ahhhh...
THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR.
oh how i love my beautiful little jars of jam.
i truly did not make this display for the photograph...i just had nowhere else to put them.
AND THIS IS NOT ALL OF IT!
i have eaten and given quite a bit away.
what used to be a lovely dinning room shared by all has now become my pantry for all these delicious jams. i know i'll have to move them soon, but for now i'm too proud and happy to shove them into the dark lonely kitchen pantry...
i should preface with the fact that this IS my 1st year canning, so i do not, in any way shape or form, consider myself a wealth of knowledge in the canning dept. i did, however, turn out some pretty darn good jams...TOOT TOOT. tootin' my own horn there for a second. if you have other methods and or more tips...i would love to hear...please pass it on.
TIPS and TRICKS
SO MANY WAYS TO JAM AND CAN, BUT THESE ARE A FEW THINGS I LEARNED ALONG THE WAY.
investigate some good canning sites such as...
learn your fruits that have high and low pectin...HERE
when choosing fruits...
do not choose the ripest fruits. it is best to have some that are not ripe, but do have maybe 1/2 that are ripe to ensure the sweet flavor of your chosen fruit. pectin fades as the fruit ripens.
when choosing fruits...
do not choose the ripest fruits. it is best to have some that are not ripe, but do have maybe 1/2 that are ripe to ensure the sweet flavor of your chosen fruit. pectin fades as the fruit ripens.
if using a low pectin fruit try adding a few wedges of granny smith apple in the pot while cooking, then remove before jarring...
or add in a pouch of lemon seeds and membrane as shown in photos below.
or add in a pouch of lemon seeds and membrane as shown in photos below.
learn how to do a PLATE TEST HERE from Food in Jars (great site for recipes and info)
put a couple of small glass plates in the freezer for plate testing.
get all of your mise en place ready before firing up the pot of jam...
get all of your mise en place ready before firing up the pot of jam...
sterilize all your jars.
put in a few extra jars. you don't want to scramble if you have more product than you expected.
don't forget to start your big pot of water for the canning process. when it boils, turn it off and cover it until ready.
important...choose a pot that is bigger than you think you need. i use a thick bottom stainless steel stock pot with tall sides. the jam will double or triple in volume at a full boil and some fruits spatter more than others. you DO NOT want a spill over of molten hot syrupy jam.
boil a small sauce pan of water for the lids. when it boils, turn it off and put lids in...cover until ready to use. do not leave the lids in boiling water, remember to turn off the heat.
TASTE TEST...i can't emphasize this enough. just be careful of the molten HOT JAM. try to taste test a few minutes before you think it's going to set so you can incorporate more flavor if needed.
add extracts towards the end...and i think vanilla bean should be added toward the end.
wipe your rims before putting the lids on...and do not screw the lids on as tight as possible...screw them on so there is no play in the lid. i use the 2 part lids.
do not tighten the jars after they come out of the bath.
do not disturb the jars for 12 to 24 hours...now you can tighten the lids.
put in a few extra jars. you don't want to scramble if you have more product than you expected.
don't forget to start your big pot of water for the canning process. when it boils, turn it off and cover it until ready.
important...choose a pot that is bigger than you think you need. i use a thick bottom stainless steel stock pot with tall sides. the jam will double or triple in volume at a full boil and some fruits spatter more than others. you DO NOT want a spill over of molten hot syrupy jam.
boil a small sauce pan of water for the lids. when it boils, turn it off and put lids in...cover until ready to use. do not leave the lids in boiling water, remember to turn off the heat.
TASTE TEST...i can't emphasize this enough. just be careful of the molten HOT JAM. try to taste test a few minutes before you think it's going to set so you can incorporate more flavor if needed.
add extracts towards the end...and i think vanilla bean should be added toward the end.
wipe your rims before putting the lids on...and do not screw the lids on as tight as possible...screw them on so there is no play in the lid. i use the 2 part lids.
do not tighten the jars after they come out of the bath.
do not disturb the jars for 12 to 24 hours...now you can tighten the lids.
to add extra pectin to non-pectin fruits...
example of cutting out the inner membrane core of lemon with seeds to bundle up in a cheese cloth pouch. be sure to pull off any cheese cloth threads from the ends. just gently pluck them off as much as you can.
above is an example of the slivers of lemon versus just grating it in with a Microplane. i find this adds to the flavor in each bite when you run into a sliver of zesty lemon.
use cheesecloth pouch to infuse spices into jams.
you can steep the flavors in as i did when making my Apricot Ginger Vanilla Chai Jam.
star anise is a great add to many fruits. i used it in my Chinese Five Spice Blueberry Apricot Jam...whoops, haven't posted that one yet...soon.
my favorite jam of the season???
if i had to choose one...maybe two...okay three
ORANGE TARRAGON MARMALADE
RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE
GARAM MASALA NECTARINE
for more jams please go to my LABELS.
i have not posted all of them yet, but i DO have about 5 more jammy flavors coming soon.
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