JENerally Informed: Making Homemade Jam Isn't As Hard As You Think It Is

Making Homemade Jam Isn't As Hard As You Think It Is

When I was a little girl my mother would make homemade freezer jam. She worked out of the home, had a whole passel of kids and had very limited time, but she knew how much her family liked it and so she found time to make it.

When I grew up I wanted to be a fabulous cook just like she was. I remember when I made my very first batch of jam. I made it with my daughter and all of the warm memories of cooking in the kitchen with my mother as a little girl returned. I don't think I am as good a cook as my mother, but there is still hope.

*There is a BIG secret though to making jam, as taught to me by my mother and this dictates when I make jam.

ONLY make jam with berries that are on sale. Otherwise it is way too expensive. This last week strawberries were on "ganga" sale for .99 cents a package and that meant it was time to start canning and filling the freezer!

I wanted to share with all of you how easy it really is to make jam.

How To Make Strawberry Jam

1. Boil your mason jars and lids in order to sanitize them. You can leave them in the water until you are ready to use them.

2. Cut and wash berries. It takes 5 cups of strawberries to make one batch.

3. Put berries into a pot and smush them. I use a little hand mixer. You don't want them pureed just mushed and a little liquefied.

4. Measure out 7 cups of sugar (heart attack I know) and put to the side.

5. Turn heat on berries in the pot and add 1 teaspoon margarine and 1 container of fruit pectin. I used this kind because it was on sale. Bring mixture to a roiling boil, mixing frequently.

6. Add sugar all at once and bring back to a roiling boil.

7. There will be some foam on the top of the jam, just skim it off the top.

8. Take out a sanitized jar with tongs and pour in jam. Put lid on tightly and let the jam jars settle and cool on your counter for 24 hours.

9. Put in your freezer and bring out all throughout the year to enjoy!

See I told you it was easy.

Here is a picture of my cooking buddy. She even wore her Strawberry Shortcake apron especially for this project!

*Note- It is always a good project when your helper ends up with berries smeared all over their chin!

Stay Happy and Stay Informed!

Love,

Jen

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Woods of Bell Trees 52p · 584 weeks ago

OK I am totally doing this! I have wanted to make jam for forever, but thought it was too much effort! Keeping my eye out for berry sales! :D Love the pic of your little sweeties! Hehe jam on her chin! :D

1 reply · active 584 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 584 weeks ago

Thanks Heather! It really is easy and so very yummy. Tomorrow I am sharing my post on homemade bread. I can make a meal of jam and bread, just like the book about Frances :)

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Carolyn · 584 weeks ago

That jam looks absolutely incredible. My mom made jam and it always looked like alot of work but you make it sound so siimple! I bet it helps if you have a cute helper like you do!

1 reply · active 584 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 584 weeks ago

Yes the helper is definitely important! Cuter the better :)

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Susan@ofeverymoment · 584 weeks ago

I love the photo of your daughter in her strawberry shortcake apron. You can really tell how much fun she had!

1 reply · active 584 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 584 weeks ago

She was so proud when she served this to her brother and sister for dinner. Loved that!

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Dizmommy 66p · 584 weeks ago

YES! A family recipe? YES YES YES! The women in my family are all such great cooks, and I wish I had more of their recipes! I'll take yours since my family doesn't understand what recipes are (apparently they just throw everything together and voila! it's never voila for me.)

2 replies · active 584 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 584 weeks ago

I have family members like that too! My grandma was a real honest to goodness pioneer woman and died one week before her 100th. When she would cook there was no recipes ever. She just said throw in a pinch of this then taste it and see if it's good. What?? I am not that good of a cook, but I'm trying!

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Dizmommy 66p · 584 weeks ago

Your grandma sounds like a very special woman. Now I miss my grandma! Aw...! :]

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comedyplus 47p · 584 weeks ago

How did you know strawberry is my very favorite? Yummy. I've never made any, but my mother canned every year.

Have a fabulous day. ☺

1 reply · active 584 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 584 weeks ago

Strawberry is the bomb, we'll can other flavors later, but this is ALWAYS first! You have a great day too!

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deliberatemom 66p · 584 weeks ago

My grandma would make all sorts of jams and preserves. I love making freezer jams but I've always wanted to learn how to do shelf-stable jams and do canning. I'm freaked out that I would do something wrong though and give everyone botulism.

Thanks for sharing!
xoxo

1 reply · active 584 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 584 weeks ago

I am not very good at canning other than freezer jams and whoa nelly on the botulism. SCARY!!

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Beth · 584 weeks ago

Oh man I am a jam maker, I can mine. I couldn't agree more about the berries being on sale. I am patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for ours to go down to .99 so I can stock up my strawberry. I only have 2 jars left from last year!

1 reply · active 584 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 584 weeks ago

Only 2 jars left! The horror, my kids would be rationing it out!