- Author: Jennifer Codron, UC Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Jennifer Hopkins
Lately, I've been experimenting with making jam the “old fashioned way,” which means a long cooking time and no added pectin. I'm finding that the fruit's flavor is much more concentrated and the jam has an extra layer of richness that I don't taste from jams made with added pectin. These jams require quite a bit of sugar, so you may prefer to use a low or no sugar pectin to reduce the sweetness.
Today I made raspberry jam using the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (2016) recipe, Berry Jam, pg. 23. After purchasing the raspberries at my local farmer's market, cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen and gathering my canning supplies I set out to create some delicious jam during the height of raspberry season.
First, prepare your canner and jars.
Wash the raspberries and pick through making sure not to use any moldy or badly blemished berries. Ideally, you want a mix of ripe fruit and some of the berries a little underripe. These contain more natural pectin which helps the jam set.
When making a full sugar no pectin jam you will need to cook the jam longer and use the spoon gel test to make sure it will properly set after canning. To do this, take 3-5 teaspoons and set them on a plate and place in the freezer as you are cooking the berries.
Combine berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large heavy bottom pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Bring this mixture to a boil and let boil for about 10 to 15 minutes until the foam recedes and the mixture starts to become glossy.
You can now take one teaspoon from the freezer and dip it into the mixture and return the spoon about half full to the freezer for about 3-4 mins. After that time, take the spoon out, make sure the bottom feels cool, not warm, and tilt it to the side. The drops should run together and form a sheet as viewed in the last spoon photo. If the jam runs quickly, keep stirring and cooking the mixture. Repeat the test after another 5 minutes.
When the jam is done, remove from heat and ladle into the warm jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. You can measure with the ruler tool and scrape down the sides of each jar to remove any bubbles that may have formed. Now take a damp paper towel and wipe the rims to remove any drips that may have occurred. After ensuring a clean rim on the jar, place the lids on and screw on the bands until fingertip tight. You don't want the bands too tight. You want to allow the air to move out under the band to help seal the lid during the canning process.
Process the jars in a boiling water canner at a full roiling boil for 10 minutes. Steam will escape through the side of the lid during this process. If the water ever drops below the boiling point, start your timer over for the full processing time as directed by the recipe. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid and let the jars stand for 5 minutes.
After this time, use a jar lifter and carefully remove each jar to a towel on your counter. You can use a tray lined with a towel if you want to move the jars to a different location before letting them set for 12-24 hours.
Don't worry about the water that pools on top of the lids. Just leave it be. Do not tilt the jars to remove it. Once the jars have sealed you can remove this with a paper towel and a little vinegar to remove any white sediment.
After 12 hours make sure the lids have sealed properly, the lids should be concave. Label the jars and store without the bands in a cool, dark location. If a jar or two has not sealed properly simply place them in the refrigerator and use them within a month. Once opened, store jam in the refrigerator. Use unopened jars within a year for best flavor.
I love this jam spread on toast but also plan on filling thumbprint cookies with it. The long cooking time creates a thicker jam with a richer color than what you usually get with a pectin added jam. The process is more labor intensive but well worth it!
/span>- Author: Dayna Ravalin, UC Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Jennifer Hopkins
Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover wine or perhaps a bottle that didn't quite suit your taste? I know I have been in this predicament a few times. It's a shame to pour it out, so what do you do with it? How about make some wine jelly? The procedure is simple, and it will yield a flavorful product that can accompany a variety of cheeses, meats, and charcuterie boards. Or, if you're like me, enjoy it on a cream scone or slice of sourdough toast with a cup of tea. YUM!
Recently, I opened a bottle of champagne and didn't like the taste so I decided to use it to make wine jelly. I chose the Herbes de Provence Wine Jelly recipe from the Ball® Complete Book of Home Preserving 2012 edition. Since I used champagne instead of still white wine (my champagne was flat) and dried lavender for the Herbes de Provence, the variation I made is called Lavender Wine Jelly.
First, before starting any preservation project, make sure your workspace is very clean, including all equipment. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before you begin. Next, gather your supplies.
Then, measure your ingredients using appropriate utensils for the job. Use dry measuring tools for non-liquid ingredients and liquid measuring tools for liquids, of course!
Next, wash all your jars, lids, and rings and prepare them according to the manufacturer's recommendations. As you can see from the photo, I use reusable lids for my canning projects. Single use lids work very well too.
Pour your measured wine into a stainless-steel pot and add the dried culinary lavender.
Note: Make sure the variety of lavender you are using is meant to be used in cooking. Not all lavender is created equally.
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Bring the lavender and wine to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.
After steeping, I transferred the liquid using a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth set over a deep bowl and let it drip for several minutes. You can also use a dampened jelly bag for this step. You will need 1 ¾ cups of infused wine. You may need to squeeze the cheesecloth or jelly bag to get enough liquid.
Meanwhile, heat your jars in your atmospheric steam canner or boiling water canner. I use a steam canner, when possible, to minimize the amount of needed water for processing and ease of use. The processing time is the same as for a boiling water canner. Recipes must require less than 45 minutes of processing time and be considered a high acid food in order to be safely canned in an atmospheric steam canner.
Transfer the steeped wine into a large stainless-steel pot. As you can see, my wine turned a beautiful rose color thanks to the newly dried lavender pigment.
Stir in the sugar all at once.
Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down and stir in the pectin.
Boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and quickly skim off the foam.
Quickly pour the hot jelly into the hot jars removing air bubbles and adjusting headspace to ¼ inch. Wipe jar rim and lid your jar.
Apply the jar ring and load into the canner.
Process these jars in a boiling water canner or atmospheric steam canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars from the canner after the recommended wait time and allow to cool for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, check seals, remove rings, and store in a dark cool place. Make sure to place any unsealed jars in the refrigerator to enjoy right away.
This recipe is such fun and doesn't require the longer preparation time that other jelly recipes do. Enjoy this during the upcoming holidays or enjoy now during the warmer months as part of a charcuterie board, or just pair it with a wedge of brie cheese and your favorite cracker. Either way, you'll always want to have some in the pantry! It also makes a great gift!
Recipe:
Lavender Wine Jelly
Ingredients
2 cups dry white wine
1 Tbsp. dried culinary lavender
2 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch (3oz.) liquid pectin
Directions:
- In a large stainless-steel saucepan combine wine and lavender. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a dampened jelly bag or a strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip undisturbed, for 20 minutes. Measure 1 ¾ cups infused wine. If you do not have the required amount, squeeze the bag.
- Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars, and lids according to manufacturer recommendations.
- Transfer infused wine to a clean, large, deep stainless-steel saucepan. Stir in sugar.
- Stirring constantly over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.
- Quickly pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met then increase to fingertip tight, or according to manufacturer directions for reusable lids.
- Place jars in canner and process for 10 minutes. Once process is complete, remove jars according to canner type after recommended wait time (5 minutes for boiling water canner), and cool for 24 hours. Label jars with contents and date of preparation and store in a cool, dark place.
UC Master Food Preservers do not endorse or promote any brand of products.