Hello my darlings, are you knee deep in fruit or berries? Raspberries are the big one in our yard, but I try to find a variety of other fruit to preserve each year. We save it a few different ways but jam is by far the fan favorite in my house. There’s just nothing like opening up a little taste of summer on a cold winter’s morning…
Jam is probably one of the easiest ways to dip your toes into canning. The canning part is even optional! I helped my Mother make jam growing up and she always just used regular jars she had saved and froze it. It stayed good all year long without any other steps. I don’t remember a single jar being freezer burnt, even if it was forgotten.
You can also easily make it shelf stable. The recipe I use for common flavours like berries, cherries, or peaches, is just the one that comes in the pectin package. They give simple instructions and it turns out well pretty consistently. It gives instructions on how to make it shelf stable without water bath canning, but I still choose to process it.
If you are new to canning, jam is an excellent place to practice. Because canning isn’t strictly required, it takes a lot of the worry out of the process. If you don’t do things perfectly, it will still be fine. Because of the high sugar content, bacteria and mold are less likely to grow anyway.
Why do I bother canning it then? First of all, it lengthens the shelf life. Canning forces some of the air out of the jar and creates a much stronger seal. It also reduces spoilage. If there are any mold particles in the air, there is nothing to kill them if they aren’t heated after sealing. Poorly sealed lids are also more common without canning. Not astronomical risks by any means, but quite frankly I am unwilling to risk my hard work going to waste just to avoid popping them in a pot for 10 minutes!
I know that the sugar content of jam scares off a few people. Once you are making it confidently there are recipes out there that will show you how to safely can lower sugar options.
It can also feel a bit frivolous, if you are trying to stock a pantry for self sufficiency reasons. I would really recommend that you give it a try though. If you are trying to live off of food stores, or even just stretch your food budget, a bit of jam can go a really long way to add interest to bread, oatmeal, yogurt, cakes or biscuits.
My last bit of advice on the subject is this: In my house, if you are one of the people who enjoy eating through the cupboard full of jam, I am allowed to hand you a bucket and send you out to the berry patch to help me make next year’s supply!
Happy jam season!
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