Fruit Jam

The following fruits make excellent jam: Apples, Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries
Citrus Fruits, Cranberries, Currants, Elderberries, Figs, Gooseberries, Grapes, Guavas, Melons, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Quinces, Raspberries, Rhubarb, and Straberries.
Most follow similar recipes:
cooked fruit and sugar, which is then put in jars and water bath processed. Jam is one of the easiest ways to preserve a harvest at home.
1. Apricot Jam
Use firm fruit that may be just slightly under ripe.
- Scald and remove peels.
- Cut in half and remove pits, reserving a few pits.
- Slice halves thinly. Measure.
- For every quart of apricot slices, add 1 3/4 cups of sugar, and one chopped pit kernel. To get the pit kernel, crack the pit open and remove the soft kernel held within.
- Put this mixture in a non-reactive pot or kettle and cook over medium heat for an hour, stirring frequently. Mash any fruit pieces that did not break up during the cooking.
- Jam is ready for processing when it is thick and sticky.
- Place jam in hot jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process pints for 15 minutes in a water bath.
2. Berry Jam
Use either raspberries or blackberries or a combination of the two.
- Pick through, removing stems and unripe berries.
- Wash and measure the berries. For each quart of berries, use 3 ½ cups of sugar and two tablespoons of lemon juice (lemon juice is set aside for now).
- In a non-reactive bowl, pot, or kettle, alternate layers of berries and sugar. Cover container and let this mixture stand undisturbed overnight.
- The next day, stir in lemon juice and bring the whole mixture to a boil.
- Skim off any scum that rises and continue cooking until thick but not stiff. Jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Pack hot jam into hot pint jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process pints for 15 minutes in a water bath.
3. Grape Jam
While Concord grapes are the deepest in flavor, other varieties may be used. You may have to adjust the ratio of sugar to fruit for other varieties. Try using wild grapes, if they are available in your area. Each 1 1/2 pounds of grapes will make approximately one pint of jam.
- Wash and stem grapes; include a few that are still green for added tartness.
- Measure the grapes.This recipe is based on ten cups of grapes.
- Scald half the grapes and slip the skins off, reserving these skins.
- Place all the grapes in a pot or kettle and cook over low heat and cook about ten minutes, or until grapes are very soft.
- Run grapes through a food mill, removing seeds and remaining skins; discard seeds and skins.
- Measure three cups of strained grapes and put in clean pot or kettle.
- Stir in two cups of water and the reserved skins.
- Cover and cook mixture for ten minutes.
- Uncover and stir in 4 1/2 cups sugar.
- Raise heat and bring to a boil.
- Continue boiling, removing scum that rises, until mixture is thickened.
- Pour jam into hot pint or half-pint jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space.
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process in water bath for 15 minutes.
4. Grazberry Jam
You won’t find the name of this jam in any other cookbook. This jam is made of a combination of tart gooseberries and sweet red raspberries!
- Measure and place washed and picked over gooseberries in a non-reactive pot or kettle.
- Cover with cold water and place pot over low heat.
- Bring the pot to a boil slowly; simmer gently for one hour.
- Berries should have turned into a soft, mushy consistency.
- Pour mush into a jelly bag and let the juices drip through. Do not squeeze the bag. Allow gravity to do all the work.
- Measure resulting juice and place into a clean pot or kettle.
- Add four cups of sugar for every five cups of gooseberry juice in the pot.
- In a separate container place two cups of washed, picked over raspberries for each cup of gooseberries you measured out at the beginning of the cooking time.
- To the pot place an additional 3/4 cup of sugar for every two cups of raspberries you just measured out (put only the sugar in the pot, keep the raspberries reserved for now).
- Stir sugar and gooseberries together and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Once a boil has been reached, gently stir in the raspberries and return to boiling.
- Reduce heat slightly, but maintain a boil for fifteen minutes.
- Jam should be thickened, but not stiff. Pack into hot pint jars, wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process pints for 15 minutes in a water bath.
5. Peach Jam
This jam may be made with only the fruit, sugar, and water, or it may be spiced.
To spice the jam, place the following into a small bag made of cheesecloth: one cinnamon stick, one teaspoon of whole cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon of whole allspice. Tie the bag shut with kitchen string and add to the peaches at the same time as you add the water. Remove the bag before pouring the jam into jars. Make one spice bag for every 6 cups of peaches used.
- Wash, scald, peel, pit, and measure ripe peaches.
- Place in pot or kettle and crush with a potato masher.
- Add 1/2 cup of water for every six cups of peaches (and spice bag, if used).
- Cook gently for ten minutes, then add sugar equal to the amount of peaches first measured.
- Continue cooking over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, and bring to a boil.
- Raise heat and cook rapidly for fifteen minutes, stirring frequently.
- Mixture should be thick.
- Pour jam into hot pint jars leaving 1/4 inch of head space
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process pints for 15 minutes in a water bath.
6. Strawberry Jam
Pectin must be added to strawberries to obtain the correct thickness. Pectin adds no flavor, so you still get the wonderful, fresh bouquet of this summer delight.
Method
- Crush berries in a large bowl.
- You should end up with about 4 1/2 cups of berries.
- In a pot or kettle, combine berries, pectin, and lemon juice.
- Bring to a full boil and stir in sugar.
- Return to a full boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
- Turn off heat and skim foam.
- Pour into hot pint or half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space.
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process pints for 15 minutes in water bath.