sunshine jam

Anyone in need of a little liquid sunshine?  This pineapple jam turned out GREAT and I am so excited about it!  I got the idea because a friend's birthday was coming up and she loves all things tropical because she lived in Hawaii during her college years so the idea of pineapple jam came to me and I had to go with it.  My family thought it was pretty great on crackers with cream cheese, by the way.  I ended up making three batches.  Each batch made 4 jars with a little left over...to eat right away of course!

sunshine jam (pineapple jam) (keyingredient.com)
1 (20 ounce) can of crushed pineapple
6 to 8 ounces unsweetened pineapple juice
3 cups white sugar
1.175 ounce box Sure Jell pectin powder (pretty sure my box was 2 ounces)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I used 1 teaspoon and all batches turned out great)

Prepare steamer or water bath.
Prep the jars by cleaning them (I put them in the dishwasher and timed it right so the jars were hot as I needed to till them).  Set them on a large baking sheet.
Empty the undrained can of crushed pineapple into a large measuring cup and add enough pineapple juice to equal 3 1/4 cups.
In a large pot, add the pineapple and juice and pectin and bring to a rolling boil.
Add all of the sugar at once and stir.
Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Add the butter and continue stirring for 1-3 minutes.  
Using a ladle, fill the clean canning jars and with a clean, damp cloth quickly wipe off the rims of the jars and put the two piece lids on.  Process the jars in a steamer or water bath for 10 minutes.  Remove and cool on the counter.

homemade strawberry jam

We picked strawberries yesterday and put them to good use today!  My third daughter and I were like pioneers in the kitchen- we made 4 loaves of bread, 7 jam jars full of strawberry jam and strawberry apricot crumble. 

homemade strawberry jam (mrs. wages recipe on the back of the fruit pectin box)
5 cups pureed strawberries, stems removed and washed
1/4 cup water
1 package Mrs. Wages Fruit Pectin Home Jell Package
7 cups sugar

1.  Prepare home canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions.  Keep jars hot until filled (I put mine in the oven on "warm").
2.  Measure sugar into a dry container and set aside.
3.  Place measured strawberries into a big pot.  Stir in fruit pectin.
4.  Put on the stove on medium high heat and start to cook.  
5.  When mixture comes to a full boil quickly add sugar and boil for 1 minute.  Do not overcook pectin.
6.  Remove from heat and skim off foam.  Quickly ladle into hot jars.  Leave 1/4 inch head space at the top of the jars.  Use a clean damp cloth to wipe any spilled jam from rims and threads of jars.  Cover with hot lids and tighten rings firmly.
7.  Process your jam with either a water bath or steam method (we used the steam method).
8.  Process using the steam method for 5 minutes.  
9.  Remove jars from steamer.  Set on a rack to cool.
10.  When cool, check seals.  (A popping sound is a good sound!).  Label, date and store in a cool, dark place.  Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks.

cherry pineapple jam

Jam.  Truly a labor of love.  I made 36 half pints of cherry jam which will be put to good use this Christmas.  Yes, I think ahead that far.  This was my first time making cherry jam.  I never even knew about cherry pitters until recently- what a terrific invention!  My cherry pitter pits 4 cherries at a time and arrived in 2 days thanks to amazon.com.  It really is a fun toy.  If I hadn't run out of cherries I'd still be making it...

cherry pineapple jam (adapted from kraftrecipes)
2 cups prepared fully ripe sweet cherries
2 cups crushed pineapple
1 box  fruit pectin
5 cups sugar, measured into separate bow
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Stem and pit cherries.  Finely chop of grind fruit.  Measure exactly 2 cups of the prepared cherries into a large pot.  Add 2 cups crushed pineapple.  Stir in lemon juice.  Stir pectin into fruit mixture in pot.  Bring to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in sugar and extract.  Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; skim off any foam with spoon.  Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops.  Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover with two-piece lids.  Screw bands tightly.  Place jars on elevated rack in steam canner.  Process 10 minutes.  Remove jars and place upright to cool completely.  After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger.  If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

cranberry jelly

I love being an Activity Day leader and getting to do fun activities with the 8 to 12-year old girls at church.  We're going to make jelly at our next activity so I experimented with cranberry jelly since Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  My kids were my samplers and they gave it a two thumbs up.  We went through a whole lot of toast yesterday afternoon!

