How To Make Jam
Today most jams and jellies mass-produced by machines, placed into the same packaging, with same labels and thrown on a super store shelf. Long gone are the days of creating home-made jam with care and soul — or are they? Contrary to popular belief, a lot of people are reverting back to those days, and it’s never been easier to accomplish than it is now!
Living in the age of the internet, everyone has access to articles and blogs (like this one) that help bring you the best tips to getting started on making your own goods, like jam preserves. All you have to do is take the first step, are you ready?
Luckily, with my 5 Tips for Making Jams, it’s not as scary as it sounds to get started on your own. Before taking the leap, here’s what you should know about jam making:
1.Use granulated sugar
You should always use granulated or preserving sugar when making jams. These types of sugars are perfect for high-pectin fruits. When going through the jam-making process, always be sure to completely desolve the sugar before bringing it to a boil to avoid a grainy finish. Preserve sugar can be expensive, however, I found this reasonably-priced fair-trade option here.
2.Invest in a canning kit
Being that this is a preserving and canning process, it’s important that all your equipment is sterile and clean. For making jelly, boil-wash the jelly bag before using it. If you were thrown off by reading “all your equipment” before, have no worries. We’ve found this perfect all in one canning set for jam making.
3.Clean your jars
The jars you use should also be squeaky clean! Again, when making preserves, it’s assumed that they’ll be sitting on a shelf for quite some time. You don’t want any unwanted bacteria growing and ruining all your hard work.
This Ball Mason Jar set is easy to clean and comes in a bulk order — a preservers dream!
4.Skim off unwanted scum
Sometimes when making jam, a small layer of substance with rise to the surface. This substance is not wanted in the preserve process! Use a sterile, stainless steel ladle (like this one here) to gently skim the layer off.
5.Read a preserves book
Now that you have some jam making basics, the groundwork has been laid for you to start on your first jam making adventure. However, if you feel like you need more guidance, then check out the book FoolProof Preserving, for further information on making jams and other preserves.
Practice makes perfect, so get in the kitchen and begin your own jam making journey today!