I'm makin' jam!!!Remember that "Friends" episode where Monica said this and was rather obsessivly canning jam for days? Wel
l, I'm not that bad but here I go! I'm learning the ropes of canning and what better way to do that than to try this recipe that my husband's cousin RaeAnn showed me from a site called Food In Jars. (There's a lot of good ideas on this site by the way!)So, first you have to wash all your jars and stuff in hot soapy water. I ordered a canner off of Amazon.com that was relatively inexpensive just because I didn't have a pot big enough to cover the jars with water. (Apparently, you can use a big stock pot and just use the jar lid rings in the bottom for a rack. But you have to be able to cover the jars with water by a couple 
inches at least.) It's good to have everything ready before you start. Once everything is clean, you have to preheat the jars and lids in hot water (180 degrees). You don't want to put hot jam in cold jars. Disaster.
inches at least.) It's good to have everything ready before you start. Once everything is clean, you have to preheat the jars and lids in hot water (180 degrees). You don't want to put hot jam in cold jars. Disaster.Now it's time to assemble ingredients, which of course means the tedious job of peeling, coring, and slicing a ton of apples. I make short and easy work of the job with my Pampered Chef Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer and Apple Wedger. It took me about 5minutes to do all the apples this way and they were c
ut to a perfect size. Grate the lemons on a "carpenter's file" type fine grater, juice them, measure everything up and voila...you're ready to go. Wow! 6 cups of sugar seem like a lot! Now I know why jam is so many "points." Maybe this can be decreased, but cranberries are very tart...but the apples are sweet too so it's worth a try. If you try it, let me know how it works out!
ut to a perfect size. Grate the lemons on a "carpenter's file" type fine grater, juice them, measure everything up and voila...you're ready to go. Wow! 6 cups of sugar seem like a lot! Now I know why jam is so many "points." Maybe this can be decreased, but cranberries are very tart...but the apples are sweet too so it's worth a try. If you try it, let me know how it works out! 
Now into the pot and start cooking! Bring it to a boil over high heat. When it first reaches a good boil it will produce foam all over the top that needs to be skimed off. The pictures show the changes that the fruit goes through while cooking. I actually took a potato masher to it towards the end just to break up the fruit bits a bit. I cooked it for 30 minutes but I think it was a little too long because it turned out extremely thick! Not "syrupy" like the recipe 
describes. Maybe turn down the heat once you get a good boil going on.
Skimming off the foam.
Next, ladle into your hot jars and run a knife around the inside of the jar to get the air out. Apply your lids and lid rings.
Put your jars of jam into your canner and remember to fill it with water until the water covers the jars by a couple inches. Then process for 10minutes. Time the processing from when the water starts to boil. Voila! Beautiful ruby-colored jam perfect for gift giving!
describes. Maybe turn down the heat once you get a good boil going on.Skimming off the foam.
Finished Jam!
Next, ladle into your hot jars and run a knife around the inside of the jar to get the air out. Apply your lids and lid rings.
Put your jars of jam into your canner and remember to fill it with water until the water covers the jars by a couple inches. Then process for 10minutes. Time the processing from when the water starts to boil. Voila! Beautiful ruby-colored jam perfect for gift giving!
That was fun! Now I'm off to make some Apple Butter!
I love making jam it is very self satisfying! especialy in the middle of winter, hmmm yummy!
ReplyDeleteKarin
OK, so I've been researching a little more about jam-making and fount out that if you are using liquid pectin, you only have to boil for 1 minute. Wow, I boiled this for 30 minutes! Although apples need a little cookin' to soften. Hmmm...I think I'll rethink this recipe.
ReplyDeleteI also found out that if you are using a recipe that does not use pectin...like this one... you can use a candy thermometer and bring to a temperature that's 8 degrees higher than the boiling point and boil for 1 minute at this temp. This temp will vary according to your elevation above sea level. ( 2 degrees lower for every 1000 ft. from the know 212 degrees. Interesting.)
ReplyDelete