Canning Jams and Jellies

[Jyotsna]

Hi everyone, at this point, it's fruit glorious fruit at my parents farm and I have been picking blackberries till my hands are sore. I'm going to pick blueberries at a U-Pick-It farm this week, then make some wonderful blueberry jam. The figs are coming in by the gillions this year, and I am looking forward to canning fig jam as well. I even made crab apple jelly (my first).

What are you making, what are your favorite websites, and can I split a blackberrie jam recipe in half? I only have 3 cups from 30 minutes of picking. I will pick more today (used 2 cups in my strawberry/blackberry jam two days ago). I'd like to use the 3 cups today if possible.

Can I use a jar made by Atlas/Mason, which previously had something else in it? Is it good for canning? It has a round top, but square jar.

Thanks!

[annettemarie]

Moving to Nutrition and Good Eating, as per the Frugality guidelines.

[mamadelbosque]

Hi there, I've been making various jams/jellies/spreads for a couple yrs now My/our favorites are:

strawberry jam
blackberry jam
blueberry butter
blueberry syrup
apple butter
grape jelly

I'd love to try a blueberry jam recipe... I don't see why you couldn't do a half recipe of jam. Are the atlas/mason jars from things like spaghetti sauce? If so, I don't think you can reuse them for canning. If they are simply old canning jars, then sure. Good luck!!

[cristeen]

With traditional pectin, it is not recommended to halve or double the recipe, you never know how it will react.

But, I always recommend using Pamona's Universal Pectin - it allows you to sweeten to taste rather than to the requirements of the pectin, you can use any type of sweetener you like, and you can make any size batch you want.

I haven't actually made any jam this year, and I don't know that I plan to. I still have plenty from the last few years - we just don't eat that much.

I have however, been pickling like mad. And canning fruit - mostly apricots, although I have a box of peaches and one of nectarines in my foyer that need to be canned tonight.

[oiseau]

I just attempted sour cherry jam for the first time (first jam and first canning attempt ever!) yesterday. It turned out so incredibly good. I picked 7lbs of cherries on Saturday and I still have over half of them left, so I'm think I'll make a second batch of jam.
I probably won't make any other jams or jellies or anything. Just wanted to share the success with the cherry jam :-)

[KristyDi]

I'm pretty sure you could half a recipe that didn't have pectin in it. I prefer those anyway since the ones with pectin usually have more sugar.

You're talking about those jars (I think it's a brand of spaghetti sauce) that have Atlas-Mason in big letters in the glass? I've always wondered about using those too. I haven't tried it yet.

I did some strawberry jam earlier this spring. That's the only jam so far. I've canned peach salsa, peach BBQ sauce, peach slices, and tomatoes though. Blackberry jam is on my list for this week though since I'll be getting some nice blackberries tomorrow.

[KristyDi]

Originally Posted by oiseau

I just attempted sour cherry jam for the first time (first jam and first canning attempt ever!) yesterday. It turned out so incredibly good. I picked 7lbs of cherries on Saturday and I still have over half of them left, so I'm think I'll make a second batch of jam.
I probably won't make any other jams or jellies or anything. Just wanted to share the success with the cherry jam :-)

Careful, it's addictive. You'll find yourself making some other kind of jam before you know it

[Jyotsna]

I can't find Pamona. What else do you have to use with Pamona? Is it Citric Acid?

[mamadelbosque]

FWIW I've doubled, even tripled recipes w/ regular ball-brand pectin w/o issue. I really think the 'concerns' over doubling/halving/etc recipes are way, way overblown.

[punkrockmomma]

If you want to reuse old jars just buy new lids for them. You should do this for any used jars, because they might not seal properly if you're using an old lid. In my area they sell new 2 piece lids at the grocery store, and at hardware stores.

