Berry Jam

I just finished making this fall's batch of other-than-strawberry jam. I use the same recipe for freezer jam that I do for strawberry, and it turns out great. This year I made raspberry jam, blackberry jam, and as special bonus treat raspberry-blackberry syrup! We haven't eaten the syrup yet but I can't wait to use it the next time we have our new favorite pancakes. I used this recipe and I'll let you know how it tastes once we eat it...

Making any berry freezer jam is easy, but the procedure is a tiny bit different for different types of berries. For strawberry, I wash & hull them, cut them in half, and put them in the blender - pulsing until they're the consistency I want. Usually I completely puree some of them and leave some of them chunky, then mix together for the way I like jam. Raspberries and blackberries are easier because they just need to be rinsed and then mashed in a big bowl with a potato masher, so you can skip the blender step (of course you can still put them in a blender or food processor if you want it; it's probably a little faster but it isn't necessary ~ one less thing to wash). Since raspberries and blackberries are so seedy, this year I strained out part of the seeds. After mashing, I poured about half of them into a wire mesh strainer and forced it through with a spatula. This takes some time and is kind of a pain, so sometime before the next go around I'll buy something like this, which I can also use for homemade applesauce (which I made last year and we LOVE it). Anyway, after straining out some of the seeds (you're left with a nice lump of pulp afterwards to throw away) just mix the strained part back into the mashed berries and continue with the recipe. I took more seeds out of the blackberry since they're bigger. I would say I strained 1/2 of the mashed blackberries and 1/3 of the mashed raspberries and both kinds of jam turned out just right.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

• 2 c sugar
• 1/4 c Instant Clear Gel (it's a powder)
• 1 pkg strawberry Kool-Aid (also a powder)
• 5 c whole or 3 1/2 c crushed strawberries
• 1/2 c Karo syrup (light corn syrup)

Mix dry ingredients together well (first 3 ingredients). Mix wets & add to the dries. Mix well -- until sugar is dissolved. Put into jars and freeze, leaving 1/2" headspace.

My tips: ~I always, always double-batch (but never triple). A half-flat of strawberries (or 4 1-lb containers) makes about 7 cups of mashed/pureed strawberries; perfect for a double-batch. A double-batch yields about 11 to 12 cups of jam, so you'll need 11 to 12 half-pint jars or 6 pints. Crush/puree the strawberries by pulsing in the blender. My kids prefer "no chunks" so I do a total puree. If you want "chunks" I would puree part of them, then do a rougher blend on part, then mix those together. Cutting the berries in half after washing/hulling makes them blend more evenly. ~Really mix the dry ingredients together well. I pour them into a big bowl through a sieve and then I mix them together with a whisk or a slotted spoon. Instant clear gel is a modified cornstarch and will make lumps in the jam if not first mixed well with the sugar. You can get instant clear gel (note: has to be called Instant! Not the same as regular clear gel! I learned that the hard way!) from some specialty food stores but I order mine online; Amazon has plenty of vendors. Order a couple pounds of it and it will last you for the next few years' worth of jam. ~How do you know when the sugar is dissolved and it's time to put it into the jars? When you rub a little drop between your fingers and you can't feel the sugar granules anymore. It only takes a few minutes of good mixing. This is SO easy to make! ~This turns out more runny than other freezer jams or cooked jams. But that's okay with me! It's excellent not only on sandwiches or toast but also on pancakes, french toast, crepes; even ice cream. Mmmm.




Recipe courtesy of my mother-in-law Ruth