Jammin' in the Summertime!

-
We've had some perfect days with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, along with a few hot, humid days with a few scattered showers.  Yes, it's summer and that means it's time to make jam! 

Every summer, when my children were small, we'd head to the strawberry fields near our house to pick sweetest, most beautiful strawberries.  You were allowed to eat as you picked, and I'm sure my kiddos ate more than they actually picked - you could tell by the red stains around their mouths!  That was OK because we headed home with several pounds of berries and I got right to work making jam - you can't get fresher than that!

These days, my children are grown and still want jam, so I buy my berries and get to work.  Let me show you how I do it.  

Gather what you need:  a few pounds of strawberries, jars & lids, fruit pectin, and sugar - LOTS of sugar!  

First you have to sterilize your jars and lids.  If you have a dishwasher, send the jars through a wash and dry cycle.  If you don't, boil them in a pot for at least 10 minutes.  Put the lids and bands in another pot to boil, as well.  

In one bowl, measure 7 cups of sugar - I told you it was a lot!  Set that aside.

I like chunky jam, so I cut my berries up and mash them with a potato masher in a bowl.  If you don't like chunks of berries you can put them in the blender or food processor.  You'll need 5 cups.

Put the crushed berries in a pot with one package of fruit pectin. (You can add a tsp of butter to help with foaming.)  Bring that mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute.  
Now, add the sugar and bring to a boil again.
Once you get there, boil again for 1 minute and remove from the heat and start filling your jars - like this:
I leave a little room at the top (1/4") wipe the top edge and thread, and put the lid and band on right away.  I tighten the band as tight as I can get it and immediately turn the jar upside-down on a towel.

When all the jars are filled, I wait about 20 minutes and turn the jars right-side-up.  That when I hear the 'ping' of the jars sealing.  You will know they're sealed when you press on the lid and it doesn't move up and down. 

Now, here are a couple of tips:

Tip #1:
Wear your kitchen rubber gloves because those jars are HOT!  Save your hands!

Tip #2:
Use tongs to remove your jars and lids from boiling water - refer to Tip #1! 

I'm sure many of you are saying, "Ann, you're supposed to put those jars in the canner and boil them again."  I've heard that too, but, honestly, I've been making my jam like this for over 20 years and have never had a problem.  

Now I'm not saying you have to use my method, and if you have any doubt, get yourself a canner and boil those jars. 

What I will tell you is there is nothing like homemade jam on your toast or english muffin in January! 😉

So, do you make jam?  Do you have a specialty?  I'd love to hear about it!

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by - I hope you'll follow me and keep up with 'all the latest' at the Cottage!


Linking to:
That DIY Party
Over the Moon
Inspire Me Monday
Merry Monday
Inspire Me Tuesday
Show & Share
Make It Pretty Monday
Wow Me Wednesday
Homemade & Handcrafted
Party In Your PJs
Grandma's House
Home & Garden Thursday
Creatively Crafty
Thursday Favorite Things
No Rules Weekend
Feathered Nest Friday
What To Do Weekends
Friday Favorites
Create, Bake, Grow & Gather
Friday at the Fire Station


Comments

  1. Sum of their StoriesJuly 17, 2017 at 5:11 AM

    My Nan always made all sorts of jam and I remember helping her with the process sometimes. I made blackberry jam at school once but boiled it for too long and it was so thick it had to be sliced with a sharp knife! that kind of put me off but you make it all seem pretty simple. I'm inspired, I may have another go - what's the worst that can happen?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 17, 2017 at 10:14 PM

      The worse thing I've ever had happen is not having it 'jell'. When I tipped the jar it was still pretty runny, so I dumped it all in the pot again with another package of pectin and brought it to a boil. It boiled for 1 minute and put in newly sterilized jars. It was fine - just don't reuse the lids!
      Give it a try - you'll be glad you did when January comes around!!!!

      Let me know how it goes. 😊

      Delete
  2. Cherryl EhlenburgJuly 17, 2017 at 7:55 PM

    I am going to try your recipe with raspberries, because I have lots of them. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 17, 2017 at 10:17 PM

      Raspberry jam sounds delicious! Do you have raspberry bushes?

      Delete
  3. BarbaraJuly 17, 2017 at 8:05 PM

    That seems easy enough for me to do. Last year a neighbor gave me some, maybe I'll wait a little longer before I try....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 17, 2017 at 10:19 PM

      Once you start making jam, you're hooked! I also give it as gifts at Christmas. Give it a go, Barbara!

      Delete
  4. Gentle JoyJuly 18, 2017 at 7:29 AM

    That looks so good... I haven't made jam, of any kind, for a while and need to do it again.... store bought jam is nothing like homemade! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 18, 2017 at 3:10 PM

      I couldn't agree more - there is nothing like homemade jam.
      I'm so glad you stopped by!