So far this summer I've made strawberry jam, and strawberry rhubarb jam out of strawberries from a u-pick farm we went to. I'm hoping to go up north next month to pick sour cherries. I live in WI and Door Co, (the thumb of WI) is known for it's montmorency (sour) cherries. I love sour cherries!! Last summer I made sour cherry preserves, jelly, and canned quarts of them to use in baking. They made great christmas gifts

Update: I have homemade scones in the oven right now, and I bought clotted cream at the store yesterday, and am going to have cream teas for breakfast this morning with my homemade strawberry jam. I've been thinking about making this since I made the jam. I can't wait. YUMMY!!

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Jyotsna

I can't find Pamona. What else do you have to use with Pamona? Is it Citric Acid?

It's calcium. And it comes with it in the box.

As for doubling/halving - I've had batches refuse to set from doing it. So you just have to be aware that it's a possibility that it may not set or it may gel hard instead of soft. If you're okay with that, it's not a big deal.

As for the Atlas/Mason jar - you're talking about spaghetti jars, yes? That particular type of jar is reusable, yes. Any jar that can take a standard screw band can be used - doesn't matter where it came from. But you'll find that most commercial product jars will not take a standard screw band.

[mnnice]

Originally Posted by punkrockmomma

If you want to reuse old jars just buy new lids for them. You should do this for any used jars, because they might not seal properly if you're using an old lid. In my area they sell new 2 piece lids at the grocery store, and at hardware stores.

So far this summer I've made strawberry jam, and strawberry rhubarb jam out of strawberries from a u-pick farm we went to. I'm hoping to go up north next month to pick sour cherries. I live in WI and Door Co, (the thumb of WI) is known for it's montmorency (sour) cherries. I love sour cherries!! Last summer I made sour cherry preserves, jelly, and canned quarts of them to use in baking. They made great christmas gifts

I want to pick cherries too. Yesterday on the news they said that the season was starting early and that places started picking yesterday and today. I am not sure they'll wait until August.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by mnnice

I want to pick cherries too. Yesterday on the news they said that the season was starting early and that places started picking yesterday and today. I am not sure they'll wait until August.

Really? Cherry season is already over here.

[punkrockmomma]

Originally Posted by mnnice

I want to pick cherries too. Yesterday on the news they said that the season was starting early and that places started picking yesterday and today. I am not sure they'll wait until August.

Wow!! I didn't buy cherries until the the end of August last summer. I'll have to find out, some how, if the cherries are being picked early this year, so my mom and I can get up there before they're gone. Thanks for the tip!

[mnnice]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Really? Cherry season is already over here.

Yes, the excessively perky local news woman did a remote at one of the orchards and it actual a week or ten days early)

Originally Posted by punkrockmomma

Wow!! I didn't buy cherries until the the end of August last summer. I'll have to find out, some how, if the cherries are being picked early this year, so my mom and I can get up there before they're gone. Thanks for the tip!

I wanted to go today but since my FIL was visiting I didn't want to seem antisocial and take off by myself. He's leaving in the a.m and I might go tomorrow.

[Jyotsna]

Can I get sour cherries in the South?

My figs are starting to lighten in color, and some of them are looking a little yellow. I can't wait to start canning them. I love whole fig jam especially.

[mnnice]

Sour cherries are suppose to be able to be grown from zone 4 to zone 9 which would seem to be most of the U.S.

I have found in real life that in zones 4 and 5 if you have a late frost you can freeze off all the blossoms and end up with no cherries.

The two places that I know about where they are raised commerically are Door County in WI and Traverse County in MI both has mild lake influenced weather (warmer winters and cooler summers that other places of that lattitude) .

[mnnice]

Sour cherries are suppose to be able to be grown from zone 4 to zone 9 which would seem to be most of the U.S.

I have found in real life that in zones 4 and 5 if you have a late frost you can freeze off all the blossoms and end up with no cherries.

The two places that I know about where they are raised commerically are Door County in WI and Traverse County in MI both has mild lake influenced weather (warmer winters and cooler summers that other places of that lattitude) .

I went and picked about 2 1/2 gallons of cherries yesterday and am making jam right now. It just amazes me how something that taste so so-so raw is so yummy cooked.