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While the chickens are getting settled in their new digs and the garden will soon be turning green, I’m looking forward to summer produce. I know it’s barely April, but June will bring some of the tastiest strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries I’ve eaten ever. You just cannot go back to grocery store berries after that. Just can’t. I have to save that yumminess in jam format. It’s become a must around here.

I am not a jam making expert, but for the last several years, I’ve been making enough jam to last us through the year. I can’t tell you how nice it is to A. have rows of jam on the shelves instead of having to run to the store and B. know exactly what is the jam we’re eating! I’ve seen the farm where these strawberries/raspberries are grown. It’s my sugar. Granted, I did not harvest the cane myself, but it’s pretty darn close to being farm to table.

COSTS – is it more economical?

A large flat of strawberries from a local grower is $25. Obviously, the cost is less if you grow your own. The jam jars I bought over a decade for around $10 on sale (look for sales in late July). I also have a large canning pot that I bought about 10 years ago. Every year, I have to buy new lids and, of course, Sure-Jell. Out of a flat of strawberries, I can usually get around 12 1/2 pints of jam, depending on how many handfuls the kids grab before I start washing the berries. They are sneaky berry-fiends!

Is this cost-effective? Well, there is an initial investment. The cost of the canning Kit and Jelly Jars is offset by the number of years I use them. Sometimes you can find jars at garage sales or just by asking around. Recent years have made it a bit harder as the jars are super trendy for home decor but they are still lurking in dusty basements around your town. You can buy a jar of jam at Wal*art for around $3… I figure it costs me about $2.50 for each 1/2 pint (not including my initial investment). It’s not a huge saving, but that jar of jam from the store is sure to include High Fructose Corn Syrup, food dyes or a half of a dozen other chemicals.

How to Make Jam

Wash jars and heat lids with boiling water before beginning with fruit. A run through the dishwasher is ok, too.

Wash the fruit in water. Cut off green tops of strawberries and quarter the berry. Ripe raspberries will fall apart easily, so no need to cut them. I use a pastry blender to mash up the berries. For me, it works just as well as anything else. Sometimes I push the berries through a sieve to remove the seeds, but if I’m feeling lazy, I make “seedy” jam. “Seedy” jam gets the kids to brush their teeth more!

Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin comes with specific instructions for cooked and freezer jam for all different fruits. Following them is pretty simple and they are step by step. Do follow them exactly and use a timer if you need to.. distractions happen. The wrong ratio of fruit to sugar or overcooking can lead to disaster.

One thing to do before you start is to get something to engross the kids if you have them at home. Once you start stirring the fruit, you cannot stop for a minute. No grabbing a towel, getting a snack or mediating an argument. I kick mine outside with the sprinkler and strict orders to not to come back inside.

Once you’ve cooked the jam, placed it in jars and put the jars in the canner, you can take a short break while they boil.

Check for Seals

After they’ve finished the boil in the canner, the jars need a place to rest while they seal. It can take awhile (I heard them “pop” around 3 am), so you need a place where the kids won’t be grabbing – they are very hot for several hours. They should make a noise when sealing, but some jars will have sealed in the water. Simply push the top of the lid to check. If it sinks, the jar did not seal. Any unsealed jars must go into the refrigerator and be used within two weeks. Jars that did seal can be placed in your pantry and will keep for 18 months to two years.

Making jam is labor intensive, but so worth it when you see those jars lined up on the shelf. Especially when the kids realize you made it for THEM!

Have you made jam? How much would it take to do a winter’s worth for a family of PB&J?