homestead

We hit the fruit jackpot on another trip to the same farm we visited for strawberries earlier this season.  We knew we wanted blueberries, and it was such a beautiful day we ended up with blackberries and tart cherries too.  Blackberry bushes have prickers, so they weren't the favorite.  The blueberry bushes required a fun hay ride to get to them, so that was a win.  However, I think the big winner were the cherry trees since they had a fun ladder to climb.  The boys made sure to say hi to all the goats, piggies, chickens, and alpacas.

I had the idea that I wanted to make jam for all the neighbors at this neighborhood event coming up in August.  So now I have four varieties (including the strawberry I made a few weeks ago).

I found all these recipes that use lemon juice instead of pectin which I found to work really well.  You just have to keep stirring for longer than you'd expect sometimes.  I also think it helps to make small batches.

Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam

1 quart blueberries (approximately 1½ pounds)
⅔ cup honey (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the berries into a low, wide, non-reactive pan and mash.
Add the honey and lemon juice and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit until the honey begins to dissolve.
Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring regularly, about 10 to 12 minutes, until the jam thickens.

Spiced Blackberry Apple Jam

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup applesauce
3 cups blackberries
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the apple sauce, lemon juice, and smashed blackberries in your preserving pot. Bring to a low boil over high heat. Add sugar. Reduce to medium heat and stir constantly until the jam thickens approx 10 minutes after boil. Test for set if desired. Remove from the heat. Press through sifter to remove seeds if desired. Pour the jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rims clean. Seal according to manufacturer's directions. Process the jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes if desired or freeze/refrigerate.

Strawberry Jam

2 pounds hulled strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

Spiced Cherry Jam

3 cups cherries (any variety of cherry will work)
2 cups sugar (depending on how sweet your cherries are and your preference)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash, remove stems, and pit cherries. Roughly chop up cherries. Place chopped cherries in a large stock pot. Add 1/4 cup water to cherries. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll see the cherries begin to break down and thicken. Stir in sugar, lemon juice and spices, mixing well. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Sugar will scorch quickly if not kept moving. Boil, uncovered, till thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into hot sterilized jars.

Note: It’s set when it sticks to the back of a metal spoon. This is called sheeting. Look at the jam dripping off the edge of the spoon. It should look like a “sheet” of jam, not a bunch of individual drops. Cherry jam is not meant to be extremely thick. It’s a thinner jam, excellent on pancakes, waffles, toast, etc.

To prep processed jam: Wipe rims with a damp towel, put on lids and bands. Submerge in hot water bath and process for 15 minutes. Take off of heat and let sit for 5 minutes before moving to a folded towel. Let sit for at least 12 hours before checking seals on jars. Then store in a cool dark place for up to a year. If any jars didn’t set, store in fridge.

Recipes adapted from Food in Jars and Frontier Coop