So this Christmas, being on a budget, I decided to have Stella and Lucy help me make jam as our gifts to loved ones! We took an afternoon and more than 20 lbs. of sugar and berries and got to jamming! This was a fun family time. Though mom did most of the work, the girls really had fun mixing and stirring and helping with the process. After we topped the jam jars with a little fabric and ribbon, they made such sweet gifts!

We used these as Christmas gifts, but really, who doesn’t like jam any time of the year? It is so yummy, especially when made fresh, and can be done in just about any flavor you can think of! Here are some of our recipes… Enjoy and create!

What You’ll Need:

Jam jars, rings and lids (Found at most local grocery stores. Remember: the jars and rings can be reused after a thorough washing, but lids must always be new!) fabric and ribbon, gift tags or labels, a large pot, tongs, liquid pectin, lemon juice, butter, lots and lots of sugar, and your favorite fruit.

The Process:

First, in a large pot, you must boil the jars, lids, and rings to disinfect all. This is an important step—not to be overlooked—because if any bacteria are on the inside of the lid or the jars, it will be contaminated and gross when you reopen to use!

After boiling for several minutes, use tongs to remove all the parts, being careful not to touch (lest you contaminate the containers) any part of these with anything but the tongs. Lay out the jars and the rings on clean paper towels, facing up, while keeping the lids in a bowl of hot water until you are ready to seal the jars.

Crush the fruit slightly using a potato masher or large grated spoon, but not too much—so that your jam still has nice fruit texture. Now mix the fruit and sugar with a squeeze of lemon and butter in a large mixing bowl and let set for 10 minutes.

Place fruit and sugar mixture in a large pot over high heat and stir continuously until it reaches a rolling boil. Yes…I too was concerned that my dry mixture would not produce a boil, the first time I tried this 🙂 After the mixture has come to a rolling boil (that means it boils continuously while you stir it), pour in a packet of liquid pectin and continue to stir for exactly 1 more minute.

When time is up, skim off any foam with a large spoon. (This is fun to save in a “reject jar” because it tastes just as wonderful but isn’t as pretty as the jam you will be jarring.) Carefully pour jam into jars, leaving 1/8-inch at the top and making sure not to touch the inside of the jars! Wipe jar rims and threads.

Quickly place the lid on the jar (using tongs so as not to touch the lid!) and then screw the rings on tight and the flip jars over to set. Approximately 20 minutes.

When the lids of the jars don’t pucker and release when pressed, that means your jam is ready to be turned right side up!

Now label and wrap your jars and serve as a sweet treat!

Favorite Jam Recipes:

Blackberry or Boysenberry: 4 cups berries, 7 cups sugar, 1 pouch liquid pectin. Yields about 8 cups.

Blueberry: 4 1/2 cups berries, 7 cups sugar, 2 pouches liquid pectin. Yields about 9 cups.

Peach: 4 cups chopped peaches (no skin), 7 1/2 cups sugar, 1 pouch liquid pectin. Yields about 8 cups.

Plum: 4 1/2 cups (with skin) chopped plums, 7 1/2 cups sugar, 1 pouch liquid pectin. Yields about 8 cups.

Raspberry: 4 cups berries, 6 1/2 cups sugar, 1 pouch liquid pectin. Yields about 7 cups.

Strawberry: 4 cups berries, 7 cups sugar, 1 pouch liquid pectin. Yields about 8 cups.

Mixed Berry: 4 cups mixed berries, 7 cups sugar, 1 pouch liquid pectin. Yields about 8 cups.