cranberry jelly (Kraft recipes) 
4 cups (1 quart) cranberry juice cocktail
1 box pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter
4 1/2 cups sugar

Prepare jars and keep warm until ready to use.
Measure juice into a 6- or 8-quart saucepot.  Stir in pectin.  Add butter to reduce foaming.  Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in sugar.  Return to a full rolling boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8" of tops.  Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover with two-piece lids.  Screw bands tightly.  Process 5 minutes.  Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely.  After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger.  If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

plum jam

My kids picked no less than 35 pounds of plums, I kid you not.  My kids and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work.  One of my daughters, the one who adores jam the most, cut all the seeds out of them and placed them into the Vita-mix and then we started the day-long process of turning each and every little plum into jam.  Tasty, tasty jam.

plum jam
6 cups plum puree
8 cups sugar
1 package pectin
1/4 cup water

Wash the plums.  Cut the seeds out of the plum (or break open the plum and pull out the seed; we thought using a knife was faster- my daughter thought a knife was more fun).  Place the plums in a blender.  Blend away!  Place 6 cups of plum puree into a big canning pot.  Add 1 package pectin and 1/4 cup water.  Stir and cook until plums come to a rolling boil.  Add 8 cups sugar and stir.  Bring back to a rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Now you're ready to pour your jam into prepared jars.  Process the jars for 10 minutes.

apricot pineapple jam

My friend Sandi from my high school days came to visit and brought her family along whom I'd never met.  She brought us some homemade jam and we were fortunate enough that Sandi shared the recipe with us. 
apricot pineapple jam (my friend Sandi was given this recipe from her Grandpa)
3 1/2 pounds apricots (5-6 cups finely chopped, unpeeled apricots)
lemon, juiced
1 can pineapple in rings
4 1/2 cups sugar
box of Sure Jell pectin (Sandi uses the "for less" or "no sugar" recipe with sugar)


Measure 5 cups prepared apricots into a 6 or 8 quart pot.  Squeeze about 2 tablespoons lemon juice over the apricots.
Take the pineapple rings out of the can reserving the juice they come in.  Cut the rings into roughly 1/2 inch squares and add it to the pot.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice in and mix it all together.
Stir the pectin into the prepared fruit in the pot.
Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in sugar.  Bring to full rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops.  Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover with two-piece lids  Screw bands tightly.  Place jars on elevated rack in canner.  Process 10 minutes.  Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely.  After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger.
Put it on the stove in a large saucepan, stirring often until everything looks nicely blended together, about 10 minutes.  If the apricots don't look like they are breaking down or your pineapple chunks are too big,  take a potato masher to them.

homemade strawberry jam

My friend Gillian and her darling girls picked strawberries with us last weekend.  It was a beautiful sunny day and we picked as many as we could before we headed home to turn our strawberries into jam.  What a great way to make summer last an entire year!!  Summer in a jar.

strawberry jam (MCP, the makers of Sure Jell)
5 1/2 cups crushed strawberries
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon butter 
1 (2 ounce) box fruit pectin

Measure exact amount of strawberries and pour into a 6- or 8-quart saucepot.  Stir in lemon juice.
Measure exact amount of sugar and pour into a separate bowl.
Stir in 1 box of pectin into fruit in saucepot.  Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to reduce foaming, if desired.
Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.
Stir in sugar quickly.  Return to full rolling boil and boil for exactly 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and skim off any foam.
Ladle into prepared jars and close with lids.
Process jams 10 minutes.
Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.  Store unopened jams in a cool, dark, dry place up to 1 year.  Refrigerate opened jams and jellies up to 3 weeks.

spiced peach jam

This jam is my family's very favorite jam.

Spiced peach jam might be the second thing I learned to can.  When I learned this recipe I thought you had to peel the peaches because that's what Suzette taught me.  However, you do not need to peel the peaches.  Go ahead and put those peaches in the blender with the peel ON.  You will not be able to tell a difference.

