It's a rainy one here on the farm today. I'm quite happy about it, actually. It gives the plants a bit of a break, and lets me get into the kitchen, without being overwhelmed with the heat! I'm planning on making a couple of batches of jam today, are you!?
I get asked regularly about making jam. I've been making jam a while now, and loads of it. Jam is a great way to get comfortable with canning and a way to use of fruit that you don't have room for in the freezer. I exclusively use Pomona's Pectin, I think it does the best job of jelling with minimal sweetener. I will often use local honey in place of sugar, but I have also used coconut sugar, raw sugar, agave, and xylitol. (I'm not a fan of the taste of Stevia, so I don't use it, but it can be used.)
The lovely part of making jam is that you can be as creative as you like, as there is very little risk of making yourself or your family sick. As long as you use the acidifying ingredients (often lemon juice), you're fine. If you are new to making jam, stick to the recipes for a bit, until you get the feeling for it, but then get ready to create! Mix fruit or add interesting flavors! So many options! One fun site I like to cruise for ideas is Hungry Tigress, but Ball, Kerr, and The National Center for Food Preservation all have good, solid, (safe!) recipes.
With blueberries, I often like to go fairly simple. I think the flavor is so lovely, I'm not interested in masking it. I will scrape a vanilla bean (1 each, per batch) into my jam at the very end to make Blueberry Creme Jam, or add 1 T. grated lime peel and 1/3 cup lime juice to make Blueberry Lime. Some people love to add lavender or cinnamon as well.
Also, while we're on the subject of jam and food preservation, as canning season gets into swing here, I'd like to remind you to always use tested and documented recipes while putting up your low acid food. Veg, tomatoes, and especially meat can be dicey, and you shouldn't be using your grandmother's recipes for those. Or from a blog post. A blogger should reference where the recipe came from, and if its been tested for food safety. I nearly always stick to recipes from The National Center for Food Preservation or longstanding, respected canning books, that way I know I'm keeping my family safe. Another tip I've learned along the way is to always store your canned goods right side up, with the rings removed. If the rings are in place, they can mask a bad seal or can actually cause the can to re-seal itself.
I get asked regularly about making jam. I've been making jam a while now, and loads of it. Jam is a great way to get comfortable with canning and a way to use of fruit that you don't have room for in the freezer. I exclusively use Pomona's Pectin, I think it does the best job of jelling with minimal sweetener. I will often use local honey in place of sugar, but I have also used coconut sugar, raw sugar, agave, and xylitol. (I'm not a fan of the taste of Stevia, so I don't use it, but it can be used.)
The lovely part of making jam is that you can be as creative as you like, as there is very little risk of making yourself or your family sick. As long as you use the acidifying ingredients (often lemon juice), you're fine. If you are new to making jam, stick to the recipes for a bit, until you get the feeling for it, but then get ready to create! Mix fruit or add interesting flavors! So many options! One fun site I like to cruise for ideas is Hungry Tigress, but Ball, Kerr, and The National Center for Food Preservation all have good, solid, (safe!) recipes.
With blueberries, I often like to go fairly simple. I think the flavor is so lovely, I'm not interested in masking it. I will scrape a vanilla bean (1 each, per batch) into my jam at the very end to make Blueberry Creme Jam, or add 1 T. grated lime peel and 1/3 cup lime juice to make Blueberry Lime. Some people love to add lavender or cinnamon as well.
Also, while we're on the subject of jam and food preservation, as canning season gets into swing here, I'd like to remind you to always use tested and documented recipes while putting up your low acid food. Veg, tomatoes, and especially meat can be dicey, and you shouldn't be using your grandmother's recipes for those. Or from a blog post. A blogger should reference where the recipe came from, and if its been tested for food safety. I nearly always stick to recipes from The National Center for Food Preservation or longstanding, respected canning books, that way I know I'm keeping my family safe. Another tip I've learned along the way is to always store your canned goods right side up, with the rings removed. If the rings are in place, they can mask a bad seal or can actually cause the can to re-seal itself.
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