Homemade jam
To me, there's just nothing better than growing your own berries, harvesting them and then making homemade jam.
It's a great way to use up your harvest of berries!
Making homemade jam is a regular event in my household. I make several different batches of jam every summer.
I like to stock my pantry with homemade jams to use all year long. We give several jars away as gifts and of course we eat a lot of jam too! It's perfect for breakfast on toast or for lunch on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but I also use a lot of jam in baking too.
I often use my homemade raspberry jam in Bow tie cookies, Raspberry bars and Puff pastry pinwheels.
Some favorite homemade jams include:
This jam may be canned using a hot water bath, frozen or stored in the refrigerator.
If you are new to canning, you'll want to read How to Water Bath Can before you begin!
Making jam without added pectin
Most of my jams I make without adding a commercial pectin. I just like making jams with the fruit, sugar and sometimes a bit of lemon juice.
When making jam without commercial pectin, there are a few variables that can change:
- the amount of sugar added can be adjusted to your needs. Feel free to decrease the amount of sugar called for in this recipe.
- the cook time will vary depending on your stove, your pot and your berries
- most berries contain pectin, but the amount will vary depending on the variety and how ripe the berries are.
- The riper the berries, the less pectin. I usually try to make certain I have some really ripe berries because they have the most flavor and some that are just barely turning ripe because they have the highest pectin.
Only three ingredients
- Raspberries - Fresh or frozen raspberries.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar
- Lemon Juice - Use fresh squeezed
Step by step directions
- Wash canning jars and lids and fill a canning pot partially full with water. Turn pot over medium heat.
- Place berries, sugar and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat
- Stir often until sugar has dissolved and berries have softened
- Continue cooking over medium to medium high heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Jam will foam when boiling. You can skim off jam to remove foam, or just stir it back into the jam itself.
- Once jam has reached the gel stage(see below), remove from heat and place in canning jars leaving a ¼ inch headspace
- Remove air bubbles, wipe down rim of jars and place lid and ring on jars
- Place jars in canning pot. Make certain jars are covered with at least 1 inch of water over the top of the jars.
- Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Process half-pint and pint sized jars for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude)
- Turn off heat and remove lid from canning pot. Wait 5 minutes then remove jars from canner. Place jars on a rack on counter. Do not touch until fully cool (12 hours).
- Remove bands and check seals. Wash outside of jars. Label and date jars and store in a cool, dark place.
Jam making tips
- Have everything you'll need for this recipe ready and set out before you begin making jam - including the equipment
- Use a heavy pot for making jam. This helps maintain an even heat and helps prevent burning.
- Your saucepan should be more than double the size of the ingredients. Jam expands while it's boiling and can easily boil over if your pan is too small.
How do I know when my jam is done?
Knowing when your jam is set, or done is the hardest part of making jam.
When cooking without commercial pectin you need to rely on a spoon test, a plate test or check the temperature. I like to use at least two methods, and often all three methods when making jam.
Spoon test
The spoon test relies on watching the sheeting or drops as they come off the spoon while it is cooking. When the jam first starts boiling it comes off in drops or thin steams.
When the jam has set, the jam will come off the spoon in more of a sheet. This takes some time to learn what this looks like and even though I've been making jam for years, I always rely on a second method.
Plate test
Have a small plate chilling in the refrigerator. When you think the jam has set, place a spoonful of hot jam on the cold plate. Wait one minute and draw a line through the center of the jam. If the line holds its shape and doesn't run, the jam is set.
Temperature test
The temperature test is the most reliable. However the exact temperature will vary, depending on your altitude. You will deduct 2° for every thousand feet above sea level. Jam sets at 220° at sea level. I'm at about 2000 feet above sea level and my jam sets between 216° - 218°
I usually watch my jam with a thermometer and when it starts getting close to 215° I begin doing a sheeting test and then the plate test. I don't like to rely on just one method.
Altitude adjustment for water bath canning
When water bath canning, you need to add additional time depending on your altitude.
| Altitude Feet | Increase Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 1,001- 3,000 3,001- 6,000 6,001- 8,000 8,001-10,000 | 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes |
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Raspberry Jam without Pectin
Ingredients
- 3 pounds raspberries (approximately 10 cups of berries)
- 4 cups sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
Jam
- Wash canning jars and lids and fill a canning pot partially full with water. Turn pot over medium heat.
- Place berries, sugar and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat3 pounds raspberries, 4 cups sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice
- Stir often until sugar has dissolved and berries have softened
- Continue cooking over medium to medium high heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil
- Continue cooking until jam reaches the gel stage
To Water Bath Can Jam
- Once jam has reached the gel stage, remove from heat and place in canning jars leaving a ¼ inch headspace
- Remove air bubbles, wipe down rim of jars and place lid and ring on jars
- Place jars in canning pot. Make certain jars are covered with at least 1 inch of water over the top of the jars.
- Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Process half-pint and pint sized jars for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude)
- Turn off heat and remove lid from canning pot. Wait 5 minutes then remove jars from canner. Place jars on a rack on counter. Do not touch until fully cool (12 hours).
- Remove bands and check seals. Wash outside of jars. Label and date jars and store in a cool, dark place.
To Freeze Jam
- After jam has reached the proper gel, place jam in freezer jars or containers. Cover and place in a deep freezer for up to one year. To use, remove from freezer and allow jam to thaw.
Notes
- This recipe yields between 6-7 cups of jam
- Have everything you'll need for this recipe ready and set out before you begin making jam - including the equipment
- Use a heavy pot for making jam. This helps maintain an even heat and helps prevent burning.
- Your saucepan should be more than double the size of the ingredients. Jam expands while it's boiling and can easily boil over if your pan is too small.
- Please read notes for testing if your jam has set, or gelled in the post above the recipe card.
David @ Spiced says
Oh those English muffins look fantastic, Kathy! I could definitely go for one of those right now. I think I remember you saying the raspberry crop was good this year - what a great way to use those fresh berries! Thanks for sharing the tips on getting the jam to set properly, too.
Kathy says
Thanks, David! There's nothing better than making your own jam - and English muffins! 🙂