This jam is perfect for fall because of the delicious, aromatic spices.  It's a jam you should have on the table at Thanksgiving beside warm, homemade dinner rolls.  It's good on a toasted English muffin with cream cheese too.

spiced peach jam (my friend Suzette)
4 cups peaches, peeled and mashed
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 box powdered pectin
5 cups sugar

In large saucepan, mix well peaches, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and pectin.  Bring to a full boil.  Add sugar and bring to full boil again for 1 minute.  Cool 5 minutes and skim.  Fill clean, warm jars and seal.  Process in a water bath for 10 minutes or steam for 15 minutes.

Makes 5-7 half pints.

homemade blueberry jam

When my sister-in-law and her 5 cute boys came to visit us over the weekend we went blueberry picking.  I had wanted to make blueberry jam (or any kind of jam) this summer but it seemed like a whole lot of work and I was dragging my feet so I was glad when my sister-in-law suggested we make jam together.  We busied ourselves in the kitchen and had a good time.

homemade blueberry jam (MCP, from the makers of Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin)
3 3/4 cups crushed berries
1 (1.75 ounce) box fruit pectin
6 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup water

Crush fruit using a potato masher.  Measure exact amount of fruit into 6-or 8-quart saucepot.  Stir in lemon juice and water.   Stir in 1 box of pectin into fruit.  Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in sugar quickly.  Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.  Ladle quickly in prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops.  Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover with lids.  Screw bands tightly.  Place jars in steamer.  Cover; bring water to gentle boil.  Process jams 10 minutes.  Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely.  After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger.  If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

suzette's taco salsa

 
This is the best salsa ever and it's time I share it even though salsa season isn't for a few months. This is the recipe that got me into canning which is something I didn't think I'd ever do. I could drink this stuff, and I do. So do my kids.

suzette's taco salsa (my friend Suzette who changed my life through this recipe)
10 large tomatoes, blanched and chopped
1/2 cup jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 small carrot, shredded
1/2 cups green chili, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons pickling salt, uniodized
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic salt
5-7 chili tepid seeds, crushed

Place all ingredients into a large pot and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally (until desired thickness). Use hand blender to mash even more if you like it less chunky. Pour into clean hot jars. Wipe tops of rings and process in steam canner for 15 minutes.

spicy pickled onions

Onions have been Buy-One-Get-One Free for several weeks now at our local grocer which means it's the perfect time to pickle them! My friend Laura makes the best pickles. She shared her recipe with me and before I knew it I was pickling everything- pickles, banana peppers, onions and carrots. This is a terrific recipe you can use to pickle anything! These onions are delicious on sandwiches.

spicy pickled onions (my friend/neighbor Laura)
makes 2 quart jars
a bunch of onions, peeled, halved and sliced (whatever fills the jars leaving a little space at the top)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons fresh dill (cut in half if using dried dill)
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
1 1/3 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 2/3 cups water

Fill jars with onions. Mix garlic, dill, and red pepper then add equal amounts to tops of jars. In a saucepan, bring vinegar, salt and water to a boil then pour oven spices and pickles. Add lids and rings immediately then set jars aside to seal and cool. Laura can usually get all of hers to seal by tightening the lids as they cool but I process mine. I just feel a little safer that way. If there's a jar that doesn't seal for her, she puts them in the fridge to eat.

What I have to say- her pickles are crunchy and delicious. When Laura makes pickles she gives the whole cucumbers and ice bath while prepping the jars and spices so they have a little extra crunch. You will lose the crunch if you process the pickles like I did. They still tasted good but they weren't crunchy.

blueberry jam

Last 4th of July my friend Suzette picked up a 15-pound box of the finest blueberries you've ever tasted. They were plump and oh so delicious. We ate as many as we could fresh, make cobblers and breads. We even froze some but we still had enough to make jam. I'd never made jam blueberry jam before. It's great so here's the recipe:

blueberry jam (inside the package of Ball Original Fruit Pectin)
4 cups crushed blueberries, about 2 1/2 pounds or 6 (6 ounce) containers
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups sugar
1 package of Ball fruit pectin

Use a potato masher to crush blueberries.
Prepare canning supplies before you begin. Measure ingredients.
In a large pot combine blueberries with lemon juice. Gradually stir in fruit pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
Preserve using your method of choice. Makes 6 jars (8 ounces each).