In my mind, homemade berry jam is in another league than store-bought variations. And I love how fresh the uncooked “freezer” versions taste compared to the cooked and canned jellies. Each bite transports me to the berry patch as I taste the freshly-picked berries and remember all of the fun berry-picking excursions with my grandma and mom when I was little.
This is my mom’s recipe. Until I recently started making my own jams, I relied on my mom’s jam shipments every time she visited. It was like liquid gold. I would make it last as long as possible and it was always a sad day when I would run out and have to buy jam. Now that I realize how easy and straightforward it is to make jam, I really don’t plan to buy jam again.
I have included my mom’s recipe below. She uses the Sure-Jell: No Sugar Needed {the pink box} pectin. Her method is slightly altered from the current Sure-Jell recipe included in each box. {She actually follows a recipe from an old pectin box that she has used all of these years.}
For a fun family outing, haul your family to the berry patch and then return home to make jams, pies and other treats. Freeze left-over berries for later use. My mom’s tip: freeze your berries in mashed and measured quantities so that they are all ready for a batch of jam.
- 1 pack of Sure-Jell Low Sugar Pectin {the pink box}
- Berries/Fruit *
- Sugar*
- *Quantities vary according to the type of fruit
- Reference the instructions in the Sure-Jell box for the "quick and easy freezer jam."
- Use the amount of berries and sugar stated for the respective fruit.
- Remove ½ cup sugar from the total amount and mix it with the pectin.
- Put the berries in a microwaveable bowl.
- Then, stir in the pectin-sugar mixture and let it thicken for 30 minutes, stirring it periodically.
- After 30 minutes add the remaining sugar, a little at a time.
- If the jam mixture feels gritty when you rub a little between your fingers then warm it slightly in the microwave, just until the sugar dissolves (probably less than 1 minute or so).
- Do not boil or cook the berries because heat alters the enzyme in the pectin.
- Pour the jam into glass containers and put the lids on.
- Let the jam rest at room temperature overnight.
- The next morning, refrigerate the jam you will use immediately and freeze the rest of the jars of jam.
