First, my apologies to Smuckers. This post may keep you from ever buying storebought jam again.
You can make your own jam in ten minutes flat…no cooking or canning required. And I promise it will be the purest, sweetest, freshest jam you’ve ever tasted. If you want to go all Martha on me, you can even wrap some up in a cute little can with a bow on it and run it over to your neighbor’s house.
She’ll never know it only took you ten minutes.
You only need four ingredients:
You can pick any berries you want. Since you’re not going to cook them, make sure they’re the ripest, yummiest berries you can find. (That’s why now is the perfect time to do this…berries are a steal!)
Also, you need to buy the “no-cook” or “instant” pectin. It’s usually in the baking aisle and/or right next to all the canning supplies (like Ball jars).
Clean your berries and throw them in a food processor if you have one. (If you don’t, just mash them well with some forks or a potato masher.) Add the juice from half a lemon. Process in short increments; just a few seconds if you like your jam chunky. I made this batch for my kids (who hate chunks) so I did it a little smoother.
Mix a 1.59–ounce packet of instant pectin with 1 2/3 cups sugar in a large bowl.
Add the fruit puree and stir constantly for about three minutes.
Ladle the mixture into clean, freezer-safe containers or jars. Let stand for 30 minutes.
The biggest difference between this jam and homemade canned jam is how it’s stored. Because this jam has not been cooked, it must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. It will last about three weeks in the refrigerator, so it’s best to store it in small containers that will be used up fairly quickly. You can keep one container in the refrigerator and store the rest in the freezer for up to a year.
You’ll thank me next January when you pull out your fresh berry jam while overlooking the frozen tundra in your backyard.
Easy Berry Jam
adapted from Ball
1 2/3 cups sugar
1.59-ounce packet instant fruit pectin
4 cups pureed or crushed berries (I bought 4 lbs. of whole strawberries to get this)
juice of 1/2 lemon
Combine sugar and instant pectin in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine pureed/crushed fruit and lemon juice. Pour berries into sugar mixture and stir constantly for three minutes. Ladle jam into clean, freezer-safe containers and let stand 30 minutes. Refrigerate or freeze to store.
Speak Your Mind