      Delete
  5. CarolineJuly 18, 2017 at 4:06 PM

    This look yummy! #handmadeMonday

    ReplyDelete
  6. Theresa BoedekerJuly 20, 2017 at 9:55 AM

    I remember making jam with a friend. She introduced me to the turn the jars over and let them seal them self method. Boy is that easier than boiling them in a pressure cooker to seal them. It was so easy that I made lots of jam after that. Nothing like fresh jam!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 20, 2017 at 6:34 PM

      A friend taught me how to make jam, too, and you are right, it's much easier! I hope you still make it, Theresa.
      Thanks for stopping by - be sure come back again soon!

      Delete
  7. Jean | DelightfulRepast.comJuly 21, 2017 at 6:54 PM

    Ann, I so enjoyed reading about and seeing pictures of your jamming. I'm waaaayy too hot to be making jam this month, but I'd sure like to be eating some homemade jam! Marmalade is my specialty, which is good for me because I make it in January when it's not hot!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 22, 2017 at 9:00 AM

      Thank you, Jean...and you're right, it IS hot, but, I must confess, I had the AC going!! I've never made marmalade, but making it in January sure is enticing.
      I'm so glad you stopped by the Cottage. Come back again soon!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Break Out Those Wine Corks!

-
Image
You've been self-isolating, drinking some wine, and saving the corks for a project.  But, before you think I'm accusing you of drinking too much, we both know that every wine-drinker has a stash of corks somewhere in their house.  It's time to dig them out and finally DO something with them.   Welcome back to 10 on the 10th , a group of bloggers sharing ideas and inspiration for less than $10.  This month we're sharing Tips While Social Distancing and we've got some great ideas for you.  Let's get started..... First, find those corks.  They're probably hiding in drawers or a cabinet...maybe in a box or bag.  You can find them. I have faith in you!  My first project is an easy one.  All you need is a hot glue gun, a can, and your corks.  This jade plant has been living in an aluminum can ever since I cut it away from the original plant.  It's doing quite well, but, let's face it, this container is not very pretty. ...
Read more

Wine Cork Wreath

-
Image
Just a note...I promised to share the wreath and picture in a previous post.  Here they are: Now, if you're anything like me, you've been saving wine corks for forever because there is a fabulous project that you will just HAVE to make with them.  The problem is, you haven't found it yet! Have no fear, your project is here! To get started, you will need lots of these: How many, you ask?  I estimate that I used between 200 and 250 corks.  You will also need a straw wreath, like this: Don't forget to remove the plastic! This next step is extremely important! Wrap some wire around the wreath and make a loop for hanging.  There is nothing worse than getting your wreath all done and then say to yourself, "Hmmm, how the heck do I hang this thing!?! Now you're ready to get started.  Be sure to cover your work surface to protect it.  I used a lovely old vinyl tablecloth that I had laying around....
Read more

How To Decoupage Dresser Drawers - With Napkins!

-
Image
Welcome back!  Last week you saw a garage sale dresser transformed with paint and decoupaged napkins.  If you missed it, click here .  Today I have a little tutorial showing how it was done.  Let's get started, shall we? The drawers were sanded down to bare wood and the edges were painted black to match the rest of the dresser.  The napkins were found at the Dollar Store. Notice they are 2-ply napkins?  You only need one, so separate those layers! Iron the one-layer.  It helps when you are ready to lay it down on the wet decoupage medium.   Since the napkins were not wide enough to cover the entire drawer, I was going to have to piece them together.  These napkins also had a very definite pattern that was going to need matching, so it was time for some measuring.  I found the middle of the drawer and matched it to the middle of the napkin.  Then I marked the edges of the napkin on the edge of the drawer with ch...
Read more

No More Polycrylic for My Tables!

-
Image
Behold, my newly refinished table - once again!  Yes, this is the second time this little beauty has been refinished. The table was originally refinished in 2013.  I carefully sanded, stained, and sealed it with polycrylic.  Everyone in blogland was singing the praises of polycrylic, so I thought I'd give it a try.  It went on great, clean-up was easy, and it dried quickly.   Win-Win, right?  WRONG!! After about a year and a half, I started noticing some wear on the edges of the table.  You know, the spot where people rest their arms?  As time went on, these spots actually started to feel a bit sticky and you could see them: It was really difficult to get a picture of them, but, if you look carefully where the arrows are pointing, you'll see dull spots in the finish.  We lived with it for a while, then I told my husband, "As soon as the weather gets nice, this table has a date with my sander!" Time for my full disclosure. ...
Read more