Easy Jams
JAM! What better way to bottle up the Summer’s rays of sunshine than with delicious jams? When the days get shorter, darker and we begin to miss the summer days, we reach in the pantry and take a jar of jam. It always brings us back to the joys of summer.
Reduce food waste with jams. Yes, you read that right! Jams are a delicious way to use bruised fruits. Often fruits that are a little older are sweeter and actually make better jams.
In this blog you will learn how to make:
- Easiest Strawberry Jam
- Plum Preserves
- Apricot Preserves
- Saskatoon and Blueberry Jam
Easiest Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 pound, 4 cups whole strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a pan, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice. Bring to a boil uncovered on medium heat. Place a plate in the freezer to test when the jam is ready (step 2).
- Let boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Test if the jam is ready by placing a few drops on jam on the cold plate and drawing your finger through it. If the jam stays parted it is ready. If you would like small pieces of fruit you can mash the fruit using a potato masher.
- Carefully place the jam in clean jars. The jam will keep in the fridge for a week.
Notes
OPTIONAL: If you would like to keep your jam at room temperature you will need to can it. To do so, ensure your jars and lids have been sterilized (you can wash them in the dishwasher on sterilize mode). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and ensure there would be at least 2 inches of water over the jars. Fill the sterilized jars up to 1 inch from the top. Carefully place the lid and thighten loosely. Place a dish towel at the bottom of the pot to provide a cushion between to bottom of the pot and the glass jars. Place the jars in the boiling water for 5 minutes (1 cup jars). Place the jars of jam on the counter to let them cool. You will hear the lid sceal and they will make a “pop” sound. If after a few hours, you didnt hear the sound, lightly press on the button on top of the lid, if it stays down the jars are scealed.
Plum Preserve
Let’s take jam up a notch and move from the breakfast comfort of Strawberry jam to the dinner party. This plum preserve is lightly spiced with star anise. Plum preserve is amazing to serve with a cheese board. We love eating it with French bread, brie, and pear slices.
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This recipe makes 4 cups of jam and can easily be multiplied.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 2 pounds, 5 cups diced plums
- 3 star anise
Instructions
- IIn a pan, combine the plums, sugar and star anise. Let sit for an hour or until the fruit becomes syrupy with the sugar. Bring to a boil uncovered on medium heat. Place a plate in the freezer to test when the preserve is ready (step 2).
- Let boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Test if the preserve is ready by placing a few drops on jam on the cold plate and drawing your finger through it. If the preserves stays parted it is ready.
- Carefully place the preserve in clean jars. The preserve will keep in the fridge for a week.
Notes
OPTIONAL: If you would like to keep your preserves at room temperature you will need to can it. To do so, ensure your jars and lids have been sterilized (you can wash them in the dishwasher on sterilize mode). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and ensure there would be at least 2 inches of water over the jars. Fill the sterilized jars up to 1 inch from the top. Carefully place the lid and thighten loosely. Place a dish towel at the bottom of the pot to provide a cushion between to bottom of the pot and the glass jars. Place the jars in the boiling water for 5 minutes (1 cup jars). Place the jars of preserve on the counter to let them cool. You will hear the lid sceal and they will make a “pop” sound. If after a few hours, you didnt hear the sound, lightly press on the button on top of the lid, if it stays down the jars are scealed.
Apricot Preserve
This apricot preserves is based on an old French recipes and represents the best of French country cuisine – delicious and simple.
Makes 3 cups. This recipe can easily be multiplied to make a larger quantity.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar OR honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 pounds, 3 cups diced apricot (save 1 pit)
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp almonds
Instructions
- Open 1 apricot pit and remove the almond like nut in it. Chop it coarsly. Chop coarsly the almonds. In a pan, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice. Bring to a boil uncovered on medium heat. Place a plate in the freezer to test when the jam is ready (step 3).
- In a pot, add the sugar OR honey and water. bring to a boil uncovered on medium heat. Add the apricots, lemon juice, choped apricot pit and almonds.
- Let boil for about 30 minutes. Test if the preserve is ready by placing a few drops on jam on the cold plate and drawing your finger through it. If the jam stays parted it is ready.
- Carefully place the preserve in clean jars. The jam will keep in the fridge for a week.
Notes
OPTIONAL: If you would like to keep your preserves at room temperature you will need to can it. To do so, ensure your jars and lids have been sterilized (you can wash them in the dishwasher on sterilize mode). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and ensure there would be at least 2 inches of water over the jars. Fill the sterilized jars up to 1 inch from the top. Carefully place the lid and thighten loosely. Place a dish towel at the bottom of the pot to provide a cushion between to bottom of the pot and the glass jars. Place the jars in the boiling water for 5 minutes (1 cup jars). Place the jars of preserves on the counter to let them cool. You will hear the lid sceal and they will make a “pop” sound. If after a few hours, you didnt hear the sound, lightly press on the button on top of the lid, if it stays down the jars are scealed.
Saskatoon and Blueberry Jam
This Saskatoon and Blueberry jam is done in 30 minutes with 3 ingredients in 3 easy steps. It doesn’t get any better than this!
This recipe makes 3 cups of jam and can easily be multiplied. You can make this jam with ANY berry. As long as you respect the sugar to berry ratio, your jam will be perfect every time.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 pound, 2 cups Saskatoon berry (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 pound, 2 cups Blueberry (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a pan, combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice. Bring to a boil uncovered on medium heat. Place a plate in the freezer to test when the jam is ready (step 2).
- Let boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Test if the jam is ready by placing a few drops on jam on the cold plate and drawing your finger through it. If the jam stays parted it is ready. If you would like small pieces of fruit you can mash the fruit using a potato masher.
- Carefully place the jam in clean jars. The jam will keep in the fridge for a week.
Notes
OPTIONAL: If you would like to keep your jam at room temperature you will need to can it. To do so, ensure your jars and lids have been sterilized (you can wash them in the dishwasher on sterilize mode). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and ensure there would be at least 2 inches of water over the jars. Fill the sterilized jars up to 1 inch from the top. Carefully place the lid and thighten loosely. Place a dish towel at the bottom of the pot to provide a cushion between to bottom of the pot and the glass jars. Place the jars in the boiling water for 5 minutes (1 cup jars). Place the jars of jam on the counter to let them cool. You will hear the lid sceal and they will make a “pop” sound. If after a few hours, you didnt hear the sound, lightly press on the button on top of the lid, if it stays down the jars are scealed.
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