Preserving and making jam is a great way to preserve the good fresh fruit of today’s season. Not much beats the taste of chilled jam, paired with a smooth, rich yogurt, as a spread on a baked muffin, or as a spread on a warm, fresh bun. And to be honest, homemade jam isn’t that hard, unless you have a food processor or jumbo jumbler in your kitchen. First, if you don’t have it, jam can also be made in a small food processor (I like the Cuisinart machine with the dual button for blending meat and fish) or in a small sauce pan. Blueberry jam canning recipes are usually made in a small saucepan, although they can also be made in a regular skillet while being laced with some lemon juice and sugar (try also adding a touch of cinnamon or cardamom to help to enhance the taste of the jam). .
There are many different types of jam available today, so let’s start with some of the most popular types. Lemon is the most popular of these and is most commonly used when preserving fruits and greens. The simplest canning recipes use lemon, however, just to give you an idea of the possibilities, here are some that can be used in jams without lemon: Apple Orange Jam, Banana Jam, Raspberry Jam, Grape Jam, Apricot Jam, Blueberry Jam, Cherry Jam, Chocolate Jam, Lemon Mustard Jam, Molasses Jam and Mango Jam. The final choice will depend on personal preference and what particular fruit or vegetable you wish to can.
To prepare one of these delicious jam recipes for canning, follow the directions exactly and make sure to heat the water to boiling point and then bring it to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. When it’s done, take it off the heat. Check to see if the jam has thickened and is no longer hysterical about the ingredients. Now you can add the fruit of your choice if desired.
Of course, there are many other options you have for canning jam recipes. For example, you can choose between strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, goji berries or cranberries. All you have to do is determine how much you want to put in the pot or jar and how long you want to cook the jam. A ready-to-serve jam usually takes about ten minutes from creation to final.
I’ve always told people that if they want a nutritious and filling jam, all it takes is a few minutes to boil water and then let it set. If they wanted to add any fruit or spices they could do so up to an hour before it was ready. Today, however, I can’t provide that type of advice anymore because I’ve learned that some fruits and even some greens don’t do well in canning. For example, I wouldn’t advise adding Hawaiiananas to a jam recipe, as the Hawaiiananas tend to change the nuance of the finished product. I would recommend that you omit it or substitute another fruit.
In fact, I learned today that the best canning recipes take very little time to go from concept to final. This includes boiling the water and removing the cooked jam from the stovetop. So, you dump the jam straight into your prepared pot, fill it up with whatever amount of body fluid you want, add sugar or honey to your liking, and gently heat to bring the sugar to a boil. That’s whatever to it!
