Jam! Jam! Jam!

Alright, so I have a new little hobby. Making Jam!! A couple months ago I was watching Martha Stewart and she was making a tomato jam, seemed kinda odd but i'm sure delicious. For some reason I remembered that show and thought, "I think i'll try and make jam today." I've never made jam before so why not! I started with something simple, strawberry jam. Also because strawberries were on sale. In the end the strawberry jam turned out amazing, even better an Smucker's AND only 2 ingredients: strawberries and sugar.

Last night I made a mixed berry jam with blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. It tastes great but I may have let it cook a little too long. It's a little thick. I also kinda wished I strained it, i've been picking seeds out of my teeth all morning. Since I haven't mastered the whole canning process, i've just been keeping the jams in my fridge. My latest jam made a lot so i'm going to freeze about half. Here are the recipes and some pictures!!

Strawberry Jam

4 pounds strawberries, cut into 1 inch pieces

5 cups sugar

- Before your begin, put a plate and a couple spoons in the freezer.

- Place the strawberries in a large pot over medium heat. Add a third of the sugar, stir, and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Cook for 5 minutes. Repeat this step until the sugar is gone.

- Bring the strawberries to a boil and cook until the mixture has thickened (and reads 220 on a candy thermometer). This will take about 40 minutes. Skim off any foam that floats on the top as the jam cooks.

- To test the jam for doneness place a small amount of jam on the chilled spoon and place back in freezer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from freezer and hold the spoon vertically. If the jam slowly moves down the spoon and is thick, it is done. If the jam seems too loose or watery, return to the pot and cook for a couple minutes before retesting.

- Store jam in refrigerator or place in sterilized jars.

Mixed Berry Jam (left) and Strawberry Jam (right)

Mixed Berry Jam

3 1/2 pounds berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)

zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 tsp orange zest

2-3 tbsp orange juice

1 3/4 pound sugar

- Before your begin, put a plate and a couple spoons in the freezer.

- In a large pot over medium heat add the berries, lemon juice, half of the lemon and orange zest, and orange juice. Add one third of the sugar. Stir until dissolved and cook for 5 minutes. Repeat until all of the sugar has been used.

- Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook for about 30 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Skim any foam that forms on the top.

- Preform a spoon test to check for doneness after 25 minutes. Once done add in the remaining lemon and orange zest, bring back to a boil, and remove from the heat.

- Store in the fridge or in sterilized jars.

- Garden update tomorrow! -kb