning is the food and the jars. Though, there are methods around buying new jars every time. Check garage sales or thrift stores, or be rude and ask for your jars back! Most people are more than happy to give them back, they know they’ll get more!
My "fridge model"
I also save any glass containers, like this Ragu jar. Though you cannot process jars like this, you can still fill them as long as the jam is in the fridge and used up within a few months. If you have a seal (where the middle doesn’t push up or down) then it’s good for about a year! Some people even say you can go up to 2 years with no problems. Make sure to store your jams in a cool, dark, draft-free area with the rings off.
Now onto the links:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
Information on canning as well as recipes that include liquid or powdered pectin. In my opinion the most reliable source of information and recipes.
Complete guide to canning. No need to buy a book!
‘Nuff said. There is a book at the bottom of the page called “So Easy to Preserve”. This book is highly recommended. You can get it off Amazon or directly through the University of Georgia.
Video
Alton Brown – Urban Preservation part 1
Alton Brown – Urban Preservation part 2
I love this episode and Alton Brown goes into detail about bacteria, using pectin, boiling point, etc.
Blogs and misc websites
She proves that you CAN can anywhere, even in teeny tiny kitchens.
Great information website about canning, but also a great resource for finding “pick your own” farms!
An awesome collection photos from other blogs/websites on canning.
Recipe from National Center for Home Food Preservation. Blackberry Jam using powdered Pectin. Table for processing times is included on this recipe.
Supplies and information.
Love the title: “You CAN can!” Interesting book, but this is not necessary by any means. There are plenty of resources online.
It is finished.
Tags: baking, blackberry, canning, jam, jamming, putting up, raspberry, raspberry/blackberry jam, recipe
Yessir. Great blog
Thanks for this great recap and resource for canning jam!
Thank you so much! I remember trying to research how to can when I first started and I remember how difficult it was to find a decent tutorial! I’m glad I was able to put something out there to help others