With jam season right around the corner I wanted to drop a small reminder that jam makes AWESOME {and frugal} holiday gifts! Okay, so smearing it all over a piece of toast isn’t so bad either. 😉 Making really good jam is really just about following a couple of really simple guidelines. Here are my top 10 must-do’s:
- The fruit. Always start with undamaged fruit. It’s super tempting to use up some of that less than desirable fruit, but jam–really good jam, is made with high quality ingredients. Jam with damage will spoil much quicker and won’t set as well.
- Make smaller batches. Too large of batches results in grainy texture–it’s just too hard to get the sugar to dissolve very well.
- Be strict about checking for setting point each time. A setting point is when the jam/jelly has been cooked long enough that it can sit in the fridge for about 5 minutes and set perfectly. Check each batch. A set point can vary in the same recipe on a different day by 5-10 minutes. I am sure there is some sort of science behind it that I don’t know, but I’m telling ya, it changes.
- Type of sugar matters. Granulated sugar works great, but if you really want to get fancy, use preserving sugar. It is awesome for fruits with a low-pectin.
- Use exact measurements. Jam making isn’t like cooking, a little dab of this or that, it really is precise.
- Let jam rest for about 15 minutes before ladling into jars, to help it finish setting.
- Skimming. Make sure to skim the scum off the of top of the jam/jelly as it reaches it’s setting point. I just use a ladle.
- Once the sugar dissolves, boil as quickly as you can to reach setting point.
- Add sugar first thing to thin skinned fruits {i.e. strawberries} and simmer tougher skinned fruits BEFORE adding sugar.
- Remember that despite best efforts, sometimes jam just does not set {it could be an off batch of pectin, who knows}. In that case, it’s time to stop what you’re doing and whip up a batch of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to pour your runny fruit mixture over. How does the old saying go? When life won’t give you jam, make ice cream. {I’m pretty sure that’s it.}
Here’s a few of my favorite recipes to get you started:
Peach Jam
Pear Jam
Orange Marmalade
Low Sugar Strawberry Jam
Rhubarb Cinnamon Jam
Cherry Jam
Raspberry Jam
Strawberry Basil Jam
Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
Blackberry Jam
Rosemary Jelly
Low Sugar Cinnamon Plum Jam
Carrot Cake Jam
Apple Pie Jam
Pear Vanilla Jam
Meyer Lemon Marmalade
Orange Marmalade
Sweet and Spicy Heirloom Tomato Jam
Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam
Strawberry Kiwi Jam
Vanilla Rhubarb Jam
Blueberry Jam with Mint
Apricot Jam
Madam Chow says
FANTASTIC tips! I agree with the last point, too – if it doesn’t set, stick it in the fridge and use it on ice cream, with kefir or yogurt, etc. The temptation is to keep letting it boil away (ask me how I know that), hoping it will set, and that just destroys the flavor.
Cheryl says
Banana jam is “to die for”. I make and sell jams and jellies at farmer’s market and heard about it–so searched for recipes on Pinterest. I ended up combining several–it tastes a lot like bananas foster. And it uses the ripest bananas possible–the ones marked way down because they are getting a lot of black spots. I use brown sugar–and add pectin to mine–instead of boiling for hours. I do mash the bananas with lime juice to keep them from browning. I add rum flavoring. Wonderful peanut butter banana sandwiches. My husband loves it.
My grandmother always used the test of when the jam or jelly sheeted off the spoon. 2 drops came together as one and came off the spoon together. Not sure if you said to boil your sealed jars in a hot water bath for 25 minutes or not. This really helps them seal and stay good. And it’s the latest FDA regulations.
Another one I don’t see mentioned is chokecherry jam. It is popular in rural Nebraska–and a berry not easily found–but loved for its jelly. Wild plum and elderberry are 2 others that are wild fruit that are wonderful.
Madam Chow says
Can you post the recipe, Cheryl? I’d love to try it.
Missy says
In the comment section here, there is a banana jam mentioned. Did you happen to get the recipe? I would sure love to have it, as I’m sure others would also. Thanks Mavis.