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Recently I thought it would be fun to get together with my family and make some jam. So we got all the fruit, sugar and Sure Jell and had so much fun making it. At first we wanted to make cherry but nobody felt like sitting there pitting all day so instead we made strawberry peach. We used the instructions that came inside the Sure Jell box and it came out great! I highly recommend it as a fun project to do with your family. Maybe go fruit picking in the morning then make jam out of the fruit you picked. Has anybody made jam recently? How did it turn out?
LOL - I'm still eating the truckload of jam I made last summer. With over a dozen jars left it will be a while before I make more. However, this weekend the family will be out picking Ollalieberries which I will turn into pie fillings, which will then be frozen and used up over winter. I did it last year and it was great.
My favourite jam from last year though is cherry-plum. I didn't bother to stone the cherries; I just fished them out of the pot while the jam was cooking. :-)
Wow, that sounds really great! There really is nothing like the taste of homemade jam. And its totally worth the effort. One thing i didn't realize is all the different things you can do with Sure Jell pectin. They have recipes on their site for numerous jellies and jams but also relish, jelly candy, and smoothies too. Look under recipes at http://www.surejell.com
So recently I made jam using added pectin not knowing that jam can be made without it. Im curious how many people like to use Sure Jell and who like to make jam the natural way. I read that using Sure Jell greatly reduces cooking time, increases the amount of jam, and give it a fresher fruit taste. What are your opinions in this?
hey I just found this recipe on the Sure Jell website. It looks so good!
Triple-Berry Smoothie
Prep Time:
5 min
Total Time:
5 min
Makes:
2 servings, 1-1/4 cups each.
3/4 cup prepared CRYSTAL LIGHT Raspberry Ice Flavor Low Calorie Soft Drink Mix
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup halved strawberries
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP FREE Whipped Topping
1/2 cup ice cubes
2 Tbsp. SURE.JELL For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes Premium Fruit Pectin
BLEND all ingredients in blender on high speed until smooth.
Rumble, making jam "the natural way" does not preclude using pectin. Folks used to make their own pectin. This would have been one of the skills passed on by your mother or grandmother, or taught in your home ec class in earlier times. Many homesteaders continue to make their own pectin because commercial pectin is more expensive.
My grandmother used to use quince or "sauce apples" to make pectin. When commercial pectin became less expensive, she switched over.
Quoted:
HOMEMADE PECTIN STOCK
From Harriet Fasenfest, Co-owner, Preserve
1. Put 3-4 pounds chopped apples in a non-reactive pan. Add enough water to barely cover apples and bring to a boil. Lower temperature immediately and let simmer until soft, approximately 20-30 minutes.
2. Pour apples and liquid through a fine sieve into a second pot. Without stirring, let this liquid drain overnight.
3. Bring liquid to a boil and cook until it has reduced to half its original volume.
4. Test pectin content (see instructions below) and continue to cook if necessary.
5. Once liquid pectin reaches the desired strength, store it in the fridge or freezer.
Testing the Pectin Level
I admit to loving this part. To determine the amount of pectin in your liquid, put 1 teaspoon of the liquid on a plate and add 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol to the mix. Swirl the mixture around until clots start to form. It will amaze you, but it will happen: You will know the strength of the pectin by the size of the clots.
You want a fairly large viscous clot to indicate strong pectin. Weak pectin will show up as several small, scattered clumps. If that is the case, bring the liquid back to a boil and reduce further. And toss out the test batch-you don't want to return that to the pot. Once the pectin reaches the desired strength, refrigerate, freeze, or can it until you make jam. It will keep in the fridge for up to one week.
Using Homemade Pectin
As a general guide, 2/3 cup of liquid pectin is enough to set 4 cups of low-pectin prepared fruit or fruit juice. Here again, you have room for whimsy. If you use strawberries (low in pectin) alone, use the full amount of liquid pectin. If you throw in a few currants (high in pectin) with the strawberries, use less liquid pectin. If you use half currants and half strawberries, you might not need any liquid pectin at all.
In the end, willingness to learn by trial and error and to love whatever the outcome is what will win the day.
